Reviewed: Holiday Inn, Oxford

Reviewed:

Holiday Inn, Oxford

We work to live and what better way to spend your time than mixing work and life together WORDS BY SALLY SMITH

In November, Jenny Cross (our CEO) and I decided to try a new experience: seeing how much work and leisure we could fi t into 48 hours. We’re often at our most creative when working remotely and we share a common passion for shopping. These two elements meant we landed on Holiday Inn, Oxford, as the perfect place to base ourselves.

Our journey saw us drive up on Sunday morning to enjoy lunch and a full day of shopping at the brilliant Bicester Village. With plenty of tempting designer boutiques and discount o ers, who could blame us?

With our arms laden with bags and legs starting to waiver, we decided it was time to drive to the hotel. We were gleeful to discover it was only 14 minutes away, and very conveniently located for visiting the centre of Oxford.

Walking into the hotel, we were greeted by a team of receptionists who were all smiling and clearly enjoying their jobs. We were immediately struck by the positive culture in this hotel. We found it to be a common theme throughout our stay.

The hotel felt like a home from home. It was modern and comfortable, stylish and welcoming. All the sta were attentive and happy to help. No request was too big or too small.

On Sunday evening, we dined in the restaurant. The menu had variety and we wouldn’t have run out of options had we’d been staying longer. By comparison to another nearby hotel chain that had no facilities, Holiday Inn’s restaurant was alive with enjoyment.

Once I’d settled on a chicken liver parfait to start, and a burger for main, the food service was fast and fulfi lling. The dessert menu was enticing, but we hadn’t left room! We did what anyone else would… ordered desserts to be delivered to our room later that evening, and settled down to watch a new episode of The

WE WERE IMMEDIATELY STRUCK BY THE POSITIVE CULTURE IN THIS HOTEL

Handmaid’s Tale.

On our fi nal morning, it was easy to be up and eating breakfast in the restaurant at 6am and back in the car for the drive back by 7am. With a less than 90-minute drive back, we were able to continue with the working day as usual.

If you’re looking to mix some business with pleasure, this is the destination to try, allowing you to enjoy everything this picturesque part of the country has to o er. Search ‘Holiday Inn, Oxford’ for reservations.