Mal Maison, Oxford – Review

Have you ever thought of what a night in prison would be like? Well it`s now possible at the Malmaison Oxford and you won`t have to worry about the warden turning the lights off at 10pm. Located in the newly developed Castle complex in the centre of Oxford this hotel combines the usual luxury expected from a Malmaison hotel with a Victorian prison. Previously visitors to Oxford would most likely stay in The Randolph Hotel which featured heavily in the Inspector Morse series. But now there is a new guard in town, Malmaison Oxford, as featured in the TV series Lewis, can now stake claim as the most luxurious hotel in Oxford.

From the moment I walked through the imposing studded iron doors into the reception I was completely in awe and never had I felt greater anticipation when entering a hotel room for the first time. Located in the prison wing the room was made up of 3 prison cells, one for the bathroom and two for the relatively spacious bedroom. All mod cons were provided as expected plus services such as dry cleaning.

Before dinner we went for a drink in the residents bar located in on the 3rd floor. With an extensive cocktail menu and a relaxing atmosphere this was the perfect venue for a pre-dinner drink. On finishing the Mojito and complementary olives and cashew nuts we headed to the brasserie. To start the meal I ordered the `soup du pistou`, followed by the `entrecote with buttered Jersey Royals`, all perfectly cooked and with excellent service to match.

Available at the hotel is an impressive range of suites including the luxurious Thomas Lowton Robins suite (named after the former guvner of Oxford prison), a decent sized gym (plus jogging maps for the athletic visitor), a private dining room for parties and a range of meeting rooms for business users.

Within the Oxford castle complex you can find a range of restaurants and bars here if you want to spread your wings further than the hotel. In fact it`s probably one of the best located hotels in Oxford now, being only a five minute walk from the train station and two minutes from the main shopping streets and sights of Oxford.

Without doubt the unique Malmaison Oxford has substantially raised the standard of Oxford hotels and should be the first choice hotel for any visitor to Oxford.