by I arrived at The Store with mixed feelings; I left – not always the case – with the same.
The EQ Group (“a leading European hospitality and investment platform with over €1.7 billion of hotel real estate across 5,000 keys”) was created in partnership with the Reef Group (“passionate about design, we invest in urban areas to maximize potential “). and now manages this new 101-room “boutique” hotel.
Today, all over the world, hotel management, property development and asset management go hand in hand. Some companies are principled in what they create; others much less so, seeking only profit and not remotely caring for the honor of the place or community where they land.
The EQ Group develops branded hotels (Novotel, Ibis etc) but also “Independent Lifestyle” ones such as the classy Hôtel Dame des Arts in Paris.
But I lament that the number of independent hotels, run with enthusiasm, integrity and vested interest by individuals is increasing and so many corporate, commercial enterprises are emerging in their place.
The former are becoming as rare as hen’s teeth, although happily two fine examples remain here in Oxford: the characteristic Old Parsonage and the elegant Old Bank, founded by Oxonian Jeremy Mogford, whose art collection great private lighting up. both addresses.
When it closed in 2020, killed by Covid, Boswells, Oxford’s popular historic department store, was bought by the EQ Group and Reef, which promised to honor its history.
They could hardly be expected to recreate the treasure that was Boswells, established in 1738, with its high piles of luggage, hairdressing, pharmacy, toys and tea room but, they say, they created a “labyrinth of beautiful spaces and installations. which awakens a sense of exploration and wonder”.
Seriously? Exploration and wonder? Installations? The place feels Scandinavian to me: slick; contemporary; simple; could be anywhere.
The marble bar at the front, visible from the street, runs almost the width of the building and the entire ground floor is given over to eating, drinking, afternoon tea and collaboration, with interconnecting spaces, including sofas around on a glass-fronted fire – all carefully designed to attract off-street visitors as well as hotel guests.
Farewell, Boswells. There is definitely not a smidgeon of you in the bedrooms. Experienced hotel manager Simon Drake tells me that the layout of each is carefully planned so that guests immediately feel at ease, with space to move around the bed, unpack a suitcase, sit comfortably at a desk and so on. of.
Maybe so, but in mine at least, a “Deluxe SuperKing” costing between £370 and £450 per night, they forgot any kind of character or interest.
Simple walls and curtains; a window too high to see out; no works of art; tiny, functional bathroom, one shower. I could be in a Premier Inn. “Period elements and playful touches with a nod to the past give a sense of authenticity and place” says the blurb. Not in my room.
The restaurant is called Treadwells, which recalls a famous passage from the 19th century that once occupied the place. Treadwell Passage was full of hawkers, scavengers and intrigue, but the hotel’s attempt to recall its characters by “referencing them in fun ways throughout the menu” seems wrong and confusing to me.
Want a full English for breakfast? Its “fun” replacement is a quirky muffin stuffed with roasted bacon, scrambled egg, spring onion, coriander and chilli with a smashed sausage patty, apparently replacing normal sausage.
Please don’t give me sound bits. Give me a nice surprise – a wow factor here and there – and give me warmth, character, heart and soul. As a matter of fact, I found both at the Store, although not on the ground floor and not in the bedrooms.
Down in the basement is a gorgeous little spa with an aromatic thermal room, a walnut paneled relaxation area and a couple of treatment rooms.
Here I was given a wonderful facial and facial massage by Alicia, from Ukraine, who has found refuge and hospitality in Oxford with her children.
My time with her warmed my heart, and at the top of the hotel I found the wow factor: a roof terrace, partly enclosed with glorious views of the dreamy spiers of Oxford and the countryside beyond.
Good elements, not so good ones: as I say, mixed feelings.
Doubles from £285, B&B
1-5 Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3AG (01865 950666; thestoreoxford.com)
