Overview

Easyhotel is a relatively newly opened hotel in the Summertown area of Oxford, just north of the main tourist attractions. It’s an accessible, affordable hotel and the staff are extremely friendly and helpful.

Transport & Parking

I travelled to the hotel on public transport. From Oxford Railway Station I took a taxi to the hotel and it cost about (£9-10). The taxi was able to turn off the main road into a side area to drop off, see picture. This was step free, however without a kerb there was a noticeable gap between the vehicle and the pavement. However, I was off the main road so I felt safe and able to take my time. The rest of the time I travelled by bus. The Oxford buses are step free. The ones I used only had an entrance at the front with a ramp, and inside there was a wheelchair space and another space with tip up seats. However, I think there are a couple of bus companies in Oxford so I don’t know if all the buses are laid out this way. The buses were frequent, I think the longest I waited was 15 minutes one time. A single ticket from the City Centre to the hotel is £2.30. However, you can purchase a day ticket for the buses costing £4.30. The bus stops have seating and there are indicators showing when the next buses are due. Coming from Oxford to the hotel I picked the bus up at Magdalen Street bus stop C1, and took the 2 or 2A going towards Kidlington. There are 2 stops close to the hotel for getting off, both are a flat walk to the hotel, which is on the opposite side of the street. The first is Summertown Shops and from there you walk further up the street and past a parade of shops (cafes, books shop, clothes shop, supermarkets) which is marginally the longer distance to the hotel. The next stop is South Parade East, which is outside the BBC Radio Oxford Building, where you retrace your steps to the hotel, from here there are less shops to pass to the hotel. Exiting the hotel, stay on the same side as the hotel, turn left and walk down passing a few cafes and shops on the way, to Summertown Shops bus stop where buses will take you to Magdalen East Stop C6 in the City Centre, close to Broad Street. Please note if you want to travel further you will need to walk to another bus stop as this bus stop is just a dropping off point. If you want to go to the railway station from here, continue forward to the corner of the road and turn right into George Street. Walk to the bus stop for the 14 and 14A buses which go into the station forecourt. There maybe more buses that pass or go into the station forecourt from this stop. The staff at the hotel said that there are 2 blue badge parking spaces in the car park next to the hotel. Please check with the hotel before you book if you want to use this.

Access

The Easyhotel has a step free entrance with two sets of automatic double doors. There are markers on the glass doors. There is a spacious foyer with a few chairs and a vending machine. Directly in front are two reception desks at standing height. I didn’t notice any other facilities, such as toilets, on the ground floor. Beyond the desks are two lifts. There are no bedrooms on the ground floor. The lifts always arrived quickly and they were large but not huge. The buttons on the lift are raised and there is no braille. My accessible room was room 114 on the first floor. There is a manual door to exit the area by the lifts and a further door midway along the corridor. I did notice there was at least one accessible room before the corridor door. My room was able to book my accessible room directly from the website and it was described as an accessible room with window. There is a manual door accessed by a key fob. This opened out into a short corridor. On the left was the entrance to the bathroom and on the wall of the corridor there were two hooks each holding a coat hanger. The main part of the room consisted of a double bed. The bed was extremely comfortable, it has a good quality medium firm mattress but the bed itself was a tad too low and I would have appreciated it being a touch higher to ease of transfer. The bed had a headboard which included two small alcoves. There was a flat screen TV and a screen touch device for controlling the air conditioning. The window was very small and at an angle so you couldn’t look out and the view was mostly wall. The bathroom was very spacious. It had a wheel in shower, non slip flooring throughout, shower with fitted shower chair, emergency cord which reached towards the floor and both horizontal and vertical handrails. There were in fact two showers. One was with a hose and there was another one high up fixed to the wall, and the knobs can be turned to switch between the two. There is no shower tray or anywhere to keep your toiletries in the shower so I just used the shower gel that was attached to the walls. The toilet had grab rails and there was another emergency cord next to it. The sink was low and very small with grab rails either side. Overall, and this is a personal view, the bed and bathroom facilities are excellent, however the room itself was a little too sparse. The only shelf space was the window sill, the two small alcoves by the bed and the top of the headboard. There is no wardrobe, cupboard, draws or shelving. For my two nights stay it was fine, I hung up my dresses, even through they trailed the floor (see photo) and I kept my belongings in my suitcase. However, if I was staying longer I would want a hotel that had some wardrobe/ storage space. Also there are no chairs, desk/ table, kettle, fridge or hairdryer in the room. When I was in my room I sat on my bed. This was not a major problem but I usually like to move the chair next to the bed, so in the morning I can use it to help me transfer. There was also very little space at the bottom of the bed to walk round to the opposite side of the bed. For me this was fine, but if you’re sharing a room with someone or would like more facilities just be aware.

Toilets

I was not aware of any public toilets in the communal area by reception.

Staff

Staff were very helpful and friendly. I was welcomed when I arrived. I was too early to check in and I had pre-paid to leave my case at reception before and after check in – check out. They gave me a map and showed me how to get into the town centre and where to pick the bus up on the way back. When I came back to check in, they did a fire risk assessment and completed a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan. On my first morning I asked about getting to the Botanic Gardens and they booked a taxi for me. Each time I went past reception the staff said hello. When I was leaving, I had difficulty getting a taxi they helpfully worked out how I could make the journey by bus. Staff were really, really lovely.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

I was the only person wearing a mask in the hotel so no I didn't feel covid safe with the rates currently at 1 in 17. Usually, I try to book a hotel as near to the places I want to visit as I can, as it saves travelling time and spoons. The hotel is in Summertown, which is a northern suburb of Oxford. The journey time to the city centre is about 10-15 minutes. I found the buses very convenient and regular. It easy to get to. Summertown is a really nice district. The hotel is on Banbury Road, a main road, surrounded by small local high street with a parade of shops and cafes occupying both sides of the street. There are more shops and restaurants in South Parade, a side street almost opposite the hotel. There are a lot of independent restaurants and cafes to chose from and some have outdoor seating. There are four small supermarkets. Sainsburys is opposite the hotel and almost next to it is a Tesco. On the same side as the hotel, just past the bus stop going into Oxford city centre, is a Marks and Spencers food hall and a little further still a Co-Op. There is also a Costa and an independent coffee shop, as well as a Crepe Affaire a couple of doors down from the hotel entrance. There is also a Boots the Chemist and a branch of Daunt Books. On the Sunday of my visit there was a small famers’ market. The area is very convenient if you are wanting to stock up on drinks and snacks or eat near your hotel, also it feels safe and welcoming. I would certainly stay there again.

Photos