Leonardo Royal Hotel Oxford

A bit far from Oxford city center, takes about 30 minutes to an hour by bus. There's a bus stop right across the street. The room was decent. There's a small swimming pool. You need to book a time slot at the gym's front desk to use the pool, and children are not allowed after 8 PM.

The room is indeed quite old, but it has air conditioning 😂. Don't expect any view from the window; it's good if you don't see tin roofs. When staying, you might need to remind them about obstructed views or similar issues. I booked an executive room, but they gave me a special room; I thought I was in a hospital, which made me very uncomfortable. I immediately switched to a standard room, and they refunded the price difference and parking fee 😂. The first two pictures are of the special room, and the last two are of the standard room.

This was, without a doubt, the worst hotel stay I've ever experienced. My disappointment was particularly acute because just a few days prior, I had a very positive two-night stay at the Leonardo Royal Hotel Glasgow. It was that trust that led me to choose this affiliated hotel. Upon checking in around 10 PM, I went to take a shower and discovered the drain was severely clogged, with water quickly pooling around the basin. I tried to remove the drain cover to speed up the drainage, but the water flow remained sluggish, making a normal shower impossible. After identifying the problem, I immediately called the front desk, and they promised to send someone right away. However, after waiting for over half an hour, no staff member showed up. Frustrated, I had no choice but to go down to the front desk myself. I saw an employee who seemed to be in charge, along with three other staff members, discussing a plan. When they saw me, they assured me they would send someone to my room immediately to check. Subsequently, a staff member accompanied me back to my room, confirmed the blockage, and promised to unclog it right away. By this time, it was already past 11 PM. I explicitly stated that I wanted to change rooms – after all, I just needed to shower and sleep, as I had plans early the next morning. Furthermore, I had specifically asked and confirmed that there were available rooms for a change. However, after the staff member left, they didn't reappear until 12:30 AM. Seeing that the repairs were indefinitely delayed, I concluded that unclogging wasn't going to happen anytime soon. I had to give up waiting and quickly get some rest to maximize my limited sleep. What's even more frustrating is that the hotel's weekend rate was double the weekday price, yet I couldn't even enjoy a proper shower. To document the situation, I immediately took photos and also noticed large areas of old water damage under the room door, clearly indicating that this wasn't a new problem. But the most unacceptable part of this whole ordeal wasn't the equipment malfunction itself; it was the hotel's complete lack of explanation or apology from beginning to end. This attitude was even more disappointing than the clogged drain – especially after experiencing reliable service at another branch of the same chain, the contrast was particularly glaring.

This is my second stay at this hotel, and it was just as satisfying as the first. The room was elegant and clean, and the air conditioning worked well. The lobby offered complimentary fruit-infused water. The hotel's surroundings are beautiful, a picturesque countryside with a large open field and several small lakes.

This hotel completely exceeded my expectations and was the best value-for-money hotel I stayed at during my trip to the UK. Although it's not in the city center, it's incredibly convenient – just a 10-minute bus ride on the number 6 from downtown directly to the hotel. It's a large resort, perfect for those traveling by car. The hotel itself is beautiful, allowing us to experience the scenic British countryside while exploring Oxford.