The Store, a new, high-class modern hotel, is set to open in May on Broad Street beside Waterstones. With construction reaching an end – after having blocked the corner of Broad Street opposite Balliol College for the past few years – details of the establishment have finally been released.
The 54,000 square-foot building will hold 101 rooms and offer various luxury experiences. Amenities are set to include a rooftop cocktail bar with outdoor terrace offering city views, a full spa, and an “untraditionally British” restaurant, that will also be open to non-guests. Rooms at The Store will start at £285 a night.
Formerly the city’s oldest department store, Boswells of Oxford, had to close in 2020 after nearly 300 years of operation since its establishment in 1738. Its renovation into a modern hotel has been following the trend of the gentrification of city-centre businesses that failed during lockdown. Some Oxford locals were upset with the change – speaking to Cherwell one local stated: “It’s sad because Boswells was independent and family run – and a great shop”.
Nevertheless, some have argued that The Store will be a welcome addition to Oxford. Most four and five-star hotels sit on the city outskirts, with expensive exceptions, such as The Randolph. The decoration of the hotel will also pay homage to its roots: art and pictures of the department will be a key theme in many rooms and sections of the hotel.
There are also questions concerning how the hotel will impact the “no traffic” zone on Broad Street and its designation as a walking street, which has been expanded in recent months and is hosting many seasonal markets throughout the year. Although this has not been overtly addressed by The Store, the proximity of the hotel to bus stations and taxi ranks at the end of St Giles Street could nevertheless be a cause for concern.
An Oxford student told Cherwell: “it will be nice to have a new hotel that’s very central and actually nice. My parents, as visitors, have been unhappy with central hotels in the past.” However, speaking with The Business Times, the general manager, Simon Drake, stated: “it’s not just parents of students. There’s a huge leisure business.” He presents the tourism aspect as a key target of the establishment, noting: “So much history and heritage will appeal to Americans, who so far account for the biggest proportion of bookings.”
With the opening just a few months away, it will be during the coming Trinity term when we will see the impact the establishment has on students, locals, and tourists that make up the signature population of Oxford’s city centre.
