Indulgence Room

Reviews of The Head of the River

4 out of 5
The Head of the River
Folly Bridge, St. Aldates, Oxford, England

Reviews

8.6

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 279 out of 601 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 224 out of 601 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 56 out of 601 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 35 out of 601 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 7 out of 601 reviews" "

9.0/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

8.4/10

Amenities

8.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Denise

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Clean, cosy, welcoming and full of charm. The staff were friendly and helpful. My room had beautiful views of the river and meadow. I’d come back to Oxford just to stay here again.
Stayed 6 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Anna

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We stayed at the Head of the River with our kids for a few days recently when visiting schools in the Oxford area. We really liked it. The rooms are lovely and have everything you need, the kids loved the free breakfast which was really delicious. We ended up eating most of our meals there and thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Sophie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

8/10 Good

Karen

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely room but was a bit dusty and the bed not comfortable
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024
Response from Head of the River on 29 Jan 2024
Thank you for your kind review, we are glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us. We will pass your comments onto our housekeeping team and look into the issues with the uncomfortable bed. We hope to welcome you back soon.

10/10 Excellent

veena

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Wonderful place to stay and relax
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2023
Response from Head of the River on 29 Jan 2024
Thank you for your kind review, we are glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us. We hope to welcome you back soon.

10/10 Excellent

James

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023
Response from Head of the River on 29 Jan 2024
Thank you for your kind review, we are glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us. We hope to welcome you back soon.

10/10 Excellent

Ian

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023
Response from Head of the River on 29 Jan 2024
Thank you for your kind review, we are glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us. We hope to welcome you back soon.

10/10 Excellent

Wendy

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location. Walking distance from train. Room on top floor had great views of the river.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Extended work stay.
Stayed there for several nights. The room was very comfortable and clean. I especially liked the breakfast and very friendly staff. Plus, the location is great for seeing Oxford.
Stayed 13 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov on 21 Nov 2023
Hi there,Thank you for the kind review and feedback! We're truly glad to see that you've enjoyed your stay with us and we'd love nothing more than to welcome you back if the opportunity arise again!Kind regards,

8/10 Good

Leanne

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
We had an overall good stay at The Head of the River. We were in walking distance to landmarks of interest and there was a lovely coffee shop across the street. The breakfast was included and was good and the staff were friendly. Overall cleanliness of the room was not up to our standards and the first evening we were there it was quite noisy. Would probably look into other options before returning.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov. on 21 Nov 2023
Hi Leanne,Thank you for the kind review and feedback!We're truly sorry to hear that you've experienced a few inconveniences while you stayed with us and we'll do our best to improve in the areas specified. Please rest assured that everything will be passed over to the relevant departments to be looked into. We'd love to welcome you back if the opportunity arises again!Kind regards,

8/10 Good

Jules

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov. on 17 Nov 2023
Hi Jules,Thank you very much for your review!We're glad to see that you've enjoyed your stay with us and we'd love nothing more than welcoming you back if the opportunity arises again!Kind regards,

10/10 Excellent

vasvi, Scottsdale

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location, quaint atmosphere!
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov. on 16 Nov 2023
Hi Vasvi, Thank you very much for your kind review and feedback!We're glad to hear that you've enjoyed your stay with us and we'd love nothing more than to have you back with us if the opportunity arises again!Kind regards,

6/10 Okay

Eric

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
Lovely view from our ridiculously tiny room-barely room to walk around the bed, no space for luggage or unpacked clothes, no desk or flat surface, tiny bathroom, extremely noisy-a very loud event underneath our window went on late into night and next night it was traffic on the street, very narrow flights of steps to reach our room. Required the white noise from the fan to sleep
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov. on 6 Nov 2023
Hi Eric, Thank you very much for your kind review and feedback!I'm truly sorry that the room was not up to your expectations and that your stay with us was affected by the event that took place on the 26th. The duty manager was doing the best he could to make them leave by 11pm, which is when we shut the whole pub, however they weren't listening so we truly apologize about this. In regards to the room, we appreciate it is small, however it is advertised as being a small room. We thank you for your understanding and we will do our best to improve in the specified areas.Kind regards,

8/10 Good

Aitch

Business traveller, Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Great people and good food. Terrible cleanliness standards though, there was a mouse in the restaurant!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov. on 28 Oct 2023
Hi Aitch, Thank you very much for your review and feedback!We're truly sorry to hear about your experience and please be assured that we've passed this over to the relevant departments and we will do our best to improve in the areas mentioned. We're glad that you've enjoyed your stay overall and we'd love to welcome you back if the opportunity arises again!Kind regards,

10/10 Excellent

M

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov. on 28 Oct 2023
Hi there, Thank you very much for your review! We're truly glad that you've enjoyed your experience with us and we'd love to have you back if the opportunity arises again!Kind regards,

4/10 Poor

Virginia

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov. on 28 Oct 2023
Hi Virginia, Thank you very much for your review!We're sorry to see that your stay with us was not up to your expectations. Would you be so kind to get in contact with us and provide us some more details in regards to your stay with us? We appreciate all kind of feedback and we'd love to know what we could've done to make your stay with us better!Kind regards,

10/10 Excellent

Robert

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Stay
Staff was extremely courteous and helpful!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov. on 10 Oct 2023
Hi Robert,Thank you very much for your kind words and feedback!We're truly glad that you've enjoyed your stay with us and we'd love nothing more than to welcome you back if the opportunity arises again!Kind regards,

8/10 Good

KERRY

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Good rooms, good food, good beer. Requirement for pay extra for checking in at 1 instead of 3 not good.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Jade on 12 Oct 2023
Hi KerryThank you for your Review, we appreciate the positive feedback. Paying for early check in is standard amongst most hotels.

10/10 Excellent

Andy

Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov. on 22 Sept 2023
Hi Andy,Thank you very much for your review!We're truly happy to see that you've enjoyed your stay with us and we'd love nothing more than having you back if the opportunity arises again!Kind regards,

10/10 Excellent

Donna

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We were very impressed with the hotel. The bed was so comfortable and the shower was amazing! Breakfast was provided and it was delicious. We definitely would like to come back again. All staff members were friendly and welcoming and I would recommend this hotel to family and friends.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov. on 27 Aug 2023
Hi Donna, Thank you so much for your kind words and feedback!We're truly glad that you've enjoyed your time here with us and we'd be more than happy to welcome you back to the venue again. If the opportunity arises, please don't hesitate to reach out. We also appreciate you reccommending us to your family and friends and we will make sure that they will all have a great time with us!Kind regards,

10/10 Excellent

Robert

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great location. On the River and very close to Oxford
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov. on 27 Aug 2023
Hi Robert, Thank you very much for your feedback!We're glad that you've enjoyed your stay with us and we'd love nothing else than to have you back here with us again if the opportunity arises!Kind regards,

8/10 Good

Nicola

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Close to City Centre and on site pleasant pub, restaurant right at the side of the river. Quirky and comfortable room with very good tea and coffee and chocolates.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov. on 17 Aug 2023
Hi Nicola, Thank you very much for your kind words and feedback!We're truly glad that you've enjoyed your stay with us and we'd love nothing more than to welcome you back if the opportunity arises again!Kind regards,

10/10 Excellent

Lincoln

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
First class all the way! Amazing rooms! Great food, great service, fantastic location! We have come here in past years for food and pints but stayed this time. Great location for river walks, easy walks around town, easy cab pick ups. Big kudos to all the staff, you are fantastic and helped make us feel comfortable and safe with your professionalism and kindness! We will stay here again!!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov. on 7 Aug 2023
Hi Lincoln,Thank you very much for your kind words and feedback!We're truly glad that you've enjoyed your stay with us and that you visit us regularly. We appreciate your feedback a lot and we'd love nothing more than to welcome you back to our venue. If the opportunity comes agin, please give us a shout.Kind regards,

10/10 Excellent

Dale

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov. on 5 Aug 2023
Hi Dale, Thank you very much for your feedback!We're truly glad that you've enjoyed your stay with us and we'd be more than delighted to be able to welcome you to our venue again.Kind regards,

10/10 Excellent

Eleanor

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov. on 16 Aug 2023
Hi Elanor, Thank you very much for your feedback!We're glad to see that you've enjoyed your stay with us and we'd love nothing more than to welcome you back if the opportunity arises again!Kind regards,

10/10 Excellent

Jamie

Liked: Amenities
Wonderful property. Beautiful location. Great reception. Great breakfast. Comfy rooms.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov. on 27 July 2023
Hi Jamie, Thank you very much for your kind words and feedback!We're truly happy that you;ve enjoyed your stay with us and we'd love nothing more than to welcome you back here again!Kind regards,

8/10 Good

Eugene

Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov. on 19 July 2023
Hi Eugene, Thank you very much for your review!We're trully happy to hear that you've enjoyed your stay with us and we'd love nothing more than to welcome you back if the opportunity arises again!Kind regards,

2/10 Terrible

Mark

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Like sleeping by a dual carriageway.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov. on 1 July 2023
Hi Mark, We're truly sorry to hear that your experience was not up to your expectations. If you don't mind, we'd appreciate it if you'd be able to get back to us and let us know what went wrong in your stay and what we could've done to make it better.Kind regards,

10/10 Excellent

Daniel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov. on 1 July 2023
Hi Daniel,Thank you very muhc for your feedback!We're truly happy to hear that you've enjoyed your experience with us at Head of The River and we'd love nothing more than to welcome you back if the opportunity arises ever again!Kind regards,

8/10 Good

David

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Lovely location with super helpful and friendly front desk and restaurant staff! The breakfast was deluxe! The room was nice, but next time we will request an upper floor-we were on the ground floor next to the outdoor dining area and therefore could not open the windows for air and keep our privacy as our windows opened to the tables in the dining area or the street and people could literally look over straight into our room. Other than that, we had a lovely stay and would stay there again.
Response from Jo on 20 June 2023
Good afternoon David, thank you for your feedback as we do like to hear from our guests and to be able to improve our services. When you do book in with us next time do request the upper floor. Also, glad you enjoyed your breakfast too. Hope to see you again soon.Thank youBest wishesJoan-reception team

10/10 Excellent

bryan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Weekend in Oxford
We booked our stay through hotels.com. Check in was easy even though we arrived at 11pm. The building is old so has a lot of character and some of the old sash windows require attention but secondary glazing made the room comfortable. The room was fully equipped with everything we needed so no complaints. The breakfast suited us but some may find the choice a little limited compared to a large hotel. The main English cooked breakfast was one of the largest ever received - make sure you’re hungry- compliments to the chef! It’s a short walk into the Center and also not far from the park and ride. Service was friendly so couldn’t complain about anything. Would stay again 👍
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Jo on 20 June 2023
Good afternoon to you Bryan, thank you for staying at the Head of the River and great you had a good stay and to also enjoyed our breakfast. We do our best to make our guests happy and to take away the memories of their stay. Thank you and lovely to hear you had an enjoyable stay.best wishesJoan-reception team

4/10 Poor

Adele

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Up to the third floor using a very narrow and steep staircase, no lift, to the end of the corridor, to a very small room. No fire exit, which is a risk in such an old building.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023
Response from The Head of the River Team on 3 June 2023
As you stated, it is an old building been around since 1845! Which is why we can't install a lift unfortunately, the building is all up to code and has passed all fire and safety checks on a regular basis.

10/10 Excellent

Maria

Stayed 1 night in May 2023
Response from Elena Manuilov on 1 July 2023
Hi Maria, Thank you very much for your feedback!We're truly happy to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us and we'd love nothing more than to welcome you back if the opportunity arises again!Kind regards,

4/10 Poor

Lukas

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The hotel was a disappointment. I would give one star, but because the excellent breakfast, I give two stars. Other than this, lazy and unhelpful staff (with one exception), dirty room, lack of services… I would avoid it next time.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023
Response from Head of the River Team on 3 June 2023
Sorry to hear you had a disappointing stay with us. All feedback is used to improve our services.

10/10 Excellent

Teena

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved our stay at Head of the River. This is a perfect place to enjoy a mini-vacation in Oxford. Great hospitality by the staff. Amazing breakfast.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2023
Response from The Head of the River Team on 3 June 2023
Thank you for your lovely feedback. Hope to have you stay with us again soon!

8/10 Good

Nancy

Business traveller
Liked: Room comfort
A fun place to stay in Oxford
Our stay was very pleasant. The place itself is fun and the breakfasts were excellent. Delicious plant cases options! We didn't realize we had to put a sign out for housekeeping and because the condensation was high from the shower, the towel never really dried out. Our room 12 was a little rough as the mirror had fallen down and wasn't removed or tge wall repaired. However, the view of the river was gorgeous and despite the fun pub downstairs, our room was very quiet. The staff was very friendly...
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2023
Response from The Head of the River on 3 June 2023
We glad you enjoyed your stay with us! Thank you for your feedback, this will be passed on the appropriate departments.

4/10 Poor

Yvonne

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Good but not great
PROS: *Hotel is in a good location and only a short walk from city centre. *Good tea/coffee facilities. *bottles of both still and sparkling water provided. *towels and bed linen were clean. *large TV with plenty of channels. *good selection of toiletries provided. *breakfast is fantastic! CONS: * Check-in was friendly but disorganised as they didn’t seem to be expecting us and the receptionist questioned whether we’d arrived on the correct day (which we had). *mattress was horrendous. It appeared to be two singles pushed together to form a double, meaning a large risen up section running the entire central length of the bed. The right side of the mattress was incredibly worn & had multiple points in which it dipped considerably, making it very difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position. Honestly, in terms of comfort, easily the worst nights sleep I’ve ever had at a hotel. *Dust seems to be an issue. *very thin walls mean you can hear neighbouring rooms chitchat. *extractor fan in bathroom didn’t appear to be working. Overall, I’m torn on this hotel. Do I think it deserves 4 stars? No. But do I think it’s terrible? No. I’m sure if you score the right room you’ll have a lovely stay, but for me personally, it wasn’t quite good enough and didn’t justify the price.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023
Response from The Head of the River on 3 June 2023
Thank you for your review, all feedback helps us to improve our services!

6/10 Okay

Barbara

Liked: Staff & service
A beautiful looking place unfortunately, I left without staying. I’m disabled. There was no parking anywhere near( an 8 min ride by car). There was a steep set of stairs up to my room. I was tired and in pain and decided I couldn’t handle it. Need to make those features clear in your Ad. I decided to eat the cost. There was no one on the desk as I left so just put my key on the desk and quietly left
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023
Response from joan on 10 Apr 2023
Hello Barbara, I am sorry you did not stay with us. There is no excuse for you to be walking up the stairs too. To help you the next time, if you do book in with us, let us know and we can allocate you to a ground floor room and there is help here so we are able to help you to your room. In terms of parking, if you have a disable badge let us know in advance and you can always park at the hotel no worries at all as long we are informed. Thanks for your feedback and we hope to see you again. Thank youJoan-reception team

10/10 Excellent

Mercedes

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Oxford gem
What an incredible find! I loved the quirkiness of this hotel along with it's great location. I had made a reservation for the wrong date, and they STILL honored the reservation. I was only here for one night but it was memorable. The pub had great food and beer. The room was quirky but with modern amenities, loved everything about this place and will definitely return. Staff were very, very helpful wish I had written this review the next day as I cannot remember their names .
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023
Response from Joan on 10 Apr 2023
Good afternoon,Hello Mercedes, Thank you for staying with is and always welcome guests feedback. We try to do the best we can to create memories for our guest and also to give a reason to return and yes we certainly hope to see you again.Thank youJoan reception team

10/10 Excellent

Miao

Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Graeme

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hard to park
Parking is difficult. We used the park and ride. Cheap
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023
Response from Joan on 10 Apr 2023
Good afternoon,Hello, Graeme, we welcome aby feedback from our guests. We do not have parking for hotel guests as the parking space belongs to the university. Park and Ride is the best option as it is 4 per day.Thank you and look forward to seeing you again.Best wishesJoan-reception team

8/10 Good

Christina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place
this is a lovely place in a lovely location.you can walk to most places and the train station is only about .7 km away on an easy walk. Christ church is two blocks . the christ church meadow is behind the Inn and a lovely walk Located right on the thames so boat rides are available. the bed was very comfortable. breakfast is hearty but i'd avoid the eggs benedict. Staff lovely and helpful.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023

8/10 Good

Daisy

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Servicing can improve — house keeping only takes out trash and makes bed.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023

8/10 Good

Nina

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Disliked: Cleanliness
lovely
great staff, breakfast, comfy bed, comfy room, great location. very dusty room and could hear the tv in the room next too us. would stay again though
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

Marj

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

Alexandra

10/10 Excellent

David G

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2022

8/10 Good

Steven

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

gemma

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
What a fantastic hotel, it has everything, location, beautiful and clean room with all facilities required, most accommodating staff who couldn’t be more helpful and wonderful pub/restaurant with homemade food and discount for hotel guests, had such a great time and would visit again and again