The Ridings Guest House

Nowhere to park on arrival and had to sit outside with hazard lights on until a car moved. Only 3 spaces for a 8 room hotel???? No bath towels or hair dryer in room as expected and had to ring hotel to get them as staff could not be found anywhere. After nipping out for some food we arrived back in our room to the smell of sewage. It was coming up out if the shower drain. The manager came and gave it a quick clean but we spent the night with an awful smell. Couldn't open the windows either, except one a tiny bit (and it was a 27° day) because of scaffolding outside. Surely this is a health and safety risk? Woke up to the continued smell and a shower cubicle full of smelly water with bits in! I managed a quick shower once I got it to drain away but it filled up so quickly again my daughter couldn't shower. To top it all off the bathroom was grubby with brown stains on the wall by the toilet and scum around the shower. There was a damp stain on the bedroom wall too and little holes in the ceiling which made me rather uncomfortable as I can't figure out why they are there. All in all a horrible experience after a very long day that I could have done without. Not impressed at all.

So sorry to have to leave this review, but our stay was exhausting and uncomfortable from the start. The guy who let us in was polite enough, but that was the last we saw of him. Constant traffic noise, inconsiderate and noisy guests, late at night. Beds extremely squeaky, lumpy, uncomfortable. Bedding dirty, dried food on spread, blood stains on the quilt cover. Towels unwashed, dirty and smelly, which would have been obvious to the management. Shower mouldy and tiles loose, need grouting, hot water tap cold, curtains not well fitting, let in light. Heating sporadic and not individually controlled. No room service, even though it's stated in the literature, no breakfast available either, unless you want to walk 15 minutes down the road to another venue, which wasn't an option for us as my mother has limited mobility. Fridge in the common room was full of mouldy food, 'tea and coffee facilities' consisted of two tea bags, two cups and a kettle. Broken lamp, wall plaster cracked in need of repair, heavy dust on all horizontal surfaces, filthy mirror. TV over head end of single bed was not safety chained to the wall, my mother had to sleep on the mattress on the floor as was fearful of it's robustness - at least it stopped the squeaking portable bed frame. Smoke alarms bleeped constantly, cigarette burns, mould on the net curtains, mould on the window mastic, windows stiff, some with broken handles. Dangerous extension cable to kettle. They did however empty the bins daily.

Definitely recommended. Lovely public rooms downstairs, with comfy sofas, large TV, bookcase, also conservatory to sit in. My room both scrupulously clean, well provided incl kettle etc. and deliciously warm, as was shared bathroom with good power shower. Courteous and helpful welcome from owner, incl. offered to carry in my luggage - not many places still do this! House itself was quiet and peaceful. My room faced Abingdon Road (constant traffic) which doesn't bother me at all, but others might like to know to ask otherwise. Property still undergoing refurbishment on stairs and top floor, so will be even better soon. Beyond the property: bus stop into/from town v nearby, or about 20 mins wallk to Cornmarket. There is parking in front for up to 4 cars. At worst you can park at Redbridge Park & Ride and walk 12 minutes. I had dinner at the Duke of Monmouth a few doors down, really good steak & salad where they catered brilliantly for my allergies. There's also a Tesco Express within walking distance for ordinary food shopping. The Ridings overall: a modest place to stay but has everything you need including cleanliness, and at an excellent price for near-central Oxford.

Having a skylight in the room is fine, but at 4.30am it wasn't so good! It would make for a better night's sleep if the owner put in a blind. Also even though the place was clean, which I would expect as standard, some sink unblocker would be appreciated in the bathroom. A simple thing, but it's usually the simple things that mean the difference between a good stay and a poor stay. The shower was weak but bearable. Also there was a TV in the room, but the reception was so poor that it was not worth watching. The swan-shaped towels were a nice touch but I would have preferred a good night's sleep! Also, I hadn't booked breakfast, but I noticed a breakfast room set up with cereal. So, I asked if we could have breakfast, but was told they didn't serve breakfast at that guest house and that we would have to go further up the road to another property. Very strange! I said we would pick up breakfast in the city. Overall, a disappointing experience.

The staff were very helpful and accommodating as I needed to arrive later than advertised - efforts were made to communicate with me which was greatly appreciated. The bedding and bathroom were clean enough, but the building was a bit seedy, and room was smelly with old carpets and an alarmingly cracked ceiling. On first telephone discussion I had in advance, I was told only continental breakfast was available and included, but on the morning of my stay I was told my tarriff did not include breakfast at all, so information was inconsistent and could be made clearer one way or the other, plus I noticed full breakfast was available - but clearly not for me, so I had the added expense of finding and purchasing breakfast as an extra in the City Centre which I had not been expecting so disappointing.