The Feathers Hotel, Oxfordshire
I haven't had much opportunity to visit Oxfordshire since my last visit in 2017. However, it's one of my favourite places in the UK and I was delighted when I was gifted a stay in The Feathers Hotel recently. It was a great opportunity to head back to the area and see what this hotel had to offer for a perfect getaway in the area.
The Feathers Hotel is a 17rh century house that has been transformed into a place that oozes boutique living and chic decor. The independent hotel is situated in the historic town of Woodstock in Oxfordshire. It sits in the heart of the village; a bustling high street full of independent pubs and shops for you to check out. Although The Feathers doesn't have its own on-site car park, there is plenty of on-street parking available for its guests.
It sits in a fantastic location and creates fantastic opportunities for the guests to make the most of the places of interest surrounding the Woodstock area. The city of Oxford (27 minutes by car), Blenheim Palace (11 minute walk) and Bicester Village, an ideal place for retail therapy, is just 26 minutes by car from the hotel.
The Feathers Hotel itself has a lot to offer you. There are over 21 contemporary and spacious rooms on offer in the hotel, making it the perfect place to unwind and relax after a day of exploring in and around the area. From the outside, the hotel looks small and almost cramped but it's deceiving because inside it's incredibly spacious and comfortable. There's a fantastic selection of 16 rooms as well as 5 luxurious suites to choose from. Each of the room in the Woodstock accommodation has its own unique charm and generous surroundings.
All of the rooms come with a telephone, dedicated housekeeping, room service, complimentary WIFI, flat screen LCD TVs, complimentary water and Tea/Coffee tray, a hairdryer, crisp cotton sheets and luxurious toiletries to enjoy within the modern ensuites. You also have use of an iron and ironing board available should you need it. The Feathers Hotel also offers multiple dog friendly rooms making it a definite consideration for dog owners looking for a dog friendly hotel in Woodstock.
We were kindly gifted a night in the featured suite with lounge for our visit and we weren't disappointed. Our room had a dining area, a lounge and a separate sleeping area to escape into at the end of the day. The sleeping area and lounge are separated by sliding doors, creating privacy should you use your suite to entertain other guests. There is a separate bathroom available in the suite too.
It wasn't long before we headed on down to the restaurant to enjoy some food cooked by Chef Ben Bullen. The menu here isn't extensive and it doesn't need to be as their options execute a variety of dining requirements. There are around a dozen options for the main course and six for both starters and desserts. Everything on that menu stood out to me one way or another.
The restaurant offers fine-dining and is based on seasonal cuisine and using fresh local produce. There is clear thought into how the menu has been formed and resulting in a fantastic meal that really filled me up!
I went for the Rump Steak dinner which I had cooked to Medium Rare and it was exactly how I would like it. I enjoyed eating it with the parmesan topped salad and chips. I definitely think the option for a sauce would make the dish better. Jordan thoroughly enjoyed the taste of his lamb dish - it looked delicious despite personally not being a fan of that meat. We couldn't manage a pudding individually so enjoyed sharing their Sticky Toffee Pudding, something I haven't had in ages!
After dinner, we decided to head around and check the gin bar out. Their Feathers' Bar is iconic for its gin bar with a fantastic variety of over 400 gins from around the world. In fact, their gin bar made it first into the Guinness Book of World Records for offering the greatest selection of gins on the planet (unfortunately they no longer hold the record!). Their staff are exceptionally clued up on the gins and made it far easier to make a decision with their knowledge. The staff are exceptionally intentive throughout your stay and we also enjoyed some live music whilst sipping on our drinks to complete our stay. There are also some small lounge areas downstairs where you can escape for a more private drink.
The restaurant does also offer breakfast which we enjoyed tucking into the next morning. I went for the full works with their Feathers Breakfast which started me off right before our 2 hour drive home to Leicestershire.
We both had quite a comfortable stay at The Feathers Hotel. The only downside was that our room was facing a couple of pubs across the road so we were disturbed once or twice due to the noise. It didn't affect our sleep too much and I would definitely stay here again, I was just gutted I was unable to see what the town had to offer as it looked like a fantastic place to check out whilst you stay here.
The Feathers Hotel is comfortable, offers fantastic service and food but also a getaway with an added ooze of luxury. I would definitely recommend this hotel in the Woodstock area and if you're looking for a dog friendly hotel in Oxfordshire.
You can find out more about the hotel and book a stay for yourself by visiting their website here.
*gifted stay at The Feathers Hotel, Woodstock, Oxfordshire in return for an honest review.