The Tower House

The Tower House has a fantastic location – smack-bang in the centre of the city, leaving visitors a short walk from the main attractions and sights. Dating back to 1630, the building has an authentic feel with narrow stairs, wobbly walls and slightly uneven floors that fits in with its medieval surroundings on Ship Street; indeed part of it is built into the old city wall. They have eight double rooms and each one is unique, decorated in minimalist fashion with a soothing colour palette, comfy beds and mismatched but well-chosen furniture; the rooms at the back are the quietest but all have flatscreen TVs, free wifi, tea and coffee-making facilities and hairdryers, and 5 have spacious en-suite bathrooms. The 3 cheapest rooms share a bathroom, and make for one of central Oxford's best budget stays, while the two largest, deluxe rooms – Bastion and Foundry – are tucked away in one of the 21 bastions of the thirteenth-century city walls and have kingsize beds and modern bathrooms, one with a large walk-in shower, the other with a lovely rolltop bath. Breakfast is a special bonus, served next door at the Turl Street Kitchen, a very cool café-restaurant that serves possibly the best food the city centre has to offer, including a handsome Full English, rather fabulous kippers and irresistible bubble and squeak. And just in case you needed any other reason to stay at Tower House? It's is Oxford's only social enterprise guesthouse, with profits going to support the work of the student-driven, socially active Oxford Hub. Need we say more?