The Ridings Guest House

I can’t actually comment on the Ridings Guest house as I didn’t stay there At 4pm on the day I was due to check in I was phoned by the owner & asked if I would go to their ‘twin guest house’ instead I was texted an alternative address & stayed in a place called White House View instead

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.

great location only a 20 minute walk into Oxford. Pleasant room.

Very welcoming and lovely clean room.

The house is a satellite and the staff are based at another house nearby so you have to text them to come over. There's parking for three in the front and house does not have a lift. The room was tight but the bathroom was excellent. It's half way between the town centre and the Park and Ride, so there was a lot of walking. Good services in the area.

The owner was friendly and accommodating. Bed was comfortable.

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.

Position of the hotel and hospitality

Really hate leaving bad reviews particularly as the main owner who greeted was very pleasant but this had to be my worst guest house experience in a long while. Smoke alarms kept bleeping (low battery voltage?) dreadful mattresses, room bin hadn’t been emptied, shared bathroom dingy, shower head broken, filthy toilet...the list goes on...not great particularly when you have to get up the following morning to give a music recital - I was exhausted! It’s such a shame as this could be a really, really nice place

Walking distance to Oxford but a very basic hotel. This hotel is super basic. The bathroom is shared and had mould in the corner. Fine for a night in a pinch, but just be aware.

The manager was very pleasant however, I booked this guest house for free parking to realise that there are only 3 spaces of which the manager parks in one. First night i was lucky enough to have a call from him when he arrived to move his car. The next night, I return at 8 to find no spaces and had to park on side road. £75 per night, no breakfast, no en-suite and had to park on the road. Don't advertise free parking if you can't deliver. I got a much better hotel for next week in Oxford with Ensuite and breakfast included plus a big car park for just £10 extra per night. Also, breakfast only availabe from 8:30. If you can afford another £10 stay somewhere else.

Disgusting bathroom, no ventilation (scaffolding blocking windows), uncomfortable bed, the feel of a by-the-hour premises and people sleeping in the breakfast area. We left after the first night by 8:30 am. Felt dirty and cheap. But the charges and the misrepresentation on Expedia was most disappointing. Don't go there.

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.

Bathroom was disgusting - mould, sink plugged, toilet often impossible to flush. Rest of the place was ok,

As another guest stated, one night was enough. You must pay extra for breakfast, but there was a spot to park. It’s about 25 minutes to Christchurch College. Very basic, but good nights sleep.

The guest house was easy to find and access was fine as I communicated with them in advance. The house is on a busy street and 30 min walk to downtown-driving is virtually impossible due to a severe lack parking. The room was very dated although it seemed clean . The bed was ok but not great. There is scaffolding on the building and workers were there by 7:30am on a Saturday.The owner did allow me to park there until 2:00pm on departure day.

We did not end up staying at this hotel as all the windows were blocked by scaffolding, There was black mold around the window and in the bathroom. We requested a refund due to unsafe conditions. Requested a refund and asked for Expedia to assist with this, however to date have received nothing and no communication from Expedia. Can not believe a building that is unsafe to stay in is able to advertise on Expedia

Very basic But what you’d expect for the price It’s half the price of anything else

Basic but clean and warm. Road very noisy but close enough to town and amenities