Old Swan

8.8

Excellent

371 Guest reviews

8.8

Excellent

371 Verified Reviews

Read all reviews

Cleanliness8.8/10

Service9.0/10

Comfort8.4/10

Condition8.8/10

location9.4/10

Neighborhood9.4/10

Amenities8.2/10

Lovely position , good if travelling with dog .

Good venue for dog owners. Adjacent fields and walks . Bedrooms for dog owners a little tucked away . Gorgeous food but pricey . Breakfast good but let down by tepid coffee and cheap bread for toast . Overall very comfortable.

Great place to stay, good food, would definitely stay again.

Excellent location in charming countryside and just a short drive to Witney and Burford. Staff were helpful and welcoming. Historic property with traditional pub feel, a log fire, cosy armchairs and nice gardens. Food in the pub was standard pub fare, fairly average and expensive but you are paying for the location. We had a lovely stay here.

Although understanding it’s an old place, the bathrooms needed desperately updating and a deep clean. This was due to mold and heavy dust. WiFi didn’t work day 1 but did day 2.

Beautiful location. slow service .

Lovely place to stay

Not all rooms are as indicated in the photos. We booked a Deluxe Room based on the photos on the website. Upon arrival we were given a room with low ceilings and only a few beams. We requested the room, as shown on the website, which is called the Early and they did move us to that room. The second night we had no heat in the room and it was cold. The manager came up and said he’d contact maintenance. After a while we went to check on things and told that maintenance was not attending that night and they brought us two heaters, which basically did nothing. We ended up putting one near the bathroom to try to heat up the bathroom. When we mentioned in the morning that the heaters didn’t really help, we received a “sorry about that”. We feel that some type of discount should of been at the very least offered. Would we stay there again, probably yes but we would make sure that the heating works.

Nice comfortable small hotel in quaint hamlet

One night stay in a superior room with king size bed. Comfortable room with heating on full so turned down radiators. Kettle and Coffee machine but no milk so fetched some. Nice bar area and large dining hall. Prebooked dinner at Mill House which is sister hotel and across the road and had breakfast there as no chef turned in.

Disappointed with the rooms for the price of the hotel

Lovely stay in the countryside.

Recently stayed at the Old Swan for our wedding anniversary and it was a really nice hotel and restaurant. Lovely little gem in the middle of the countryside, a building with a lot of character. The room was nice and the bed was comfortable. The shower was good, although would be no good if you were very tall! The games room in the pub was great, we spent our afternoon playing shuffleboard and a Cotswolds version of monopoly. We had dinner and breakfast at the hotel, both of which were very nice. The staff were attentive and friendly. I would highly recommend this hotel.

Bath plug blocked by hair and toilet struggled to flush

Not a great stay!

Okay! However short staffed. Not an over welming experience. Would have expected a much better staff friendlier atmosphere for the price of the room! Food just okay! Not worth the money to stay there!!

The Manager and his team were an absolute joy and couldn’t do enough for you… and a special shout out to the lovely lady in Housekeeping for the bucket of ice!!! 😃 would most definitely recommend and stay again.

Accommodated our dog very well. Excellent, friendly and helpful staff with a particular mention for Tiberius! A very relaxed environment.

Outstanding boutique hotel & pub

A return trip, this time with friends because of the exceptional nature of this property. Outstanding accommodation and natural location on the banks of the Windrush river

Perfect stay

Had a lovely stay here and the staff were wonderful! Definitely will come back

Brilliant stay, check in was quick and smooth. Show to our rooms which were clean and spacious with large king bed. Staff were excellent during the stay and even did us a meal which wasn't on the recently updated menu. Breakfast freshly cooked and again adapted the choice for my colleague.

GREAT STAFF AND FAB ROOM, VERY COMFY. FOOD WAS GREAT. UNUSUAL BREAKFAST CHOICES. QUIET AND RELAXING. WOULD HAVE BEEN THE ICING ON THE CAKE IF THE FIRE WAS LIT.

Beautiful place and the food was amazing! Just need to put a mirror, plug and chair in the same area in the room and it would be perfect (minor thing in a room that was otherwise lovely).

It was a great break. Only issue was the 24/7 music from the public system,the speaker in the dining room was right under my bedroom. Being an old building the soundproofing is non existent

Unbelievable service and lovely hotel.

A lovely pretty location. Staff were friendly and attentive, kitchen could be a little slow at times and food was ok. Some aspects of room needed some care, radiators needed bleeding although oil rads were supplied, loose toilet seat and taps. We still enjoyed our stay as these were not big issues.

There is nothing not to like. I have stayed at 5 star hotels all over the world - this is hands down one of the best I have ever stayed at. Beyond unbelievable service.

Good

Great stay in a historic building. Liked it as it was extremely historic with the beams etc. Staff were nice. Dogs enjoyed the place. Is on a nice historic street and down the road is the hall and walking trails.

Beautiful quintessential Cotswolds Inn. Service was excellent, rooms were great, quality of food was excellent. Highly recommended.

Very much enjoyed the quirkiness of staying in a 15th century inn! Our room had wonderful beams and rafters. Really interesting history - Richard III stayed there. The staff were always helpful, attentive and polite, and the food was good. Overall a great place for our short break, with Witney and Burford in easy reach.

The kitchen extractor air con was noisy from 7:20 am until 10:30pm Opening windows was not a nice experience - except late at night People were very nice & helpful

Nothing to like about this property, unkept, dirty room. bathroom door would not close, and a spoon used to keep the window closed. miserable room to stay in, and no atmosphere in the pub. Left after the first night. I did try and get a room change or a transfer to the sister hotel, a call was made but nothing materialised. Breakfast poor. I did not even get the toast I ordered.

Xmas at the Swan

Lovely hotel with plenty of atmosphere and character … great staff …

Beautiful character hotel

Lovely stay in a beautiful countryside location. The hotel room was well equipped, the venue itself has lots of charm and character and the staff were very friendly. Food was amazing!

Lovely B&B in a great location.

We really enjoyed staying at The Old Swan. Old building with lots of character. Could not fault service or cleanliness. A little pricey, but worth it. Would definitely recommend and we would not hesitate to book again.

Everything was wonderful!!!

Lovely understated hotel, outstanding service.

We had a great stay. We had a wonderful room which was easy to get to on the flat as I had let them know in advance that my husband would find stairs difficult. The full cooked breakfast was excellent - high quality products cooked well. Service was excellent - helpful, friendly and generally prompt. One tiny hiccough but this was recognised and remedied immediately. You can't ask for more. We will be returning.

Old property with character, arrived on a Tues to find out most facilities were closed. Our bed was in need of a new mattress

Good staff, enjoyable stay.

Overall the room was clean and whilst this is an old and listed building, passageways & stairs had dust & detrius. Staff were very helpful and attentive. Note of caution - spiral stairs to bedrooms were difficult to negotiate with suitcases etc not recommended for anyone with mobility issues.

Minster Lovell-The Old Swan

A very old building,full of character and log fires in the lounge/bar area.The staff were all kind and helpful. Breakfast had an original menu,but you could also order traditional bacon and scrambled egg. The bedrooms were comfortable ,en-suite and adequate given the age of the building.A great few days in lovely surroundings.

Poor service

We arrived carrying cases and a baby. We were given instructions to our room but no assistance. The door to the stairs was heavy and another guest had to help us through. It would have taken a few seconds for a member of staff to help us to our room. Service at breakfast was disappointing too, the waitress forgot our tea , then the juice and we had to Ask three times for a simple breakfast. The building is quaint and very nice but overall, the stay was not what we expected.

overpriced

Smallest bathroom I have ever seen in a hotel not worth the £270 We paid wont be returning

My partner and I stayed here for 2 nights with our small dog. It was approximately £155/night including breakfast for a classic double room. Although I question whether the finish of the room was worth £155/night we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would stay again. The location was lovely, the breakfast was delicious and the bar area was nice and relaxing in the evenings. The room was nice enough but some of the finishing touches were a bit tired, especially in the bathroom. Having said that it was perfectly adequate and in line with a 3* hotel, which this is. I suspect the price is largely dictated by location. The bed was soft, but as someone who prefers firm, I was still able to sleep on it fine. One caveat, If you hate dust, there was quite a bit of dust and small cob webs in our room in places, but in all other respects the room was clean. You could hear noises from neighbouring rooms, but not enough to bother us and it was never during the night. We would happily stay again.

Stunning location and a beautifully preserved historic building. Great combination!

Great stay,lovely people,service with a smile

Quiet Sunday night stay at charming location. Room however rather chilly, the radiator was not man enough for the job given size of room, as the bathroom was cold relying only on the towel rail..

A real olde world pub hotel, not a straight line in the place so expect uneven floors and doors! But the service is excellent, friendly and efficient, the food is delicious and the welcome is warm, just like the log fire

Excellent.

The place was lovely and had lots of character. It was evident that a considerable amount of money had been spent on rooms and bathrooms

Beautiful old inn in a lovely cotswold village, excellent food and wonderful staff, perfect for a short relaxing getaway with friends.

cleanliness was good

We loved our stay. Super cozy, great rooms, great food and staff was amazing!!

very friendly and a wery warm reception great stay all round

poor standard

hotel was dirty and in bad condition

Very friendly staff, free room upgrade provided for our special occasion which was amazing. Very scenic location and

Enjoyed a few lovely days here. Food and service excellent. Very relaxed atmosphere and we definitely intend going back.

Great Stay

We had a lovely stay at the Old Swan. Beautiful location and wonderful service. The menu was restricted somewhat due to Covid, but the pies and sides were out of this world. Would love to go again.

Lovely stay

Lovely stay away for partners birthday. Just remember if you want to use spa to pre book as only allowed 2 at a time so sadly we missed out but otherwise very happy.

Lovely and quaint, delightful setting: fabulous.

We booked for a weekend away in the Cotswolds and chose this place because it was in a quiet village. The hotel itself was lovely and the staff were very friendly, welcoming and engaging. There were plenty of options for the breakfast, and the food was beautifully presented and very tasty. We had a dinner in the pub and was pleasantly surprised at the quality, not because we expected it to not be good but it was better than a normal gastro pub. We were there for a cycling weekend and the location was perfect for a base to see plenty of the Cotswolds. Oh, and the room we stayed in was also lovely - old, intimate, with all the amenities you'd need. We would definitely stay here again.

Fantastic anniversary weekend stay! Lovely room, early check-in and other special requests all accommodated that made our time extra special. Great base for exploring the Cotswolds. A tasty a la carte breakfast included in room rate which was a nice surprise

Lovely 1 night stay at The Old Swan, arrived a little early but was checked in without an issue. Polite staff, lovely food and a very nice room

Life in the Garden Suite

We had a fantastic time friendly staff, great service.

Lovely character and good. Good service from staff but very chilly. Our room radiator had been turned off and we had to open valve to get any heat. Only 1 fire going in bar and cold every time door opened. In the Restaurant staff left outer door open twice during dinner and my husband had to get up and close it due to -2 outside so cold draft on his back. The room itself very nice, but I had to put big jumpers on for breakfast. On 2nd morning they did add some electric heaters.

wedding anniversary weekend away

Great hotel from the check in to room to dining room, could not fault, will definitely stay at this inn again, thoroughly recommend

Traditional genuinely atmospheric hotel. Good breakfast was great.

When we arrived the way to reception wasn’t obvious. Other guests were checking in & we weren’t acknowledged by staff whilst we waited, a simple “hello, I’ll be with you in a minute” would have helped. The check-in desk is in a tight area right by the bar which had a lengthy queue & we felt in the way with our bags. We were staying in the Lovell room. As described on the website, cosy cottage style with beams, a very large bed & various amenities. The room was dark due to only a tiny window but this was understandable given the age & design of the place. There was noise from the restaurant & garden area & a strange humming every few mins. The main room issue was the faulty loo. We reported this & unfortunately it couldn’t be fixed & maintenance were not available as it was a bank holiday. Staff offered us another room just up the corridor with no fuss. Wynchurch was a nice room with the same set up however there was a lot of noise as the bathroom seemed to be above the kitchen/outside store area & the bedroom faced the road. Our stay coincided with the Minster Lovell beer festival hosted opposite. This meant lots of people & cars around & really loud live music until after 11. It was disappointing this wasn’t flagged to us at booking, check-in or dinner. We were hoping for a quiet, relaxing English cottage experience & this was tainted. It didn’t help that we had to keep windows open at night due to the heat, so it felt like we were at the festival! Overall okay.

Great location. Chocolate box appearance. Food good. Bathroom claustrophobic, grubby,difficult to manoeuvre in and out of shower over bath. Mattress was squishy. White wine not sufficiently cold. Only solution was to put an ice cube in glass, I refused, and waited for bottle to chill. Next glass wasn’t cold either. Didn’t drink either, charges for both. When mentioned at checkout was told they might need to look at fridge settings.

Deliciously perfect place to relax

An absolutely perfect place. A beautiful building with no right angles and no flat floors, just as an old building should be. The food at the Swan is delicious and once you have tried all of that you can waddle across the lane to the sister hotel the Mill and take joy in their wonderful menu. There are some perfect walks to Lovell Hall and the down the river and it's a perfect place to explore the Cotswolds; drink tea in Burford or amble through the Slaughters. The only very slight complaint is the ever-present and slightly too loud piped music. But the staff are lovely and if enough of us raise concerns it might disappear.

Amazing! Best weekend in the most beautiful Inn! Thank you!

The Old Swan was very charming and is set in a lovely, quiet town with a beautiful ruin down the road. Remember, this property is centuries old so it has a lot of low beams and no air conditioning. But the staff is helpful and serve a nice breakfast in the morning.

Wonderful old charm accommodation charmed location

Lovely hotel in a beautiful location, friendly staff with a fantastic breakfast. Very warm weather and would not provide key to open windows despite only being on first floor.

Good

Very nice. Good location. Great pub and good food although a couple of pub favorites would have been good too and better veggie selection. Spa is small. Nice but changing facilities very cramped. Charge of £25 to use the pool if you don’t book a treatment!!

Service was excellent and so was the food. Staff were very helpful

The building is beautiful. The room was very comfortable and had everything we needed. The staff were friendly and helpful. We had afternoon tea which was delicious and breakfast which was also lovely. Would definitely visit again as the location makes it an ideal base to explore the Cotswolds.

It’s a beautiful old property, in a rural setting in the Midlands. Very quite, lots of walking trails everywhere

enjoyable relaxing break. Food was excellent and staff very helpful and friendly

Great place. Full of traditional character. Food is great but Witney has a lot more choice and a great little smoke house

Enjoyable NewYears even though entertainment was a below expectations

Not terrible, but also didn't blow our socks off

The staff were all very efficient and very friendly, I cannot fault them at all. We ended up having to move rooms on the second night of our stay due to a blockage in the toilet. The beds were a little too firm for our liking and there were not really enough plug sockets in either of the rooms we stayed in, we had to unplug other appliances to charge our phones. Due to renovations taking place we did not get chance to see much of the grounds around the hotel, which is a shame really as the pictures online looked lovely. Unfortunately the car park had a very heavy stench of sewage about it (possibly due to the builders toilets also being situated on the car park). The spa was gorgeous, and again the staff were very friendly. The food in the restaurant was good, but very expensive (probably down to the area, the other places we went were also quite pricey). Overall not terrible, but also didn't blow our socks off.

Lovely homely hotel

Lovely homely country hotel. Fabulous service from all staff. Only negative, the ceiling in our room was very cobwebby, and some of the communal areas seemed a bit grubby too. But overall, a very nice stay.

Beautiful 5 star picturesque hotel - room lovely, bathroom a stinker?

Charming hotel with beautiful grounds and friendly staff. The food at the restaurant is good (including both dinner and breakfast). We enjoyed the fireplace in the restaurant lobby and the full bar. We didn't use the resort services so we can't comment on those. We were traveling with others and noticed a big difference between our two rooms. Our room wasn't very impressive but the other room was better. They were both overly hot but the beds were comfortable.

Perfect cottage inn away from the city. We enjoyed our stay and the staff was very friendly and gave great local restaurant recommendations.

This is a lovely hotel, tucked away into the countryside, and with many pleasant features. We had stayed there for the last few days of our last visit to U.K., and decided to return for a few days to simply enjoy the area as we adjusted to jet-lag. It was a good decision, and we had a wonderful time - whether walking through the immediate countryside for one day, or travelling throughout the Cotswolds for a couple of days. We would return. HOWEVER, after saying that, DO NOT believe the photo of the pool prominently displayed! I brought my bathing-suit, and learned that the pool was part of the spa that operates on the site, and charges 20 or 25 pounds per person for just a couple of hours in the pool (BIG DISAPPOINTMENT!)

Brilliat

Wonderful and polite staff, beautiful surroundings!

Not a 5 star!

I would like someone to call em to discuss a refund or at least compensation.

secluded setting on a stream near Oxford. Interesting nearby historical sites.

Taste of the cotswy

Amazing history and beautiful surrounds, just what I was looking for when I booked

Tucked away in oxford countryside, a surprise

Lovely setting, beautiful gardens, attached to old country pub, contemporary hotel rooms, with lots of facilities

Great stay for my wedding party

Had 10 rooms here for my wedding party the night before my wedding. The staff were amazing, nothing was too much trouble and it was a great stay. Easy to find, great parking and amazing scenic location. We loved the garden and spent hours and hours outside chatting, drinking and snacking in the sun! Rooms were nice, albeit a little small. The biggest downside was the ceiling height in the bathrooms - Granted, a lot of us were tall (I am 195cm) - but we were almost kneeling to wash our hair in the showers! It seemed like a common complaint from everyone (We all had standard rooms).

Superb Hotel

Wonderful place with a wonderful atmosphere .

Very nice location, big room with very comfortable bed, toiletries, good restaurant

Beautiful hotel and location. Room was not thoroughly cleaned-dirty glasses and dusty windowsills. Despite that, a wonderful stay

A lovely hotel in an amazing setting, let down by lack of attention to detail - cleaning in particular. Also furniture in the room was down at heel.

Beautiful getaway

Beautiful location for a weekend couples' getaway with the dog. Hotel kindly provided bed and bowl for our four-legged beast, and the bar area was dog-friendly as well. Food in the restaurant was excellent. Spa services likewise. Beautiful area for walking - recommend the circular walk which the hotel provides directions for.

Beautiful Cotswolds couples getaway

Pros: Beautiful location with attentative staff. The rooms (Mill side) are the right mix of modern/contemporary and Cotswolds charm. Bathrooms are fantastic with large baths, separate rain shower and his and hers vanity. Food at the pub/restaurant for breakfast and dinner was lovely too. Cons: The spa is a little on the small side and could do with the option of having a drinks service. Also there didn’t appear to be any way of ordering snacks in the day without going to the pub.

Not a 5* hotel

Disappointed with our stay here this week. I agree with some of the other reviews - there is no way this is a 5 star hotel. The first room we were given was very small, falling apart and at the back of the hotel - it reminded me of a cheap Motel. I would have rather gone home than stayed there. We were then offered a second room which was better, but still below the standard i’d expect for the price. The walls had paint peeling off, stained marks in the bathroom, blinds were naff. We then had to pay extra to use the pool which I thought was very unreasonable given the cost of the room. The breakfast Buffet had all but disappeared by 9.30am (finished at 10am). It wasn’t all bad - the staff were friendly & professional (dealt with our complaint very well) my massage treatment was really fantastic and the cooked breakfast was delicious. Unfortunately this isn’t enough to persuade me back.

Great Hotel and location, let down by the Pool :-(

A wonderful part of the world, great hotel... let down by just one point - the Spa and Pool. I've never been to a hotel that's plus £250 a night that you have to book and pay £25 for the privilege of using the pool. I couldn’t get a booking even if I did want to spend £25 for a two hour slot per person, as it was fully booked. With a Spa I understand the need to charge and book, but the pool isn't normally considered a part of that in most hotels and certainly guests don't pay in the hotels I've been too around the world. I accept that the pool area is very very small, but upfront it should be very clearly obvious that a booking for the pool is essential and as a guest you also have to pay £25 too. Apart from that, the hotel was lovely, just wished I could have had a swim to relax in the afternoon after check in and a long drive. Apart from that, the hotel was lovely, just wished I could have had a swim to relax in the afternoon after check in and a long drive. Food was lovely and I can’t recommend the area and hotel grounds enough, please don’t think it was a horrid experience, just go with the understanding you need to pre-book and pay for the pool experience in advance. Sadly reading other reviews, it does seem to be the common complaint with the hotel.

No pool

There was no pool only a dipping pool at 25.00 pp if it was free. you had to book to use it. the picture is totally misleading. the good points beautiful area lovely walks and the hotel is dog friendly food brilliant and nice staff chatty and helpful.

Beautiful surroundings and giant chess

My son and I stayed there for one night. The hotel is next to a river and the surroundings are stunning. The breakfast was great, the staff were very friendly and my son and I had a great game of giant chess. The only downside was the air conditioner whirred all night and I when I straightened the bottom sheet the mattress had sweat stains ( I hope) on it.

Nice location but overpriced

The location was fabulous in the heart of the countryside with the River Windrush flowing through the grounds. The old parts are beautiful and the staff are friendly. The room was £135 but very small and no better than many hotels I have stayed in for half the price. The bed was uncomfortable. The breakfast was nice and plenty of choice.

Beautiful setting

The setting is beautiful. The ambience is lovely. My room (104) was quite small, but it had all the amenities I required. It was a very short stay, so I'd love to return and stay longer to enjoy the surroundings and make use of the Spa and restaurant.

Dog Friendly

Very dog friendly. Nothing was too much trouble even down to providing a dog bed treat and water in the room. Dogs are allowed to eat in the bar area adjacent to the restaurant with you. Lots of dog walks and an exercise field around the back. Just because you have your Dog the rooms were far from sub standard very comfortable indeed. Food was excellent and breakfast yummy. Well recommended by Ted and I. Pictures on his FB Page Teddys Touring Tales

The ship is old so you would expect some maintenance issues but the maintenance was to do with the simple basics like taps being loose, cobwebs not being cleaned and the odd overlooked stain on over blankets. The staff were attentive but did not always deliver what they promised. The Spa was great but not worth the price if you were not having any treatments and whilst the treatments were great be careful and sure what you have asked for and what you get. The pool was a little dirty. Wife wanted threading but was not delivered. pre health conditions on booking were not a problem but on delivery they could not carry out the treatment. meals booked during spa days have different menu options due to cut off times not mentioned at the time of booking., however the food is great. Would I go there again after this review, surprisingly, yes. you just need to be sure you know what you are asking for, what you are getting and what they can deliver. This is a 5 star spa that is sadly trying to be 3 or 4 star