The Randolph Hotel

Surrounding you with heritage and history, The Randolph Hotel is Oxford's flagship venue for corporate events. The hotel offers opulent event spaces, which benefit from the flexibility of set-up formats and compelling catering options. This stunning property is set on the prominent corner where Beaumont meets Magdalen Street. The meeting spaces here provide spectacular views of the City of Dreaming Spires and the iconic Ashmolean Museum. Its ballroom is the most extensive event space in central Oxford, fit for various significant gatherings. The Randolph Hotel is part of Graduate Hotels, offering the essence of the destination and the charm and elegance needed to amplify the success of all milestone events.

The Randolph Hotel is a historic Oxford city landmark situated in a prime location. It has long been cherished as a local icon within walking distance of bars, restaurants, historic landmarks and Oxford University colleges. Many of the hotel rooms and event spaces provide a view of Oxford’s spires and the Ashmolean Museum, both readily visible from this striking vantage point. It stands proud as a fine example of classical Oxford architecture. The Randolph has 472 square meters of flexible and versatile indoor function space for board meetings, award ceremonies, grand dinners and other formats of corporate events.

The Randolph Hotel by Graduate Hotels celebrates and commemorates the youthful optimism of university days and offers a group experience that creates a lasting memory. The hotel has a wide range of catering options featuring unique interpretations of classic British dishes from the destination restaurant, The Alice. An all-day British dining room and bar adjoined with The Snug, which is an intimate cocktail lounge with the spirit of a Bohemian English library.

The hotel can tailor the group experience to include museum visits, historical city tours, University college visits and more. Furthermore, there are 151 bedrooms inclusive of complimentary wi-fi and 24-hour room service. Guests here benefit from on-site valet car parking and excellent transport links.

From a small, intimate boardroom breakfast to an extravagant company soiree, the historic event spaces and stylish accommodation make The Randolph Hotel an unparalleled venue for any memorable event.

Opened in 1864, the landmark Randolph Hotel is a purpose-built hotel, standing proudly opposite the Ashmolean Museum, the world's oldest university museum. Designed by William Wilkinson, the hotel was built in gothic style, similar to the Martyr's Memorial located opposite the hotel. The Randolph was named not after Lord Randolph Churchill, who was connected with Blenheim Palace to the north of Oxford, but after Dr Francis Randolph, an eighteenth-century university benefactor.

The University of Randolph Galleries (now part of the Ashmolean Museum) was built as a result of a thousand-pound gift left by Dr Randolph, a former Principal of St Alban Hall (now part of Merton College), who died in 1796. The hotel opened in 1866. Major refurbishments of the hotel were undertaken in 1952, 1978, 1988 and 2000. During the 1952 renovations, an extension was added to the west, designed by J. Hopgood.

Before being the location of The Randolph Museum, Beaumont Street was the hotel of Beaumont Palace, the birthplace of both Richard the Lionheart and John, King of England. The Randolph has featured in many of the Inspector Morse books and later television series written by Colin Dexter. The main bar, located near the entrance of the hotel is named the Morse Bar; after these books as Colin Dexter was known to sit and write many of the novels in the bar (previously called Chapters Bar).

An advertisement of The Randolph Hotel in 1885. Learn more about the history of the Randolph Hotel on Wikipedia.