The Store opened on 7 May 2024 inside Boswells, the Oxford department store that traded from 1738 and counted among the oldest family-owned stores in the world. The hotel at 1-5 Broad Street has 101 rooms spread across two interconnected buildings, in six design types, plus a restaurant, two bars and a spa.
Reef Group and EQ Group delivered the conversion, with interiors by Urban R, Reef Group's in-house architecture and design team.
The Store stands in central Oxford on Broad Street, close to Cornmarket Street, where Boswells was founded, and to the Northern Gateway end of the centre. The railway station is about ten minutes away on foot.
The concept
Francis Boswell began trading in 1738 at 50 Cornmarket Street. The business later grew into Broad Street and became known for toys, cosmetics, fashion, haberdashery and a tearoom. Oxford City Council approved the plans to turn the building into a hotel in January 2021.
The conversion plays on the shop. The hotel calls its layout a labyrinth of spaces, and the interiors mix period features with playful touches. Some rooms have Art Deco touches and velvet headboards, others look onto courtyards in a softer palette; the hotel mentions king-size beds, generous bathrooms and bespoke artwork.
Treadwell's Passage, a lane absorbed into the department store in 1912, gives the restaurant its name.
Dining & wellness
Treadwell is the signature restaurant, led by chef Andy Robinson, and describes its cooking as untraditionally British, with bold flavours and a Sunday roast. It serves from breakfast to dinner.
The Roof at The Store is a rooftop bar and terrace with views over Oxford, with cocktails made from the hotel's house spirits. It opens Thursday to Sunday from noon, admits only over-21s, is laptop-free and takes walk-ins only. The Bar at The Store on the ground floor works as a coworking and drinks space.
The spa occupies the lower ground floor, with walnut-panelled walls, four treatment rooms, a steam room, a sauna, a relaxation area and a gym. Treatments use the British brand Oskia and lean towards anti-ageing.
News
May 7, 2024: The Store opens in Oxford inside the former Boswells department store on Broad Street, with 101 rooms, the restaurant Treadwell, a rooftop bar and a spa. The project is led by Reef Group and EQ Group, with Urban R handling the interiors.
