Wilde Aparthotel Oxford

Staycity's Wilde brand is replacing a demolished George Street cinema with a 145-unit self-catering aparthotel and a community space run by Makespace Oxfordshire. The project is not yet open — demolition only began in August 2026 — and its timeline has already slipped once, from an end-2027 target at planning approval to a Q1 2029 estimate given after contractor Watkin Jones Group was appointed in June 2026.

The place

George Street runs along the northern edge of Oxford's historic centre, beside Gloucester Green market and the city's bus station, and within easy walking distance of the colleges, the Ashmolean Museum and the main shopping streets. The site at 38-40 George Street previously housed the former Odeon cinema, which closed and stood vacant before being cleared entirely for redevelopment: this is a full demolition and new build, not a conversion.

The concept

Staycity Group's Wilde brand — self-catering units with kitchens, pitched at longer stays and families rather than classic hotel rooms — will operate the 145-unit property once complete. Developer Marick Real Estate won planning permission from Oxford City Council in March 2025, and in June 2026 signed Watkin Jones Group, a firm best known for student housing, as main contractor on a roughly £50 million deal marking Watkin Jones' first move into hotels. A community space, delivered with Makespace Oxfordshire, sits alongside the aparthotel and keeps the site in public use after the cinema's closure. Demolition began in late August 2026; the scheme also targets a BREEAM 'Excellent' rating. The completion date has moved since planning approval: 2024 coverage cited end of 2027, but the council's own project updates after the contractor appointment now point to Q1 2029 — roughly a 14-month slip.

Dining & wellness

As a Wilde-branded aparthotel, units are self-catering with kitchen facilities; on-site food and beverage details beyond that have not been confirmed.