My dismal experience of below standard service levels at The Randolph is a carbon copy of the review I've just read by ArthurGoring in March. MacDonald Hotels perhaps you should read these reviews and take note of your failings. I booked my rool via laterooms.co.uk and on arrival the reception could find no record of the booking, and although I had my booking reference number and details of the ?rate I had booked I was told they could do nothing without a printout of the booking. So I'm directed to the ?4for20min internet terminal, I object to that and so am directed to the Concierge. The concierge was unable to help directly but in the end argued my case with the reception team and got me booked in. Thank you to Ben who was the only Randolph employee who showed any concern for this customer's welfare. When I say I was booked in I had to pay in full up front and an additional deposit was taken from my credit card - what 5 star hotel does that? - I was made to feel like a second class citizen for no reason at all. From that point on my stay was unexceptional - but the bad taste left in my mouth means I shall certainly not be returning.

Nice room - very clean and a good size - we were upgraded to a 4 poster at no extra cost All the staff were brilliant - receptionist was most apologetic when the room wasn't quite ready - set us up with a pot of tea in the elegant drawing room and later sent up a bottle of champagne and strawberries as a token. Dinner in the restaurant was excellent - food first class and the the staff were attentive without being intrusive - spectacular flambe. Morse bar was relaxing and comfortable. Concierge desk was helpful and friendly. Breakfast was very good. Can't find anything bad to say about the Randolph - will certainly stay here again.

Having stayed at this hotel twice now, it has the best location in Oxford which is obviously reflected in the price. The rooms are just above average with some of the back rooms with no view. The bathrooms are good with toiletries and bathrobes also. the dining room is excellent with a good selection for breakfast. The afternoon tea looks good but yet to try. The Morse bar is nice and comfortable yet small, and pricey at ?18 for two glasses of wine. The car parking is over ?20 a night but as there is not much other choice is unavoidable. Watch for the charity donation added on to your bill at check out. A great location for a short stay in Oxford.

.This was our first visit to The Randolph and I will not be repeating the experience. I cannot understand how it has a 5* rating I have stayed in several 4* hotels which far exceed The Randolph. When I arrived I was unable to park in the hotel car park and had to park in a public car park which was a good trek away and we were in a hurry to attend a function. Our room was miles from the reception area, down lots of little corridors and not well sign-posted. The room was small and backed onto an alley with a very noisy pub! The bathroom was tiny. I was staying at the hotel with my daughter and had phoned a few days prior to our arrival to confirm a twin room only to find on our arrival that the room was a double. I phoned reception and was told it was a twin room but had been made up as a king size I repeated that I had booked a twin and he checked and said it would be sorted. When we returned to the hotel after the function the night concierge was on duty (scruffily dressed) and he stepped in our path as we approached the steps and asked in a surly manner if we were guests. Silly me I expected a polite 'good evening',. We thought we might like a drink in the bar but it was absolutely packed with business men and it did not seem like a good idea. We took the long walk to our room only to find that the key cards would not work - the thought of making the long trek back to reception was unbearable so we kept trying for over 5 minutes and eventually got in, only to find that there was a large crowd outside the pub and the noise continued for quite some time. At 8 o'clock the housemaids were trying to unlock the door but their key card would not work either. Breakfast was the only saving grace of this hotel, good selection of both hot and cold food. On checking out I discovered I had been charged ?26 for the car park. I was also asked to pay a 2% surcharge to use my credit card. I declined and paid by Maestro. The hotel receptionist said the 2% charge was a government initiative (first time I have heard of it). All in all The Randolph was a great disappointment.

We enjoyed our stay at the Randolph. It's not perfect, but it was exactly what we needed and we got a special offer for a three night stay. We had booked a parking space prior to arrival, but they had no record of it when we arrived. The concierge managed to find a space for us, even though it was fully booked. The executive room was ready, even though it was early, but it was one of the rooms at the back, far from reception. It was a pretty room with a nice bathroom, but my partner has bad hips, and the walk was too far to be comfortable for him. Reception organised another, much closer, room, which was not ready yet, but they had it ready for us after a couple of hours. The second room was beautiful, much bigger with a massive bed and a bigger bathroom. You could hear people above you walking around, but this is to be expected from such an old building. The Randolph does trade on it's five star reputation, but it doesn't have all the five star amenities. I was surprised that there was no safe and being that the UK is known for being rainy at times, their were no umbrellas available. The breakfast was wonderful, though, and the location is one of the best in Oxford. We enjoyed going to the Ashmolean Museum directly across the street. We would stay here again, but we passed the Malmaison, which is also in the heart of Oxford, and thought we might try it next time.