easyHotel’s new hotel in Oxford is nearly finished and is now taking bookings ahead of opening this autumn.

The newly built £15million 180-room hotel is the chain’s first in the city on the Banbury Road in Summertown.

Construction was temporarily halted last year for the first coronavirus lockdown in March. However it resumed in June.

The hotel is set to bring 61 new jobs to the city.

The site was previously occupied by a Majestic Wine store and the estate agent Knight Frank.

READ ALSO: Oxford businesses react as country plans to 'unmask' on July 19

Plans for the hotel attracted plenty of interest and sparked much debate, with more than 400 objections coming in.

David Faber, the headteacher of nearby Summerfields School, said during consultation on the plans that the lives of people living in nearby streets would be ‘made almost intolerable’ by the new hotel, while another objector said its design was ‘abysmal, like the worst buildings of the 1960s’.

Despite the objections, Oxford City Council gave planning permission for the building in 2018.

Neil Fidler, digital marketing manager, said: “As one of the UK’s top destinations for tourists, we want to make visiting the area more affordable with our great value rooms, leaving guests with more spending money to enjoy the many local attractions.”

Room prices currently start from £45 per night for selected dates between October 1 and December 25.

Visit www.easyhotel.com/hotels/united-kingdom/oxford/oxford