Opening of The Store hotel in Oxford is delayed again

Owners Reef Group had hoped to open the hotel - on the site of the former Boswells department store - before the end of the year.

Family department store Boswells closed in 2020 and the historic building in Broad Street is being transformed into a 101-bedroom hotel with a rooftop terrace. 

READ MORE: Village boozer named best autumn pub 

General manager Simon Drake said in August the opening was expected in November after contractors Gilbert-Ash wanted to ensure they retained as much of the building's history as possible.

Now Mr Drake has revealed there is a further delay after contractors encountered difficulties accessing the power supply.

He and his staff team are now planning for the opening in the spring of 2024.

"It's very frustrating but we will now be looking to open in February or March," said Mr Drake.

"We have been running the building on a temporary power source.

"The winter nights are drawing in and more lighting is required.

"I am expecting that next week we will be connected to the appropriate power source and our contractors can finish their work.

"I believe we will have the building ready for operational testing in early January."

Mr Drake said the advantage of the delay was the extra time he now has to build his staff team.

About a third of the team has already been hired and a number of large groups and companies have made reservations for next year.

The hotel, restaurant, rooftop bar, co-working bar, and spa is being delivered by Reef Group and hospitality team EQ Group.

The hotel has seven floors. 

The 101 bedrooms are spread across the two interconnected buildings, some with velvet headboards, panelled walls, and bold art deco features, while others have courtyard views.

The restaurant called Treadwell will serve sustainably sourced produce from local suppliers, and diners can expect Chicken Tikka Masala Pie, and The Store Cheeseburger.

The groundfloor bar at The Store will feature floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Broad Street and bosses have said this space can be used for coffee meetings and lunches throughout the day.

And The Roof at The Store will be a bar and terrace offering views over Oxford. The entrance to the hotel will be on Broad Street.

Imshan Jamal, of EQ Group, said: "Our last project, Hotel Dame des Arts in Paris, has had a great reception and attracts a real mix of travellers.

"We’ve taken the principles we used there – the essence of what makes it successful - and looked at how we apply them in the UK, in Oxford."

Candidates applying for roles will be given priority if they live in Oxford and the surrounding area.

The opening of The Store will be a boost for the George Street end of Cornmarket, which has suffered from a number of empty retail units in recent years.

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

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