An exclusive gentleman's spa and health club is being planned for an Oxford hotel.

The Refinery, which describes itself as a "men's grooming emporium", will be set up at the Hawkwell House Hotel in Iffley.

The move follows the purchase of the hotel by a group of international investors fronted by The Refinery and Furlong management, which runs hotels in Bath and Stratford-upon-Avon.

They paid Corus and Regal Hotels nearly £6m for the operation.

It will be the first time The Refinery has launched an operation outside London.

It has two bases in the city, including one in Mayfair. Clients include James Bond star Pierce Brosnan, Manchester United footballer Rio Ferdinand, and TV chat show host Johnny Vaughan.

Plans are also in the pipeline to develop a luxury suite at the hotel, where the 51 staff have been kept on.

The management wants to add up to 15 bedrooms.

A Furlong spokesman said: "We are looking to upgrade Hawkwell House from three-star to possibly four-star while keeping it as a charming, quintessential English hotel.

"Refurbishment has started and there are plans to extend the bedrooms, which will mean more staff will be taken on."

The spokesman added: "The Refinery will set up a similar operation to its existing sites, depending on planning permission."

In 1995, the city council overturned a move to turn Hawkwell House into a nursing home. It was bought by Regal Hotels -- later Corus and Regal -- in 1998.