One of Oxford's landmark hotels has been sold for more than £1m to a consortium of private buyers.

The 27-bedroom Royal Oxford Hotel, run by Jarvis Hotels, has been sold after being put on the market in June.

The new owners of the hotel in Park End Street, which opened in 1935, are Tom Crampton-Smith, Mohammed Arshad, and Peter Stratton.

After taking over the hotel a few days ago, they were too busy to comment, but manager Marzena James said: "The new owners plan to spend quite a lot of money renovating all the rooms in the hotel.

"People choosing to stay with us will be offered bed and continental breakfast.

"Improvements are being made to the hotel but we don't know yet whether this will mean any increase in prices." The new owners plan to franchise out the ground floor to a separate company for a restaurant with an entrance on Hythe Bridge Street.

The first and second floors would remain in use as hotel accommodation.

At a recent city council planning committee, councillors approved the restaurant application, on condition that there would be no take-away facility and that measures would be in place to contain sound levels.

Councillor Maureen Christian said: "This is a deadly corner of the city and nothing could make it worse.

"Something that could give a focal point to the area would be very beneficial."

Fellow Labour councillor Peter Moss added that he hoped setting up a new business inside the hotel would not lead to a multiplicity of advertising outside the premises.