- Charges for extra guests may apply and vary depending on the property's policy.
- A cash deposit or credit card for incidental charges, as well as a government-issued photo ID, are required at check-in.
- Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in and can't be guaranteed. Certain requests may come with additional charges.
- The following credit cards are accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, and Visa.
- Reservations need to be made in advance for massage services and spa treatments. Contact the inn at the phone number listed on your booking confirmation.
- Connecting or adjoining rooms can be requested, but all rooms are subject to availability. Contact the property using the phone number on your booking confirmation.
Old Swan & Minster Mill
5.0 out of 5.0
89.0% based on 1979 reviews
Recent guest reviews
We had rooms by river with terrace and fire pits which were great. You need to book in advance for spa as space is limited. The staff are friendly and helpful. The location is great for exploring the Cotswolds
We arrived at the hotel on a beautiful crisp, sunny, winters day.What a wonderful spot right on the river! The staff were all very attentive and the room standard was very high. Nespresso machine, water, fridge and a nice touch of cordial for your water if you prefer. Decor was light and airy with a modern touch. The Spa was spotless. We had the whole place to ourselves bar two other ladies and spent a few blissful hours swimming and enjoying the jacuzzi, steam, Sauna and rain showers etc. We didn't have treatments but i would if we returned. The restaurant staff were all excellent as was the food. We had to miss breakfast but staff offered to pack us up a breakfast picnic if we wanted which was so nice of them,I would definitely return and recommend to anyone after an idyllic stay in the beautiful Cotswolds.
The Old Swan is set in a idyllic location. This old world charm Restaurant, Hotel & Spa is fantastic. Check-in was a little slow with large line of people waiting and the room on this occasion was in need of a little love. HOWEVER, the new spa was excellent and the massage was amazing. The best I have ever had. The restaurant was at it's usual high standard with service from our waitress flawless. I even had two puddings and she didn't judge me. The breakfast buffet was the best offered around the area and well maintained during breakfast. Checkout was a lot quicker. I would highly recommend the Old Swan & Minster Mill for a wonderful spa break away to the country.
We had a fabulous stay in this beautiful hotel. The customer service was exemplary in every department . The food in the restaurant was excellent and the breakfast in particular had a good selection. We loved the pretty grounds and enjoyed walking through them to access the Old Swan. We used the spa which was a relaxing treat but we didn’t enjoy having to pay extra to use it. We think for the price of staying in the hotel for two nights the spa should be included and it felt excessive paying an additional £50 for my husnad and I to use the facility for two hours. The room was small but perfectly formed - we had a feature room and enjoyed sitting by the river. The fire pit is an excellent touch. But the room could have been cleaner, particularly the carpets and the armchair which needed some attention. Despite the above two gripes, we would still like to return to use more of the outdoor facilities in warmer weather.
We joined up with friends for a Cotswolds weekend and stayed here as our base. It is a great central location from most of the key sites, locations, walks, restaurants and tourist sites. The grounds are well maintained, peaceful and has little hidden gems around each corner. The bar space is a little small for the size of the hotel and the number of people staying there. Everyone fights for the seats in front of the fire (during the more winter months). We didn't get a chance to try the spa so cannot comment on that. The food in the restaurant was good, service was good and attentive. We will certainly be returning for another trip, though will have to save up as it is not the cheapest of options in the area. The rooms in the older part are quant and more 'old world'. The corridors are a bit of a rabbit warren and the floors a little creaky. The spiral staircase from the reception is tight and could be a struggle with luggage.
This is a particularly difficult review to write - the overall setting of this Inn is beautiful, the buildings are charming, staff are pretty helpful and we spent a wonderful week in the Cotswolds, but there are also some items which did led us to the conclusion that there is a gap between value and money here. The two baths in our room were actually leaking so that there was mould on the ground in front of them and the fittings in one were loose and falling off the wall, we also found the food in the restaurant (not the pub, that was fab and particularly comfy, try their afternoon tea!) a bit overpriced for the quality provided. This does not apply to breakfast where the food and service were really good. During our time there were plenty of families with young children (just like us) which created a relaxed and lively atmosphere but may have been slightly disturbing to other guests looking for more undisturbed quiet time. To enhance the family experience we would have much enjoyed if the indoor pool could have been opened to children for one or two hours per day - of course this does not go with a peaceful spa experience, but in light of the many families staying here, this may be worth evaluating.
It's always very interesting to read reviews of a place one has just visited and compare those reviews with one's own experience. Have just returned from a relaxing two-night break at the Old Swan and Minster Mill hotel. The break away was expensive but, on balance, on this particular occasion, I felt it was worth it, although I can see why that might not always be the case. On arrival, my first impressions were good, the hotel is in a beautiful, rural location and the receptionist was friendly and helpful. My room was small, but I was on my own so, for me, it felt cosy - but it would have been far too small if I'd gone with a partner. I don't usually sleep well away from home but the bed was extremely comfortable and I slept better than usual. Unfortunately, I was unable to have a shower on the first morning, the temperature control mechanism was broken and the water was boiling hot but I reported this to reception on my way to breakfast and the problem was sorted out without any need for me to change rooms. The weather was not good during my stay and getting to the restaurant involved a short walk outside, for which I needed to wear a coat and I didn't have an umbrella, but there was an umbrella stand by the exit with complementary umbrellas for guests to use. The restaurant had a lovely atmosphere and the food was excellent and well presented. I had two evening meals and two breakfasts during my stay and was very satisfied with the quality of the food, the way the food was presented and the friendly efficiency of the waiting staff who, I feel, deserve commendation. However, I can see that the menu might feel limited if staying any longer than two nights. In my experience, hotel restaurant coffee is often disgusting but, here, the coffee was good! I'd been disappointed to read beforehand that the Spa would cost an additional £25 unless one booked a treatment, so I had booked a hot stone massage and got 2 hours free use of the facilities. The Spa is very small and the facilities limited, so I can see why some people would feel very frustrated and disappointed but I was lucky ..... I got the last available lounger (there are only 6) and had the sauna, steam room and pool to myself. The massage was wonderful, so my experience of the Spa was great, but am not sure this could be guaranteed if I went again. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and would go there again .
We stayed as a couple for 3 nights in March 2018. Firstly understand that the hotel's name truly reflects the layout of the establishment comprising a lovely old pub (the Old Swan) and buildings once associated with a water driven flour mill (Minster Mill). There is a minor public road (used only by local residents it appeared) between these buildings. The restaurant, bar and some rooms and are in the Old Swan. All public rooms are beamed ceilings, low doorways and old English quaint without being over the top twee. The restaurant was pleasant to sit in. The dinner menu seemed limited with a surprising lack of vegetable side options. Breakfast was good. Waiting staff were very pleasant and more professionally competent than most English hotels - management seems to set good standards and provide training. We viewed a "Superior" bedroom in the Old Swan building which was well furnished but lacking floor area and was located at the back by the kitchen and near the car park - we would have been very dissatisfied if we had been allocated this room.. The reception is a very delightful old barn/hall with open fireplace - a lovely place to sit and relax and a games room on the balcony. The receptionist on our arrival was a well spoken and very helpful gentleman - absolutely first class representative for the company. Bedrooms and meeting rooms in the Minster Mill are laid out in a long line aside the mill race (water channel that powered the water wheel). We were allocated a room on the 1st floor of the "hill house" which is the furthest room from reception and restaurant. Between the room and the restaurant is a walk of over 100 metres on an outside pathway. On the cold wet days we had, we needed to dress in overcoats and use an umbrella to get to/from breakfast. I'm sure the walk is delightful in the summer - in other seasons beware. We asked reception for an umbrella, they seemed surprised by the request! The bedroom we booked was described as "superior". The room allocated was more spacious than average and had most of the elements of a superior room except the bathroom was small with nowhere to put your toiletries, here were only 2 coat hangers provided and the safe did not work in a secure manner (maintenance man demonstrated it could be opened using the obvious default code 1234). Disappointing and not reflective of the relatively high cost of the room. We did not try the Spa, but walked past it on a treks to/from our room. It needed to be booked. It seemed to be operated by another company. It looked small but well fitted from the outside. We used to live in Oxfordshire and had eaten in the Old Swan years ago. Then and probably now, this hotel had/has an excellent reputation with the locals. Perhaps our expectations were too high but overall we were a bit disappointed for what we paid.
Overnight stay with friends. Boy, were we impressed! Sensational facilities, wonderful environment: spa (not tested), extensive grounds, dog friendly. Dinner menu looked good and turned out to be as good as expected. Our group of 8 had both dinner and breakfast in a separate small dining room, which added to the positive experience. Excellent staff. Very comfortable bed - lulled to sleep by the river running through the property. Cannot recommend too highly!
As I’ve written and informed the hotel: There were numerous reasons as to why our visit was poor. Initially it began when we booked the hotel we had to ring twice on two separate occasions to request booking confirmation. Each time the receptionist said it should have been emailed, after checking the email was correct - again we never received it. Secondly I had paid for a feature room. The room was very disappointing - small, poorly maintained and unclean. The bathroom had issues with mold and the paint/grout was was finished to a very poor standard. We then decided to try and use the only distinguishing feature of our “feature room”. We went outside to light the fire pit - we had minimal wood, an empty packet of fire lighters and no matches. I rang reception and requested a room upgrade, which I would have been happy to pay for. However according to the lady there were no available rooms that were superior to the room we were in. We explained all of the issues above, to which she responded by sending matches and fire lighters. We also explained that our “double bed” (two singles pushed together with a sheet on top) where separating every time we laid together in the centre. According to the receptionist nothing could be done about this. As a customer of a romantic break away I expect the bed to be as described - a double. Myself and my partner were unable to sleep anywhere near each other without falling between the two beds. Lastly, when checking out I went to pay the excess accumulated from our meal at the pub. Checking the invoice there was an extra spa charge of £10, not a great deal of money but I queried it as the spa treatments we received were part of the “winter spa break” I had purchased. After 5 minutes; a lot of questions regarding the treatments we had received, the receptionist and the spa realised whilst talking over the phone that their computers had us as guests staying on 2 different packages. Therefore they had generated an unnecessary charge. It was rather an embarrassing experience as we were disputing the amount of £10, and I felt that reception where questioning the authenticity of our dispute. Having to discuss this in front of other guests was distasteful. Overall I am very disappointed with the whole experience of staying at The Old Swan & Minster Mill and will be submitting a complaint.
Hotel highlights
- Free WiFi in rooms and public areas
- Free parking
- Onsite dining
- Spa
Located within 2 miles (3 km) of West Witney Sports and Social Club, Old Swan & Minster Mill places you within a few miles (5 km) of Witney Lakes Golf Course. This 54-room, 5-star inn welcomes guests with a restaurant, a full-service spa, and free in-room WiFi. It's on a river and also within a 30-minute drive of University of Oxford and Blenheim Palace.
Dining
Explore the inn and meet new friends over drinks at the bar/lounge, or enjoy a bite to eat at the onsite restaurant. For your convenience, a English breakfast is available for a fee.
Rooms
All of Old Swan & Minster Mill's 54 rooms are air-conditioned and have an array of amenities, including coffee makers, free newspapers, and free bottled water. Guests can expect to find free WiFi and flat-screen TVs with digital channels. Bathrooms offer hair dryers, designer toiletries, and bathrobes. Safes, phones, and ironing boards are also standard.
Property features
Guests staying at Old Swan & Minster Mill enjoy access to a full-service spa, a fitness center, and a sauna. Free parking is included with your stay. The front desk is staffed 24/7 to help with dry cleaning/laundry, concierge services, and luggage storage. Other amenities at this luxury inn include an outdoor tennis court, free WiFi in public areas, and 3 meeting rooms.
Reviews from Trip Advisor
89.0% of guests recommend this hotel
Total of 1979 reviews
