We were looking for a hotel for a special occasion, it was our wedding night. Due to having three children it had to be special as they would be coming on our honeymoon with us so this night was just ours.
We had planned that day to a very fine detail from outfits to canapés to catering to the marquee in our garden. The location had to be close by as we didn't want to leave our party too early as people had traveled from all over the world to be with us on our special day.
Then a little gem was recommended to us. The newly opened Malmaison hotel in Oxford. This was a quirky and luxury boutique hotel in the heart of Oxford and built in the old Oxford prison.
We promptly booked the 'Love Suite Love'. At £275 for the night, we hoped that it would live up to its expectations.

*The big day & check in*

So, the big day went well, even better than anticipated. When the time came to leave, we were sad to go but also rather excited to get to the hotel and relax.
We arrived at the Malmaison reception at around 10pm. Reception was inside a well designed and grand lobby area. The floors were stone and the style of the old prison was adhered to. The history beamed through the building in a beautiful and elegant way. We were impressed from this moment on.
We were given our room key, advised that checkout was 1pm & shown to our suite.

*Our suite*

Our suite was fabulous and more than we anticipated. We walked through the door to find a lounge area with magazines, water, flat screen TV, big comfy sofa with an abundance of plump and comfy scatter cushions. The design was exquisite and the room was coloured in chocolates and purples and relaxing yet moodful furnishings and colour schemes.
We headed down the stairs to a large room with a king size bed, soft & satiny bed sheets with candles everywhere & complimentary massage oils. There was a huge window which opened onto the balcony & over looked he grass mounds around Oxford castle.
We decided to explore further and found a large bathroom with a free standing roll topped bath which was huge and was more than enough for two people. Next to this, there was another door which took us into a large shower area which is lit with red, green & blue soft lights and has an enormous shower head. It was soon apparent that everything in this room was made for sharing & love.
We were very impressed with the range of toiletries offered by Malmaison with the usual choices such as shampoo & conditioner, soap & bath & shower gel. The difference with these is that they were Malmaison's own brand and very high quality but most distinguishable by the fact that they were normal sized bottles designed for you to take home when your stay is over. There were also such accessories as eye masks, hand creams, hangover tablets, lip balm, breath freshener to name but a few.
After our busy day we decided to get relaxed in the big fluffy robes & slippers. We took ourselves back upstairs, put on some relaxing music and got stuck into the bottle of champagne that was on ice along with the chocolate dipped strawberries. Heaven!

*breakfast*

As part of our suite package, a champagne breakfast was to be served into our room. This came at the time requested and was a selection of continental meats and cheeses, pastries, juice, coffee and champagne and strawberries...again! This was the perfect way to start married life.
After such a hectic day we made the most of our late checkout and took advantage of he facilities available to us.

*Restaurant & bar*

Although we didn't use the restaurant during this stay, we have used it at other times.
The restaurant 'The Mal' is tasty and beautifully presented cuisine and apparently prepared with local ingredients and served up with genuine passion. The food is lovely and a great menu selection is available.
My personal favourite menu choice here is:Starter ~ gloucester old spot bacon and onion terrine ~ Main ~ entrecote with béarnaise sauce and drank with a good French red wine.
The bar area is comfortable and chic. A great selection of drinks are available including good cocktails, wines and champagnes.
This is a good place to eat and drink whether you are a guest in the hotel or not.

*Will I visit again?*

Yes, we shall. Most definitely for dinner and drinks and it will probably be our first choice locally for that special night away. The hotel is expensive, but it is well worth the cost, particularly the Love suite love.
If you are visiting Oxford, the hotel is in prime position in the city centre and close to all of the shops and tourist areas.
The Malmaison Oxford is a highly recommended luxury hotel with an interesting history and a promising future.