HOTEL OPENS IN HISTORIC DEPARTMENT STORE BUILDING

A hotel has opened in the building of an iconic department store.

The Store in Oxford is located in the old Boswells building, which traded in Broad Street for more than 250 years before closing in 2020.

The hotel has 101 bedrooms and features a rooftop bar, terrace, spa and restaurant, and is furnished with thousands of pieces of memorabilia from the building's history.

General manager Simon Drake said the legacy of Boswells would continue to play an important role.

Boswell & Co opened in 1738 and was the city's largest independent department store, fondly known for its array of toys, haberdashery and home accessories.

It was bought by Arthur Pearson in the 1890s, and Jonathan Pearson, his great-grandson, was one of the directors when the store announced in November 2019 that it was likely to close the following year.

The new hotel, The Store, is a partnership between Reef Group and EQ Group.

Arranged over seven floors, the design of the hotel reflects the heritage of the two buildings that make up the site.

Reflecting the history of the site was "very important", Mr Drake said.

The restaurant is named after Treadwell Passage, which was "one of the oldest Victorian streets in the city", he said.

There are also menu items and design elements that nod towards information obtained from census data from the late 19th Century.

"We wanted to ensure that we... speak back to that heritage as much as possible," Mr Drake said.

Memorabilia from the building's 280-year history is also spread throughout the hotel, including artwork and adverts that Mr Drake says many people may remember from their visits to Boswells.

"I don't see myself as the general manager of a new hotel in the city," said Mr Drake.

"I see myself as taking over the guardianship of a property that has come through ages and ages and transitions, and as we move forward this is just the next step in the life of Boswells."

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HOTEL OPENS IN HISTORIC DEPARTMENT STORE BUILDING

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