The Galaxie

Exceptional

Liked: The staff were warm, welcoming, and incredibly helpful. There were brownies available for guests checking in, and I was offered a complimentary bottle of cold water because it was a really hot day.The room was clean and cozy. The location is supper convenient, bus stop right in front of the hotel and plenty of local shops and cafes nearby.Great breakfast, beautifully laid out and lovely waitress!

Uncomfortable & unhygienic

Disliked: The room was not cleaned prior to or during my stay and had unsanitary stains from previous guests. There was a stench to the bedding and pillows, most probably bedding wasn’t changed either. There is nobody around to talk to or escalate any matter during the day, so I couldn’t even contact anybody. Messaged the property about the issues, and received a response that was simply denying all points raised. They only tidy the rooms and from hygiene perspective, it is a big no.

Brilliant location and totally on...

Liked: Great decor, great price, great location. Just wonderful and the staff are so helpful and friendly.
Disliked: Nothing. It was excellent.

nice place as base to...

Liked: very nice, friendly staff. overall the place is very interesting with nice decor like an old residence (but not my room). i liked the english breakfast however my daughter missed some vegetables. had a good stay as a base for visits to the centre and easy access to Silverstone F1 racing which was my main goal.
Disliked: my expectation was to get what i booked and paid for - superior double room of 25sqm with decor like on the picture during booking. i got a different room (modern design instead of older) and most of all much smaller - definitely below 20sqm, and certainly the double bed was not large. room size did play a great role for me during booking. i asked if i got the right room - was informed that the picture is only general reference. had i known it i would have chosen a different place. cleanliness - generally ok but spiderwebs on the ceiling and dust on the ceiling fan - maybe better that it did not work.

Very good

Style over substance and not...

Liked: Nothing
Disliked: Our bedroom was 33 degrees at 10 pm with a fan blowing the heat around. It was impossible to sleep in. We stayed 90 minutes and left. They should have closed the blinds during the day. The man on reception was unhelpful and definitely needs to work on customer service charm. Ive written to the hotel via this platform and have heard nothing in two days. This is a B&B masquerading as a hotel. You are paying for the location. Give the price, perhaps they should invest in a/c.

Good

It’s a cute boutique place...

Liked: Great location! Everything is walkable!! The outside patio is gorgeous and super relaxing!
Disliked: Our shower didn’t drain for the first few days and we had to ask to get it fixed multiple times. It eventually worked. A bit pricey because I thought parking and breakfast were included.

Excellent customer service, but unfortunate...

Liked: The staff were incredibly nice and helpful. They clearly care about their guests and do their best for them to enjoy their stay. There was an unfortunate situation (see 'What you didn't like' section) that really spoiled our time at the hotel. However, what impressed me was the professional and generous way in which the staff handled things. I can't say that we had the stay that we'd booked and expected, but the Galaxie staff did their utmost to address the situation in the best way possible, which we really appreciated. I would commend them all on their customer service.
Disliked: Unfortunately the room we'd booked suffered from the impact of an unexpected heating system failure (we were told it resulted in waterlogged carpets etc., making it unsuitable to stay). We were told 2 days before, giving us enough time to cancel the booking without incurring any costs, or, take the option to stay in their newly opened accommodation in the centre of Oxford. It had only been open a week so we didn't have any reviews to rely on, only the room pictures and an assurance from the staff that we'd really like it. So we decided to accept the change. We were told that the accommodation didn't have facilities such as car parking, a bar or breakfast room but we were offered free parking at the Galaxie, a taxi to and from the alternative accommodation (at their expense) and free breakfast at their coffee shop in the centre of the city. So far so good. However, when we arrived at the accommodation we were shocked and surprised to find that it was underground, in a converted public convenience. Whilst it was clean and tastefully decorated with comfortable bed, good shower etc. it had no windows with any natural light. It's definitely quirky and might appeal to some, but it was not what we'd expected. We weren't told that it was underground and felt somewhat misled, or rather, the withholding of that key information wasn't helpful. If we'd known, when we were originally offered it, we'd have declined. So, we decided to stick it out and make the best of it because we had looked forward to the trip to Oxford for many weeks. We had a good time in the end, but despite the accommodation, certainly not because of it. As I said, this might be someone's idea of an unusual place to stay, and find it fun, but unless The Galaxie is up front about the situation there's a danger that they'll have a problem with unhappy guests.