Mercure Eastgate Hotel
Oxford, Oxfordshire

Centrally located just off the Oxford High Street, this former 17th century coaching inn has been renovated over recent years and now fuses a sense of tradition with modern comforts. An excellent base to explore the historical city, most colleges are within walking distance, though Magdalen, Merton and Queen's Colleges are all neighbours. The 63 bedrooms offer all the comforts you would expect, including Wi-Fi, modem access points and tea/coffee making facilities in all rooms. A proportion of rooms are suitable for families, with pull-down sofa beds creating a 3rd bed. Oxford students have taken to the hotel's facilities. The lively Merton's bar is situated on the ground floor of the hotel, which offers coffee and drinks from 05:00 to 02:00 daily (Mon-Sat), and Sun 05:00 - 00:00. Our hotel also caters for private dining functions up to 60, including wedding receptions and anniversaries. There is no lift at this hotel.

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Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). It is home to the University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world. It is known as the "city of dreaming spires", a term coined by Matthew Arnold in reference to the harmonious architecture of the university buildings. The River Thames runs through Oxford, where for a distance of some 10 miles it is known as the Isis. Oxford was first occupied in Saxon times, and was initially known as "Oxenaforda". It began with the foundations of St Frideswide's nunnery in the 8th century, and was first mentioned in written records in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for the year 912. In the 10th century Oxford became an important military frontier town between the kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex and was on several occasions raided by Danes. St Frideswide is the patron saint of both the city and university. Oxford grew up under the shadow of a convent, said to have been founded by St Frideswide as early as the eighth century. Its authentic history begins in 912, when it was occupied by Edward the Elder, King of the West Saxons. It was strongly fortified against the Danes, and again after the Norman Conquest, and the massive keep of the castle, the tower of St. Michael's Church (at the north gate), and a large portion of the city walls still remain to attest the importance of the city in the eleventh century. West of the town rose the splendid castle, and, in the meadows beneath, the no-less-splendid Augustinian Abbey of Osney: in the fields to the north the last of the Norman kings built the stately palace of Beaumont; the great church of St Frideswide was erected by the canons-regular who succeeded the nuns of St Frideswide; and many fine churches were built by the piety of the Norman earls.