Mollie's Motel Oxfordshire Family Travel Review

Mollie's Motels, a small chain of motels, currently in Bristol and Oxford with a soon-to-open Manchester location, combines the feel of a classic Americana roadside motel & drive-in diner with the style of Soho house, while being both budget and family-friendly making them a unique staycation destination. 

Mollies had been on my UK staycation bucket list so when we had the opportunity to stay at the Oxfordshire Mollie's Motel, we jumped at the chance, especially with being only a 25-minute drive to the centre of Oxford and a great base for exploring the area. As they are based outside of the city centre, travelling by car is the ideal option although the Oxford location is easily accessible by public transport with a bus station right next to the hotel that will take you directly into the city. We spent a day taking in all the sights of Oxford and the following day exploring some of the quaint Cotswolds villages. 

As soon as you arrive it's hard to not be taken in by the natural oak and slate finishes of the building and stepping into the reception space you are greeted by friendly staff and plenty of room to relax, catch up or do a spot of work as there are comfy sofas as well as work station. You can also help yourself to a variety of tea and coffee.  

The hotel is seamlessly stylish with a laid-backed atmosphere that has embraced technology, offering travellers EV charging free of charge and contactless room access by downloading the key card to your phone. When it comes to rooms, a few different choices are depending on your needs. As I was travelling with two children, we could have stayed in either the bunk room which comfortably sleeps four or the interconnecting rooms which consist of one double room and one twin room, connected to each other.

 

We had an interconnecting room which provided plenty of space for all of us and the hand-crafted hypnos mattresses were possibly the most comfortable hotel beds we have ever slept on. As with anything connected to Soho House, you can expect elements of luxury and this was certainly the case with well-designed rooms, powerful rain showers, climate control, cowshed natural products and super-fast wifi as well as 24-hour reception should you need anything. 

What really makes Mollie's unique is their American-inspired Diners, which attracts both hotel residents and locals and the diner was busy with a buzzing atmosphere both evening and morning during our stay. I highly recommend dining here and if we lived closer this would definitely be a regular spot for us with its open kitchens, Cadillac booths and classic dishes such as hot wings with blue cheese, waffles and shakes which were a massive hit with kids. 

The breakfast was also a real treat, with sweet and savoury dishes, I went for the classic Eggs Florentine while the kids opted for rather decadent French toast topped with fresh cream and blueberries, along with freshly brewed coffee it's the perfect way to start the day. 

What I loved about our stay was how relaxed and laid back is all felt and after a busy day exploring Oxford that is exactly what we wanted, this was reflected right until we checked out at 11am, giving us more than enough time to enjoy breakfast without rushing. 

I would definitely stay at Mollie's Motel again, it's great seeing places that are forward-thinking with a unique interior-led design while being welcoming to families, thumbs up all round. 

*We were invited to stay at Mollie's Motel, this review is 100% my own views