You don’t have to be rich or clever to stay in college rooms at Oxford University
By Peter Lynch

Nobody really needs to be told how fabulous the dreaming spires of Oxford are and that’s partly thanks to Adolf Hitler.

That’s one of the insider snippets I picked up on a recent B&B stay at Keble College. Apparently Hitler ordered that the Luftwaffe were on no account to bomb Oxford as he had already chosen it as his new UK capital – just the minor business of winning the war before packing his suitcase.

Finding accommodation in Oxford is always a dilemma as the city centre hotels are very pricey and the moderately priced B&Bs are out in the suburbs. The majority of visitors want to see the colleges and what could be better than actually staying in one?

Ex-Oxford undergraduate Charlie Ramsay saw the potential of making use of empty accommodation at various colleges and set up Oxford Rooms with a central booking system at www.oxfordrooms.co.uk. Obviously most rooms are available during vacation periods but there are some during term time and the website gives full details of what is available.

Not all colleges can be booked but more are joining to maximise their income. Prices start from £40 for a B&B room for a fairly unprepossessing single room or you can book a two bedroom apartment with a baby grand piano for half the price of a superior room in a run-of-the-mill hotel chain.

There are few luxury facilities but strolling around the quad and eating breakfast in a grand hall are experiences that money previously couldn’t buy.