Our welcome was warm and friendly with an offer – unnecessary, but courteous - to carry our tiny case to up our room - which turned out to be a large and charming corner suite with great eye-level views of the Martyrs Monument ( “Gothic revival” style) to many of the dreaming spires beyond.

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In the bedroom we found a large bed with goose down pillows, crisp Egyptian cotton sheets and soft blankets, all looking wonderfully comfortable ( and later proved so to be).There was also a desk, fridge, tea making equipment and a television. In the larger adjacent room was another bigger television, another desk, a big sofa and lots of cosy chairs, with good side lighting and a chandelier above.

The bathroom, a tad small for such a grand apartment, was nevertheless well equipped and sparking clean, with enough space for cosmetics and toiletries, excellent mirrors, bath robes and plenty of sweet- smelling Molton Brown potions and unguents.

We did our usual version of settling in ( creating more untidiness than you can imagine from that one little case…) and set off to explore the hotel. Gothic stained-glass windows illuminated the great staircase as we made our way down, passing marble statues standing sentinel on each floor.

The Randolph was a favourite haunt of Colin Dexter, author of the Inspector Morse novels and, “Off to the Randolph” was one of Morse’s frequent cries. The Morse Bar has in fact become a popular meeting place and we looked in while deciding whether to have one of the Randolph’s famous cream teas. The tiny sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and home-made jam and little cakes displayed on three-tier cake stands were tempting but we decided to save our calories for dinner and took a walk round the city instead. Thus discovering just how well situated the hotel is – with the newly refurbished Ashmolean Museum opposite and the very heart of Oxford three or four minutes stroll away.

Back in time for a quick drink and into the large dining room. The high ceiling, walls decorated with old portraits and family crests and tables with crisp white napery and glittering glasses made for an imposing setting. The service was, shall we say, leisurely ( which we never mind after receiving the menu and a glass of wine )so we had lots of time to observe the mixed, mainly older, clientele and to take in the somewhat hushed atmosphere, before our waiter arrived.

We did however, find our starters worth waiting for; my halibut and prawn timbale was as delicious as it was attractive with decorative strips of cucumber, a mustard dressing and a wedge of lemon served in a in a little net bag. His Free range Egg Benedict with parma ham and rocket also met with approval. For the main course I elected for Roast pork carved from the trolley which was very succulent with a good strip of crackling, roast potatoes and fresh tasting cauliflower and broccoli and an exceptionally good gravy. He chose fish, roast fillet of hake with clams, cockles. lemon and parsley which he enjoyed, his only complaint being there wasn’t enough…This he made up for by having all seven cheeses on the menu; Hereford Hop, Red Leicester, Miss Muffet ( from Cornwall) Golden Cross (from East Sussex), Bosworth (a goat cheese ), Oxford Isis (made with perry) and Dunsyre Blue from Scotland – and he was given strict instruction in which order to eat them! I meanwhile enjoyed a scrumptious fig and frangipani tart served with an amaretto parfait.

The next morning the dining room was buzzing – a completely different atmosphere - and the traditional British breakfast which we both enjoyed was well up to standard.

PRICES

Doubles from £129, Executive doubles from £159, Suites From £249.00 all inclusive.

Breakfast £10.00 continental and £13.50 Traditional British