Riverside Park

Rooms were very clean and well-appointed with unique amenities like a pour over coffee maker. With the kitchenette, you get a burner with a stir fry pan and a practically full-sized fridge and freezer. The rooms were thoughtfully designed to make maximum use of space. So the fridge blends into cabinets that also hold a microwave and kitchen utensils. It feels very different than a hotel room, in a good way. It was comfortable enough for a longer stay. We got two rooms. One had a king bed instead of a queen and was noticably larger. I love how the blackout projector screen goes up to become a large picture window. You can watch the world go by from your bed or have a movie night in the middle of the day.

I was pretty underwhelmed by my stay at the Oxford. Although the staff was friendly when we approached them, service requests simply did not happen. For example, upon arrival our duvet cover had stains all over and despite requesting a change from both the front desk AND leaving a note with a tip for our housekeeper it still didn’t happen (but the $10 I left was gladly taken). Although they market themselves having free breakfast it was just lackluster and sparse. Almost like they just put some stuff out in the lobby each morning to say they had free breakfast and your run of the mill budget chain likely has better options. Otherwise the facilities were just overall lacking. I get that it’s in a historic building and district but is it really too much trouble to have a fridge in the guest room? There was also a faint odor of burning diesel and wood throughout the building, particularly in our room. The saving grace for the Oxford is its location. Just steps away from Union Station and tons of dining and bars means there’s always something to new to explore.

This is my second time staying at The Maven and they once again didn’t disappoint. Hotel and rooms are creatively decorated with a boutique feel. The staff are all incredibly accommodating and helpful. The front desk was particularly wonderful with helping us get the most out of the hotel’s services and finding local recommendations. We will be back.