Randolph Hotel revamp 'will retain Oxford identity'

The Randolph Hotel was bought by Graduate Hotels and closed in October for a six-month revamp

A Grade-II listed hotel in Oxford bought by an American chain will remain an important part of the city's community, its manager has said.

The five-star Randolph Hotel was bought by Graduate Hotels last year and closed in October for a six-month revamp.

Of the hotel's 84 staff, 75 were made redundant, and much of its furniture has been donated to charity.

But general manager Philip Lewis said he was "committed" to the hotel's "distinct history".

The Beaumont Street hotel is working with charity CleanConscience, which redistributes items from the hospitality sector.

The furniture is going to charities in Lithuania, including domestic violence refuges.

'Iconic property'

Mr Lewis said: "It has been a challenging time for the hotel with the recent closure of the property and the subsequent redundancies.

"Whilst the hotel has been closed, we have worked with local businesses on positive projects, to do our part for the environment, the community and to help those in need.

"Rather than commit the furniture and fittings to landfill, we worked closely with CleanConscience to re-purpose the items."

He added: "We are committed to the distinct history and importance of the Randolph Hotel within the Oxford community and look forward to keeping this as part of the hotel's identity.

"We are proud to be investing significantly into the thoughtful renovation of this iconic property to enable us to offer more jobs than we could previously."

In 2015 a large fire ripped through three of its floors, but it subsequently underwent a £6.5m renovation.

The 150-year-old gothic building was regularly featured in the TV series Inspector Morse as one of the detective's favourite haunts.

The hotel is currently showcasing artwork in some of its empty windows as part of a collaboration with local organisation Fusion Arts.

The Randolph will reopen in the Spring.