Hotel · Steeple Aston
The Holt Hotel, Steeple Aston
An independent 87-room hotel in an old coaching inn at the Hopcrofts Holt crossroads on the A4260 near Steeple Aston, with a bar, restaurant, afternoon teas and a Sunday carvery, about 15 minutes' drive from Bicester Village.
Family-friendly · Wedding venues · EV charging
A large, independent roadside hotel with a long story, handy for a night between Banbury, Bicester Village, Blenheim and Oxford. Book direct for the hotel's own offers and ask for a refurbished room. Pets are not allowed.
- Good: 87 rooms, from singles to family rooms for four and a four-poster suite
- Good: On the A4260 between Banbury and Oxford, about 15 minutes from Bicester Village
- Good: Cream tea every afternoon, £12
- Good: Two electric car chargers, arranged with reception
- Worth knowing: No pets
- Worth knowing: Afternoon tea must be booked 24 hours ahead
About
The Holt Hotel stands at the Hopcrofts Holt crossroads on the A4260, the main road between Banbury and Oxford, just outside Steeple Aston. It is independent, with 87 bedrooms. The hotel dates itself to a coaching inn of 1475 and tells the story of Claude Duval, the 17th-century highwayman, whose name its bar and restaurant borrow; take that as the hotel's tale rather than record.
Rooms run from singles through doubles and twins to family rooms for four and the Blenheim Suite, with a four-poster. Book direct and the hotel will try to give you a refurbished room. Blenheim Palace is about ten minutes' drive, by the hotel's reckoning, and Bicester Village about fifteen. As a partner hotel of the Village, it passes on discounts to its guests. Check-in is from 3pm, there are two electric car chargers to arrange with reception, and pets are not allowed. Booking.com lists free parking on site.
Food is open to non-residents: lunch every day from noon, dinner from 6pm, a Sunday lunch menu, and teas served in the lounge or the courtyard garden. A cream tea is £12, and full afternoon tea needs a day's notice. Christmas 2026 brings party nights at £49, Christmas Day lunch at £99 an adult and £45 for under-12s, and a stay package from 24 to 26 December at £585 for one or £830 for two. The hotel is licensed for civil ceremonies, with rooms approved by the county council for up to 120, and takes weddings and evening parties of up to 200.
Opening hours and season
Restaurant
| Monday | 12:00 to 15:00, 18:00 to 21:00 |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 12:00 to 15:00, 18:00 to 21:00 |
| Wednesday | 12:00 to 15:00, 18:00 to 21:00 |
| Thursday | 12:00 to 15:00, 18:00 to 21:00 |
| Friday | 12:00 to 15:00, 18:00 to 21:00 |
| Saturday | 12:00 to 15:00, 18:00 to 21:00 |
| Sunday | 12:00 to 15:00, 18:00 to 20:00 |
Cream tea daily from 1pm to 4pm. Breakfast for residents 7am to 9.30am Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 10am at weekends and on bank holidays.
The details
- Food
- Modern British
- Serving
- Breakfast · Lunch · Afternoon tea · Dinner · Sunday lunch
- Rooms
- 87
- Check-in
- From 3pm
- Check-out
- By 11am
- Features
- Bar · Restaurant · Garden or terrace · Family rooms · Parking · Events and meetings · Private dining
Photos
The courtyard garden 
Afternoon tea 
The bar and dining room 
A bedroom
Location
Nearby walks, places and things to do
- The Chequers, Steeple Aston 0.9 km away
- Kizzies Bistro, Lower Heyford 1.9 km away
- Oxfordshire Narrowboats, Lower Heyford 1.9 km away
- The Horse and Groom, Caulcott 4.2 km away
Sights nearby
-
Rousham House and Garden
Sight · Historic building · Upper and Lower Heyford
A house of about 1635 above the Cherwell near the Heyfords, and round it William Kent's landscape garden of 1737 to 1741, still much as he left it. The garden opens every day; no children under 15, no dogs, no tea room.
-
RAF Upper Heyford Cold War sites, Heyford Park
Sight · Monument · Upper and Lower Heyford
The Cold War shelters, nuclear bomb store and command centre of RAF Upper Heyford, scheduled in 2006 and seen on guided tours from the airbase's heritage centre at Heyford Park, which opens free three days a week.