The Royal Oxford Hotel is housed in a three-story beige-concrete building with no elevator, lower-floor common areas with bland, modern decor, and two stories of guest rooms. The small reception area features light-wood floors, turquoise accent walls, and square black couches and armchairs. The Bamboo Restaurant and Bar is nice but generic with natural wood floors and lantern-style pendant lights. The hotel is well-located, though, and a good choice for travelers who want a hotel within walking distance of Oxford colleges and sights.

The hotel is situated on a busy roundabout near restaurants and shops in Oxford, about a 10-minute walk from the city's historic center. Sights such as the Ashmolean Museum, the 18th century Covered Market, and Tom Tower can be reached in 12 minutes or less on foot, and Oxford University and Trinity College are both within  a 10- to 15-minute walk. The Oxford railway station is only a four-minute walk from the hotel, with London about an hour away by train. Heathrow Airport is an hour's drive. Parking is available next to the hotel for an extra fee.

The hotel's 26 guest rooms range in size from Singles measuring just under 100 square feet (plus bathroom space) to Double Rooms, Twin Rooms, and Family Rooms that can accommodate up to four adults. Rooms are clean, though decor is generic, bland, and somewhat dated -- blue wall-to-wall carpeting meets yellow walls, while brown bedding pairs with brown-wood laminate furniture. En-suite bathrooms are similarly simple, with a toilet, sink, and shower/tub combos. Bathrooms include hairdryers and individual toiletries. Rooms also include free Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, and flat-screen TVs with freeview. Rooms also come with coffee- and tea-making service and free bottled water and fruit (apples and oranges). Front-facing rooms can get noise from the street, but earplugs are provided. 

While the hotel has few extra property features, it does have a large Korean restaurant with a bar and lounge, managed by a separate company but owned by the hotel. The hotel's daily breakfast is served in this space, but it costs an extra fee and offers standard fare that most guests don't feel is worth the price. Room service is available during limited hours. The hotel has no gym or fitness facilities and no business center, though Wi-Fi is free throughout the property. Reception is open 24-hours, and the hotel offers tours/ticket assistance, luggage storage, and dry cleaning and laundry service. There is no on-site parking, but parking is available on the same block as the hotel for an extra fee.