Another day, another UK staycation… This time, however, we are getting out of London and heading to the countryside. On a BUDGET. Still keeping it glam, though, with an overnight stay in Oxfordshire, in Soho House’s roadside motel, Mollie’s.
With rates from £50 per night, Mollie’s is a world away from it’s flashier cousin Soho Farmhouse. More affordable, more accessible – booking is open to everyone – but through the design touches, you still get a little flavour of the brand. Think of it like a Premier Inn. Just sexier.
UK staycation location
It is literally a service station off the A420 in Buckland, Farringdon. But what a well-located one. If you are driving, you can use it as a base to explore the surrounding area. Within 30 minutes you can be grabbing Gucci and loading up on Louboutins at the designer outlets of Bicester Village, exploring the historic university city of Oxford (jump on the S6 bus close to Mollie’s to avoid parking drama) or punting on The River Cherwell.
Visit Blenheim Palace, use as a gateway to hike the hills and explore the chocolate box-perfect villages of The Cotswolds or, if you are road tripping, as a pit-stop on the way to Bristol, Bath, The South West… So many possibilities, it would be really easy to build a UK staycation around your stay .
Me? Well I was spinning out a one-night stay somewhere fancy to celebrate my birthday into a two-night mini break. I do this all the time: one night super bling, one night super budget means I can bring the overall average cost of my holiday down while still having a bit of a treat. One part Diva, one part backpacker – this is my super power.
The Motel
It’s no-frills, but with a bit flair. From the red neon sign out front, to the mid-century decor touches in the lobby/lounge and the old-school Americana diner across the car park, there is a bit of a retro vibe. But it’s still got some techie credentials: bypass reception for contactless check-in and keyless access to your room all via the Mollie’s app.
Rooms are minimalist but sleek. Blonde wood panelling, flooring, teal-grey walls and super-king sized beds with the the crispest white Egyptian cotton linens. The bathrooms are tiled in dark grey and have generous glass walk-in showers with rainforest heads. Yes they’ve gone down the road of bulk-sized toiletries in those annoying fixed dispensers (how very Travelodge), but they are Cowshed products, so we’ll let them off. Note: the sink/vanity area is OUTSIDE the bathroom. Great when you are sharing a room with a friend and you both need space to get ready at the same time, terrible when you are sharing a room with a friend and you are trying to wash your hands in the dark without waking them up. Hmmm…
Our standard double room ( they also have bunk rooms that sleep four) had a little bit of hanging space and some cubbies to stow our bags – adequate for when you are only staying a night or two – and a cute seating area. No fridge, no minibar, no phone, no kettle, no tea or coffee (remember I’m the girl who bitched about only getting coffee bags rather than pods or a cafetière. TWICE.), no frills. I did love the big TV, though. Standard Freeview channels, but the ability to connect my phone via QR code and securely cast Netflix to the big screen was fun.
Food and drink
No tea or coffee in the room, but it is offered free at reception, where you can also fill up your bottle with chilled still or sparkling water. The multi-tasking staff also manage the ‘general store’ selling snacks and essentials, and the small bar – nothing fancy, wine, beers, spirit miniatures and canned mixers that you can enjoy in the lounge, the small courtyard garden or back up in your room. Good for a nightcap.
Cross the carpark and there is a petrol station with an M&S simply food for a wider selection of snacks. Then there’s Mollie’s Diner and Drive Thru: in classic US-style, think Grease, Riverdale or Pulp Fiction with less hold-ups and murder. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner it has all the design touches: big booths, a bustling open kitchen and a menu of stateside standards…burgers, chicken, all-day breakfast waffles, giant milkshakes. Portions are huge – my mac’n’cheese was about the size of a deep-pan pizza – and very rich, but tasty and good value (burger/chicken + fries + soda about £8-10). And there are cocktails.
Lucky it’s not too far to crawl back to the room…
The end bit
So how was it? For a comfortable UK staycation pit-stop, a budget break of a couple of nights it is a pretty good deal. We paid £57 for one night in our standard double – a decent deal if you were just looking just for a place to rest your head between busy days of seeing sights, but to be honest, the space was nice enough just to hang out in. We grabbed snacks and Prosecco and binge-watched bulls*** on Netflix, ventured out only for dinner and brekkie at the diner and to chat with the staff at reception (lovely peeps).
There were plans (pre-COVID, at least), to open up more ‘branches’ of Mollie’s across the UK. As another option to add to my staycation hit-list, I’m on board.
Mollie’s Motel and Diner, Shrivenham Road, A420, Buckland, Faringdon, Oxfordshire SN7 8PY. Rooms from £50 per night.
