Best Budget Accommodation in Oxford: Stay at The Mad Hatter

Here is how it was for us: 

• As big Harry Potter and His Dark Materials fans, we had Oxford on our bucket list for years
• When the last Book of Dust from the His Dark Materials franchise was coming out, after years of waiting, we decided it was a sign for us to finally visit Oxford
• We opened Booking.com, had a mini heart attack, and nearly abandoned our idea of going to Oxford altogether, because of the cost of accommodation

If this sounds similar to your story, at least the accommodation part, don’t worry.

We’ve got good news for you.

In the end, we not only managed to find accommodation where we could stay on a budget (actually, we ended up doing the whole trip on a budget, using smart money-saving tricks).

But we found the coolest budget accommodation in Oxford – staying in Alice’s Wonderland!

In this post, we’ll tell you all about The Mad Hatter guesthouse, so you can also save money in Oxford and have a fun, whimsical experience.

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please read our Disclaimer.

Here’s a little bit about our journey, if you are new here! If you know us, feel free to skip this part.

After leaving our old life in Scotland in March 2022 (it rains too much there), we travelled full-time for almost 2 years. Sounds fancy, doesn’t it? Well, it was. If you think that carrying overpacked backpacks in 45°C heat around streets that aren’t even on Google Maps is fancy. And that’s just 1% of all the fun we had! 😆

During the 2 years we volunteered in Italy and Bulgaria (free travel while learning new skills, anyone?), explored other amazing European countries and backpacked Southeast Asia. Btw, even our secret wedding was more of an expedition than a wedding. 😅

And, of course, we researched and planned everything ourselves, because you gotta keep the budget low, right? If you are like us, you’ve come to the right place, because we want to share all the useful travel tips and info with you!

Excited? Good. Let’s get into it so you can go on your own epic adventures too!

Tips for planning a trip to Oxford

If you’re looking for budget accommodation in Oxford, you’re probably somewhere in the process of planning a trip to this amazing city.

In that case, we can help!

Here are our other Oxford posts that will save you money and time:

• Oxford on a Budget: 11 Ways to Save Money (because, as you by now have undoubtedly realised, Oxford is pricey)
• 3 Days in Oxford: A Harry Potter & His Dark Materials Itinerary (if you’re also a HP or HDM fan, make sure you put these places on your itinerary!) – COMING SOON
• Oxford in One Day: A Day Trip from London (in case you decide that spending a night in Oxford is not worth the cost, and just want to do a day trip from London. Or if you’re travelling to Oxford from London – you’ll find transport tips there too!) – COMING SOON
• Heard of Oxford evensongs, but not sure what you should expect from this choral evening service? We’ll tell you (it’s the best secret free hack when visiting Oxford!)

If you have any questions about our trip to Oxford, drop us a message on our Instagram.

And if you wish you had someone who could plan the trip for you, we can also help with that! Just book a call with us.

Best budget accommodation in Oxford

Wanna know how we found the best budget accommodation in Oxford?

By using our special 5-step Booking.com process.

Now, that process is totally secret, unless you click on this link and get it in our free guide. 😉

Btw, did you know that Oxford is the birthplace of the Alice in Wonderland story?

Why is The Mad Hatter the best budget accommodation in Oxford?

Wanna know why The Mad Hatter guesthouse is the best budget accommodation in Oxford?

Because it’s not just a cheap place to stay in.

It’s also the quirkiest place.

The Mad Hatter is actually a speakeasy cocktail bar (the first one in Oxford), but upstairs a little secret hides.

There are 4 guestrooms, each inspired by Lewis Carroll’s famous work, Alice in Wonderland, so if you’re a fan, this place is perfect for you.

You’ll find The Queen’s Boudoir, Alice’s Chambers, The Mad Hat-Elier and Tulgey Woods, each individually designed.

We stayed in The Mad Hat-Elier, which was black and gold themed, with quirky little details everywhere.

We won’t spoil it for you, in case you get the same room, but you can see some of the cool decor in the pics throughout this post.

And yes, you did read it right: there are only 4 rooms.

So if you don’t enjoy staying in big hotel chains, where every room looks the same, and there are hundreds of guests stomping about, slamming doors, watching loud TV till 2am or having a heated discussion about the time his mother said to her that her hair looks better straight than wavy, this is the place to stay at.

We saw another couple staying there just one time. That, together with self check-in, makes this an antisocial paradise (unless you follow the rabbit down to Wonderland).

Oh, and the whole place is 18+ only, so if you prefer your accommodation without the chaos of little people, you’ll love it at The Mad Hatter.

Pro tip: Even if you end up reserving the accommodation via Booking.com (which we recommend, because it usually offers a cheaper price plus you can collect airmiles!), you should check out the official Mad Hatter website. It’s so wonderfully designed (and written), it would be a shame to miss out on all the whimsy!

What can you do at The Mad Hatter?

Remember how we said that The Mad Hatter is actually a bar?

Well, that’s a bit of an understatement. 

Aside from food and drinks, you can also come for special events, from live performances to competitions like Mad Mario Jam, where a live funk band performs the soundtrack of Mario Kart music to match where the players are in the race! How cool is that?

There’s also karaoke, cocktail masterclasses and Wonderland Party Packages you can book if you’re celebrating a birthday in Oxford (or any other fun occasion!).

Basically, entertainment downstairs, then the shortest commute ever, and you’re upstairs in your comfy, Alice in Wonderland-themed room!

Check the official website for an events calendar and all the info. Plus you can book your table there – the place is small and does get busy!

Sadly, we didn’t manage to attend any events, or even pop into the bar while we visited.

In the evenings, we were busy, attending evensongs or wasting our time and money at a terrible London theatre show. Next time!

Where is The Mad Hatter located in Oxford?

You’ll find The Mad Hatter guesthouse in the St Clement’s area of Oxford.

Here is why the location is fantastic:

• The guesthouse is located on a quiet street away from the busy, touristy city centre.
• You’ll find lots of dining options nearby.
• If you need to pop into a supermarket: Sainsbury’s Local is a 6-minute walk, Tesco Express an 8-minute walk (we did this to save money).
• Planning to visit the Oxford Botanic Garden? If you’re a His Dark Materials fan, it’s most likely on your list – the Mad Hatter guesthouse is just a 10 minute walk from the gardens! We actually walked by them every day, when going to the city centre.
• Heading to a gig at the O2 Academy Oxford? It’s just a 9-minute walk from The Mad Hatter!
• If you’re lucky, you might catch the popular Cowley Road Carnival going just down the road.
• One of our highlights? Discovering that the Oxford Tube bus that takes you directly to London stops just 5 minutes away from The Mad Hatter! This was such a perk when we got back from London at 1am and it was bucketing it down!

The one disadvantage?

You are further away from all the main Oxford attractions, meaning you’ll have to get some steps in every day, but to be honest, that never bothers us in a picturesque location (and Oxford sure is one!).

We’re not talking awful distances either:

• Bodleian Library, which is home to Hogwarts Library and the Hospital Wing: 15-minute walk
• The Visitors Centre of the famous Christ Church College: 18-minute walk
• The fun Covered Market: 18-minute walk
• Pitt Rivers, the unusual museum: 23-minute walk
• Train station: 30-minute walk or a 12-minute bus ride

So if you don’t mind walking a bit more, you can save money and stay at the coolest accommodation!

How much did we pay to stay at The Mad Hatter?

We told you this is the best budget accommodation in Oxford, but how much did it actually cost us?

We paid £283.58 for 3 nights at The Mad Hatter.

That works out as £95 per night for 2 people – an insanely cheap price for an expensive city like Oxford!

When you compare that to paying £160 for the Hunger Games On Stage theatre we went to see in London (while in Oxford, so a total insanity), which was absolutely disappointing, you’ll see The Mad Hatter was a total bargain.

Having said that, keep in mind that:

• this was in October, so not during high season (make sure you choose your season well)
• it was in 2025
• we booked in June, almost exactly 4 months in advance to the day

What to think about when staying at The Mad Hatter in Oxford

So far we covered how amazing The Mad Hatter guesthouse is, because, honestly, we think it’s the best budget accommodation in Oxford, hands down.

There are a few things you should think about though, other than whether we should be painting the roses red:

• No-kids allowed: we’ve already mentioned that the bar as well as the guestrooms are 18+ only, which might be a good thing for you, if you prefer to holiday away from the little darlings, or a bad thing, if you’re travelling to Oxford as a family and hoped to stay at The Mad Hatter.
• Noise: the Sip-Me-Saloon is usually open Wednesdays to Saturdays, and background noise may be audible in the guestrooms. We never heard anything during our stay, but it’s worth keeping in mind and bringing earplugs.
• Stairs: the guestrooms are located on the 2nd and 3rd floor and there’s no lift. We’ll be honest with you, we stayed on the 3rd floor, but it felt like the 10th floor, especially after walking around Oxford the whole day, so this is worth considering if you’re not keen on stairs. If you’re worried about carrying luggage upstairs, staff can help you, you just need to contact them in advance to arrange this as they’re not usually on site.
• Distance: we covered it all here, but remember The Mad Hatter isn’t located in the very centre of Oxford. For us it was great, but it might not suit your needs.
• Limited rooms: don’t forget there are only 4 guestrooms at The Mad Hatter. It doesn’t get more VIP than that – so rare in this day and age of massive hotel chains. It does also mean, though, that it can sell out fast, so make sure you book in advance (we booked 4 months before our October trip).

Don’t forget this for your Oxford trip

Speaking of stairs and tripping on them and breaking your leg (does your mind also work this way??).

Or you know, something more likely, like meeting the Jabberwock or having the Queen of Hearts point at you and shout: “Off with their head!”

Either way, make sure you have great travel insurance for your trip to Oxford.

We recommend True Traveller: they offer amazingly low prices and unbeatable customer service.

Just contact them to make sure Wonderland is included on their list of covered countries. 😉

We were so happy when we discovered The Mad Hatter guesthouse in Oxford – a super quirky place where we could stay on a budget? The dream!

We hope you manage to book a room for your trip too and have the best time!

If you end up staying there, please let us know, we’d love to hear what you thought and which themed-room you got! (Especially if you attend any events at the speakeasy bar, since we didn’t manage to go.)