Hyatt Hotels Corporation is preparing to launch JdV by Hyatt in the United Kingdom, with Oxford Witney Hotel expected to join the lifestyle brand by the end of 2026.
A Hyatt affiliate has signed a franchise agreement with an affiliate of CL Capital for the 130-room property, which is currently undergoing an extensive transformation.
The hotel will be operated by InnPractice following its transition to JdV by Hyatt.
Located in Witney, approximately 15 miles west of Oxford and within easy reach of the Cotswolds, the property will become the first JdV by Hyatt hotel in the UK.
Oxford Witney Hotel undergoing major transformation
The renovation will reposition Oxford Witney Hotel as an upscale lifestyle property with a design inspired by the history and culture of its surroundings.
Witney has a long association with the wool industry, and the redesigned interiors will incorporate references to the town’s wool-making heritage alongside influences from the Arts & Crafts movement.
The hotel will offer 130 guestrooms, as well as a restaurant and bar using produce sourced from local suppliers.
It will also feature 1,205 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, with capacity for up to 90 guests.
Hyatt said the property is being designed to connect visitors with Witney and the wider Oxfordshire and Cotswolds region, in keeping with JdV by Hyatt’s focus on hotels with individual identities tied to their local communities.
Hyatt chooses Oxfordshire for JdV’s UK debut
Witney is the largest market town in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds and provides access to both Oxford and surrounding rural destinations.
Local attractions include Witney’s twice-weekly market, the Corn Exchange arts venue and Cogges Manor Farm, which has been used as a filming location for Downton Abbey.
The hotel can also serve as a base for trips to Oxford, Blenheim Palace, Minster Lovell Hall and the Cotswolds, while walking routes along the River Windrush connect the town with Witney Lake and Country Park.
“Bringing the JdV by Hyatt brand to the UK will be an important milestone for the brand and a natural fit for Witney, a destination with a strong identity and sense of place,” said Anna Corkill, RVP Development UK & Ireland at Hyatt.
“Together with CL Capital and InnPractice, we are creating a hotel that reflects the character of the local community while giving guests a distinctive new way to experience Oxfordshire.”
InnPractice to operate the hotel
CL Capital has appointed InnPractice to operate Oxford Witney Hotel following its expected conversion to JdV by Hyatt.
Graham Norris, Managing Partner at InnPractice, described the project as a landmark for both the operator and Hyatt brand in the UK.
“Oxford Witney Hotel is a compelling setting for the brand’s debut: a characterful market town with its own identity, strong connections to Oxford and the Cotswolds, and real potential to become part of the local social fabric,” Norris said.
The agreement adds another Hyatt lifestyle brand presence in the UK while extending the JdV by Hyatt portfolio into a new European market.
The brand, whose name stands for “joie de vivre,” focuses largely on independent lifestyle hotels that retain an individual identity while becoming part of Hyatt’s global portfolio.
Oxford Witney Hotel is expected to complete its transition and join JdV by Hyatt by the end of 2026, with further details on the opening to be announced as the renovation progresses.
