Simon Drake is General Manager of The Store, Oxford, the 101-room hotel that opened in 2024 within the city’s historic former Boswells department store. A natural leader and hotelier with an entrepreneurial streak, Simon has spent his career building teams, creating memorable guest experiences and challenging the conventional.
At The Store, he has brought that same energy to one of Oxford’s most ambitious hotel openings, helping to give a much-loved city landmark an entirely new chapter and creating one of our favourite places to hang out in town. We wanted to know what makes Simon…
Happy
I’m never happier than when there’s good food involved. I love discovering somewhere new and I’m lucky to have a pretty good palate – although that can occasionally be a mixed blessing. Singapore is one of my favourite places in the world to eat; you can go from an incredible restaurant to some of the Bib Gourmand hawker stalls and eat brilliantly at both. Add a great drive, an afternoon watching planes take off, and my cat curled up nearby, and I’m a very happy man.
Sad
Seeing people underestimate themselves. Throughout my career, the greatest privilege has been watching someone grow into a role they never thought they were capable of. So, it’s always sad when talented people let self-doubt, or a lack of opportunity, convince them they’re not enough. I think we all need someone who believes in us before we believe in ourselves.
Angry
Dishonesty. I can cope with almost anything else. If something’s gone wrong, tell me – we’ll fix it together. But lying breaks trust, and in hospitality trust is everything. Whether it’s with guests, colleagues or friends, I’d rather hear an uncomfortable truth than a comfortable lie.
Reflective
I’ve been fortunate to have a career that has taken me to some extraordinary places, from Bermuda to London and Oxford, at different points and in different ways. Each has taught me something; about hospitality, certainly, but mostly about people. When I look back, it’s rarely the individual hotels or milestones I think about first; it’s the people I’ve worked alongside, the teams we’ve built and the relationships that have lasted. That gives you perspective on what actually matters.
Confident
People sometimes mistake confidence for having all the answers. Mine comes from building brilliant teams and then giving them the freedom to shine. I love spotting potential in people, empowering them and watching them exceed their own expectations. As a leader, that’s far more satisfying than doing everything yourself.
A Great Host
The best hosts make people feel as though they’ve been expected all along. There’s a little bit of theatre in great hospitality – I do enjoy that – but it should never feel forced. It’s remembering someone’s favourite table, noticing they’re celebrating before they have to tell you, or instinctively knowing when to chat and when to simply let the moment belong to them. Those are the things people remember.
