Best Hotels in Bath, London
Diego Delso/Wikimedia Commons
Diego Delso/Wikimedia Commons

The best hotels in Bath, picked by a local writer

Take the waters, taste the local produce and sleep like a queen: here are the best hotels in Bath

Rosemary Waugh
Contributor: Alex Floyd-Douglass
Advertising

Bath is pretty much the opposite of a ‘hidden gem’ when it comes to tourist destinations. The pint-sized Somerset city has been uber popular since the Roman times, not to mention its real moment in the sun during the Georgian era (you might recognise it from almost every filmed Austen adaptation and, most recently, Bridgerton).

But this truly unique and visually stunning place is more than a museum piece. Yes, you can still visit its top attractions like the Roman Baths, the Abbey and the contemporary Thermae Spa with its excellent rooftop pool.

But it’s also home to a delicious array of top-notch restaurants, with many offering an intelligent twist on traditional European cuisine, and a superb range of independent and boutique shops (the relocated Persephone Books and the amazing Blomme installation florists are two of our favourites). The contemporary pampering industry is likewise well and truly flourishing here. If you need a little uplift, treat yourself to some deep tissue at Minerva Massage Works or get a appointment at the hair salon wtih the best address in England: 12 Trim Street.

And did we mention it's only 1 hour 20 on the train from London Padidngton? The only thing left to do is book into a hotel and luckily for you, we’ve selected the best in Bath with a focus on those with spas (because when in Bath…) and those with excellent on-site eateries. Enjoy!

RECOMMENDED: 
The best Airbnbs in Bath

This guide was recently updated by Bath-based writer Rosemary Waugh. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

The best Bath hotels, picked by a local

  • Hotels
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended

When the busyness of Bath is starting to get you down, here’s where to head. This five-star boutique hotel is located in the city’s most famous street: the Royal Crescent. But step through the classically Georgian doorway and you’re immediately encased in utter tranquillity. From the landscape-painted lobby to the 45 bespoke rooms, every last inch of this place is visually delectable. It’s also, however, home to an acre of concealed gardens, a delightfully low-key spa and bathhouse, and a very stylish restaurant serving the prettiest Afternoon Tea in town. In case you couldn’t tell: we’re big fans of this place.

https://media.timeout.com/images/106156994/image.jpg
Rosemary Waugh
Contributor, UK
  • Hotels
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended

Sugar and spice and all things nice: that’s what this hotel is made from. Situated midway down Great Pulteney Street (aka Bath’s second-most-famous street), No. 15 by GuestHouse augments its inherent Georgian elegance with a predilection for all things feminine. Buttery-soft pinks, sandy beiges and rose-gold, are used liberally throughout the bedrooms and wider building. Other cute decorative twists include old-timey dolls’ houses to encase the tea-and-coffee stations and framed embroideries in the bathrooms, which also feature beautiful ceramic washbasins and oh-so-deep freestanding bathtubs. It’s not as flat-out-fancy as some Bath hotels, but its low-key aura is very much part of its charm.

https://media.timeout.com/images/106156994/image.jpg
Rosemary Waugh
Contributor, UK
Advertising
  • Hotels
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended

The Gainsborough Bath Spa is a spa hotel. Sorry, read that again: The Gainsborough Bath Spa is a spa hotel. Not a hotel-with-a-spa, but a spa hotel whose entire raison d’etre is its beautiful suite of treatment rooms and the accompanying glass-roofed bath house. It’s the only hotel in the country to have access to real thermal spa waters and the first UK hotel from the YTL group who pioneered the Spa Village model at locations across Asia, combining local remedies and traditions with contemporary super-high-luxe bathing trends. Non-spa highlights include the idiosyncratic shape of the rooms and the genius extra savoury course during Afternoon Tea paying homage to the hotel’s Asian owners (and some very perfect breakfast eggs). But ultimately, this place is all about the baths. 

 

https://media.timeout.com/images/106156994/image.jpg
Rosemary Waugh
Contributor, UK

4. Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel

If you’re the kind of person who feels a natural affiliation with Bath, then you’re also the type of person who loves a very particular version of Britishness. And that version involves rolling greenery, large limestone properties and lots of time allocated for staring dreamily out of a sash window while holding a volume of Dickens. Are we right? Ok, so Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel is going to be just your vibe. Tied to the centre of town via Great Pultney Street (and just across from Bridgerton fave The Holburne Museum), this grand-but-personal hotel offers four poster beds, beautiful gardens, delightful Afternoon Tea and, of course, a spa, complete with candlelit rooms. In summary: the perfect balance of tweed and (spa) treatments.

Advertising

5. Lucknam Park

It’s six miles away from Bath, but we’ve listed it here because it is definitely worth the journey in and out of town. Lucknam Park is a sumptuous eighteenth-century Palladian mansion set in over 500 acres of parkland, with 42 individually designed bedrooms and suites featuring highly traditional décor – think overstuffed cushions, lots of damask and tastefully muted florals. Foodies flock here for the Michelin-starred restaurant Hywel Jones, and if you’re feeling inspired by the cuisine you can even do lessons at the hotel’s cookery school. Alternately, just make the most of the light-filled spa and outdoor pool. We’re not judging.

6. Francis Hotel Bath – MGallery by Sofitel

The fun, and highly affordable four-star Sofitel is perfect for those who opt for a contemporary feel. It has modern, newly refurbed rooms with Egyptian cotton sheets, free wi-fi and tea and coffee-making facilities. Pay for a wee upgrade, and you’ll get four-poster beds, minibars and espresso machines. The bathrooms come with fluffy bathrobes and luxury toiletries, and public areas, including a brasserie and bar, take in a mish-mash of styles, from dainty Georgian to more out-there geometric.

Advertising

7. Hill House Bath

This place isn’t so much a hotel as a pub-turned-B&B – but we’ve listed it as, well, it’s just lovely. Its six individually designed rooms reside in a Georgian terraced house, which is about ten minutes’ walk from the town centre. If it looks like a home, it certainly feels like one too – from the fresh thermos of milk for your tea or coffee, to the hearty breakfasts around a communal table. Rooms feature lots of charming personal touches too, like homemade biscuits and spacious bathrooms with White Company toiletries.

Recommended
    You may also like
    You may also like
    Advertising