8 Best places to stay in Bath

The Gothic-tinged Bath Priory, built in 1835, is a luxury retreat with landscaped gardens, a modern spa and exceptional food. The lounge and library are decked out with owner Andrew Brownsword’s private art collection, and the bedrooms are large and traditional in style.

The hotel is a short walk from town, so it’s better suited to those looking to relax and indulge than pound the pavements in search of Bath’s major tourist attractions. The hotel’s exceptional afternoon tea, served in the four-acre gardens or library, is divine, and the Garden Spa offers an excellent range of treatments.

It’s just on the outskirts of the city, but in a relaxed, upmarket neighbourhood.

This elegant townhouse – well, it’s actually 6 interconnected ones – is designed with a mix of reverence for its Georgian roots and an eye for modern art. There’s an often-lively bar, a snug dining room and six treatment rooms packed in downstairs, including the brilliantly OTT Copper Room, complete with a huge copper bath.

Even the smallest of the hotel’s 37 rooms are thoughtfully laid out and boast walk-in showers and a record table (with LPs available from reception). There’s real attention to detail throughout  – you can even be met at Bath Spa Station by a member of staff who will transport your luggage for you and give you a map to get your city break started.

If it’s your first time to Bath and you want to be within walking distance of its delights, this is the perfect jumping-off point.

Housed in a wisteria-clad Victorian terraced house, this delightful, bijou boutique B&B is more affordable than many of the slicker townhouse hotels that Bath has to offer.

Six bedrooms range from cosy boltholes to positively sumptuous doubles – each has fluffy bedding, a dressing table, tea and coffee and romantic floral décor that will put guests in mind of Jane Austen’s Bath (we’re sure she’d have liked the fluffy white robes, too). It’s perfect for those after more of a cosy home-from-home vibe than a grand hotel stay.

Tucked away down a quiet residential street, this quiet haven is just a few minutes level stroll from the city’s historic centre. It’s a good base for a car-free break, but if you do drive, there’s complimentary on-street parking.

This dazzling crescent of Grade I listed Georgian townhouses has the city’s most impressive hotel at its heart. With shaded gardens behind it, a private lawn in front and former coach houses at the back converted into its dark and seductive candlelit Bath House Spa, the Royal Crescent is glamorous, sophisticated and elegant.

The hotel’s launch, the Lady Sophina, can be taken out for an hour-long cruise and the concierge can even arrange for hot-air balloon trips from the adjacent park (weather permitting).

If you’re looking for film-star luxury, historical appeal, an unbeatable location and superb service – and money is no object – make a reservation.

Bath has been known as a spa town since the 1st century AD, when the Romans revelled in its natural hot springs. But where to take the water today? The splendid Roman Baths are sadly not open to swimmers, and the Thermae Bath Spa is notoriously busy on weekends and holidays.

Instead, stay at this luxurious Palladian townhouse. It’s crowning glory is a spa that taps into the city’s thermal waters, just as the Romans did, and includes pools, saunas and a steam room, all currently exclusively for guest use.

Once you’ve got your kit back on, the rest of the hotel is a rather elegant affair. Rooms are pleasingly pared-back and modern, painted in cool blues and sporting big beds and sweeping views of the city. The Bath Spa rooms are an extra treat, with rolltop baths to luxuriate in if you haven’t quite done enough relaxing of a day.

You’re in the centre of Roman Bath here (which is happily also the city centre today), next to the Thermae Bath Spa and around the corner from the Roman Baths. Milsom Street, Bath’s best address for shopping, is also close by.

It’s not just the name of The Bird (Bath) that’s a little bit playful – expect jazzy colours, walls crammed with art, dining in glass domes and a chalet-themed bar at this rather youthful boutique hotel.

This Bird may be housed in a stately Victorian townhouse, but you couldn’t get further from a stuffy bed and breakfast here – it’s a great bolthole for city explorers who want somewhere friendly and fun to come home to.

The ‘Dinky Double’ rooms really are very small – you’re better off booking the ‘Abbey King’ rooms which offer stunning views of Bath Abbey or even pushing the boat out with a theatrical ‘Deluxe King’ room.

The location is ideal for sightseeing. It’s just a few minutes’ walk into the centre from here – ideal for leaving your car at the hotel and exploring Bath’s charming (but fiddly to drive) Georgian streets.

Grand Great Pulteney Street and the Holbourne Museum are around the corner.

The Pig (or more accurately, The Pig Near Bath, as there’s a whole sty of Pig Hotels scattered across the South West), is a mellow country stay perfect for foodies.

The hotel describes itself as a ‘restaurant with rooms’. Don’t let that fool you. This charmingly laid-back manor is no simple country inn, but there is a big focus on food here, with a vibrant kitchen garden complete with a smoke house and a beehive providing much of the menu of The Greenhouse restaurant. The grounds  are open to guests, who are encouraged to explore the Smoke House, kitchen garden and wild flower orchard.

Upstairs and in the adjoining barn, 29 rooms offer rustic chic. Each is unique and ranges in size from Snug to Comfy – the ‘Big Comfy Luxe’ rooms boast four-poster beds and freestanding baths.

This is definitely not a stuffy stay – the vibe is relaxed, and the Pig encourages guests to ‘wear your best dress or your comfiest trainers’.

It’s tempting to stay put and ramble around the gardens (there are wellies available to borrow), but the bright lights of Bath are just a short drive away. The city centre is a 20-minute drive.

Contemporary style is hard to find in a city as historic as this, but this hotel has it nailed. It’s a collection of four interconnected Georgian townhouses in a fantastic central spot close to all the key attractions, on a classic Bath street.

Inside, multiple staircases lead to uniquely designed rooms with hand-painted wallpaper and zingy colours, as well as ceiling roses and period features. It’s young, fresh and relaxed; history made over.