Best Hotels in Bath

How we score

Every place has a score out of 10 that starts from public reviews and is adjusted for recognition stated on the venue's own site, such as a Michelin star or AA rosettes. Nobody can pay to move up, and featured listings are labelled. Each listing is written from the hotel's own website, so room details and policies are as the hotel states them.

Where to start

Bathen House is a boutique hotel in an Edwardian house on Newbridge Hill, with roll-top baths and free on-site parking. Dukes Bath fills two Georgian townhouses on Great Pulteney Street, with a cocktail bar and an outdoor hot tub. The Queensberry Hotel on Russell Street is family-run, with the Michelin-starred Olive Tree Restaurant downstairs. Among guest houses, The Kennard Boutique Guesthouse on Henrietta Street dates from 1794 and includes continental breakfast in every rate, and Apple Tree Guest House on Pulteney Gardens has five themed en-suite rooms.

By type

For a spa stay, The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa has a spa in a Georgian bath house and an acre of gardens, The Gainsborough Bath Spa on Beau Street draws natural thermal water into its own baths, and The Bath Priory in Weston has The Garden Spa by L'Occitane in four acres of gardens. The Francis Hotel on Queen Square has a spa with a private thermal suite.

Larger city hotels include Hotel Indigo Bath on South Parade, with a brasserie, cocktail bar and gym, and Apex City of Bath Hotel on James Street West, with a heated indoor pool. Smaller boutique choices include The Yard in Bath, with fifteen rooms around the courtyard of a restored coaching inn, and Eight, an independent hotel across two Georgian townhouses on North Parade Passage and Abbey Green.

By area

Staying in the city centre keeps the Abbey and the Roman Baths a short walk away. Bathwick, across Pulteney Bridge, has a cluster of guest houses on Pulteney Gardens and Pulteney Road, such as Avon Guest House and The Ayrlington, plus The Bird, a boutique hotel with its own car park. Oldfield Park, south of the river, has Victorian villa B&Bs such as Dorian House and Grays Boutique B&B, both with free parking and, by their own accounts, a 10 to 15 minute walk into the centre. On the hill to the north, Lansdown Grove Hotel has views over the city, though the hotel suggests a taxi or bus for the climb back.

Before you go

Weekend breaks are popular, and some guest houses ask for a two-night minimum on Friday and Saturday nights. Festivals and the Christmas Market in late November and December make the city busy, so book early for those weeks. Parking in the centre is limited, and several central hotels and guest houses point drivers to public car parks, so check each listing before you arrive.