Photo by flickr user michael hilton
Entrancing Bath has dozens of small hotels squeezed into 18th century houses, handsome from the outside, rather cramped within. And the historical vibe (Beau Brummel, Jane Austen, etc.) tempts some hoteliers to adopt a deadly repro/chintzy style. Beware. Several smaller hotels (such as the Queensberry, the Kennard and the Residence) avoid this trap and are strongly recommended. In the upper echelons of price and grandeur, competition is fierce and the Big Three (the Bath Priory, Bath Spa and Royal Crescent) have each splashed out heavily on spa facilities. Of the three, the Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel can't be ignored, but is hard to love, so we don't include it in our list of favourites. Standing in seven acres of formal grounds, it is competent, imposing and slighly dull, though its spa facilities are, naturally, excellent. Nor do we include, very sadly, the Royal Crescent. Though it stands in an incomparable position in the centre of the incomparable Royal Crescent, and should be one of Britain's premier small hotels, its standards of hotel keeping and its outrageous prices mean that we have dropped it from our list. Far better, and highly recommended, is the Bath Priory, though it is just on the edge of the city and not in the centre. Bath is quite small, but it is hilly. Bear that in mind; if walking is a problem, plump for a central position. It is difficult for motorists too; make sure your hotel has parking. The order by which the hotels are listed bears no reflection on our preference.
Written by George Pownall
