Bath is a place for history lovers. From the robust grandeur of the Roman baths to the impeccable symmetry of the Royal Crescent.
Compact and instantly pretty, there’s no city quite like it in UK. And although it’s small enough to ‘do in day’ it’s only with a sleepover that you can truly take it all in.
A pleasant ten-minute stroll from the city centre that takes you around the Royal Crescent so you can tick that one off before you even arrive, the thing that strikes you most about The Bath Priory is how brilliantly located it is.
With Virginia creeper crawling over the walls of the drive, and gently cheerful staff greeting you at the arched stone doorway it comes as something of a surprise to discover the super smart spa, the brilliant restaurant and stunning terrace overlooking four acres of English country garden.
The lowdown
Built in the 1830s, this has all the charm of a country house hotel but none of the shabby niggles.
The reception is small and casual, all the staff seem to know your first name within an instant and the sitting room lined with books and with properly comfy sofas is somewhere you could hide in for hours.
In mid-summer the gardens are at peak perfection. With a sprawling lawn, huge scarlet poppies wobbling in the breeze, velvety pink roses and lots of lush-looking lavender, the garden is almost big enough to get lost in.
Most enticing is the hidden swimming pool (it would be way too brash to have it in the middle of everything), where old and young can do a few lazy laps and lounge around under the gentle English sun.
The rooms
Traditional but with all the swanky features of a super-slick modern hotel - the bathrooms are fabulous - you can still take in the view of the gardens from the quaint original balcony.
With just 33 rooms, Regency features and the owners’ art collection personalising each one, it feels like a luxe stop-over at a rather smart friend’s house.
Keys that are actual keys seemed oddly retro but rather charming and hand-made crunchy biscuits were a delicious excuse for another indulgence with a cup of posh fragrant tea. A tonne of wardrobe space and windows that you can actually open, all got the thumbs up.
The food
This is where the real surprise came. There are two places to eat – The Pantry for easy options such as The Bath Priory burger or mussels and fries, as well as the main restaurant.
But whether it’s afternoon tea or the full tasting menu, all the food is immaculately executed. Scallop with a sharp Granny Smith velouté, a perfect flakey piece of turbot with cauliflower, sea vegetables and sorrel – this is the kind of place that foodies will adore but anyone more cautious won’t be overwhelmed either.
Things to do
Shopping and site-seeing is the inevitable draw of the city that was originally founded by the Romans as a thermal spa. But the lure of the hotel spa’s extensive menu may mean you never quite make it.
Clever design means that somehow this hotel contains an indoor swimming pool, sauna and steam room. Book ahead to ensure you get a prime-time slot for one of the L’Occitane treatments. Then recover from your Almond Detoxifying Body Scrub and Wrap by lying on one of the spa’s ridiculously soporific loungers.
Or try a Revitalizing Aromachologie Massage before you try a spot of slightly more energetic croquet or dive into the turquoise bliss of the outdoor pool. As a haven of relaxation that is quintessentially English look no further than this seriously lovely hotel.
Rooms at the Bath Priory start from £195 a room. The seven-course tasting menu starts from £95
