The best spa hotels in and around Bath, from rural mansions to Royal Crescent retreats
From Roman times to the present day, visitors have flocked to Bath to bathe in its natural thermal waters. The most famous spot for wallowing is the Thermae Bath Spa complex, which is open to the general public – but many of Bath's hotels offer their own enticing spas, with indulgent treatments and thermal facilities. Whether located in the city centre or in the surrounding countryside, these are the best spa hotels in Bath.
The Gainsborough Bath Spa
Bath, Somerset, England
9Telegraph expert rating
What sets The Gainsborough apart is its Spa Village: it's the only hotel in Bath with access to the city's natural thermal waters. There are three substantial thermal pools in which to wallow (the largest is set under a glass-roofed atrium), as well as saunas and a steam room, plus 11 treatment rooms offering a wide range of massages and Asian‑influenced therapies. Guests who haven't booked a treatment can access the baths on limited time slots – an attempt on the hotel’s part to preserve the tranquility of the facilities. The rooms and suites have an understated neo-Georgian look, with a grey-blue palette, period-style black furniture, and marble bathrooms. The level of service is simply the best of any Bath hotel. Read expert review From £213 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa
Bath, Somerset, England
9Telegraph expert rating
This luxurious hotel encompasses two townhouses in Bath's showpiece Georgian crescent –the best possible location in town. The biggest draw is the elegant spa: the inviting main communal area includes a 12m indoor relaxation pool, a vitality pool with massage jets, plus a sauna and steam room. There's also a beautiful Mediterranean-inspired walled garden for spa guests. The bedrooms are all individually designed, with your name hand-written on a card on your door. On the dining front, The Royal Crescent is best known for its very indulgent afternoon teas with sweet and savoury choices. When it's warm enough to dine out in the garden, the experience is particularly enjoyable. Read expert review From £270 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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The Bath Priory
Bath, Somerset, England
8Telegraph expert rating
This 1830s ivy-covered stone mansion overlooks nearly four acres of beautifully maintained grounds, which include expansive lawns and a kitchen garden. The hotel has the UK's only L'Occitane Spa – with treatment rooms and a fetching shop and nail bar overlooking the gardens. There's also a pleasant relaxation room, sauna, steam pod, and smart indoor swimming pool. A heated outdoor pool – tucked away in the garden – is open during the summer months. The majority of the hotel's rooms have a soothing, traditional country-house look: its cheapest Classic rooms are spacious and very comfy, though they don't have views of the garden. Dinner is a formal affair overlooking the greenery, with creative petits fours offered from a layered box by a white-gloved waiter. Dishes to look out for include poached cod dusted with leek powder, and rhubarb soufflé with star anise ice cream. Read expert review From £158 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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No.15 Great Pulteney
Bath, Somerset, England
9Telegraph expert rating
The charming Great Pulteney street, which runs between Pulteney Bridge and the Holburne Museum, is home to this well appointed and imaginatively designed boutique hotel – set in a Georgian Grade I-listed building. The original fittings and features are blended with quirky and creative touches: from chandeliers made out of earrings, to collections of kaleidoscopes and musical instruments. Rooms are fitted with Hypnos beds, eye-catching furniture and Dyson hairdryers. The basement spa really adds to the hotel: its facilities include a cedar wood hot tub, sauna, steam room, and post-massage 'retreat room'. With individual treatment studios decked with colourful mosaics and artworks by Bath Spa University students, it’s a delightful space for relaxation. Try to nab a bedroom on the front of the hotel, for views of this sweetest of streets. Read expert review From £121 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Lucknam Park
Wiltshire, England
8Telegraph expert rating
Lucknam Park is a refined 18th-century pile set in 500 acres of tranquil parkland, with a mile-long avenue of lime and beech trees leading up to the main mansion. Its handsome spa is cut from polished cream stone – crowned by a heated outdoor therapy pool overlooking the grounds. There are also saunas, steam rooms, and a Japanese salt room – and an array of treatments using ESPA products. Restaurant Hywel Jones is an elegant space, with sparkling chandeliers and enormous flower arrangements. Its food is accomplished and enjoyable, such as a starter of scallops and smoked eel, and crab with macaroni in truffle butter. After your tasting menu feast, retire to one of the country house-style bedrooms, which are spread between the main house and the courtyard – all quiet florals, mahogany furniture, and dashes of velvet. Read expert review From £248 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Homewood Park Hotel & Spa
Somerset, England
7Telegraph expert rating
This 13th-century manor house is hidden behind a long drive in the countryside just outside Bath. It's priced a little highly but suits anyone looking for reliable dining, a decent spa and bucolic views (from certain rooms). The Georgian building – covered in ivy – is set in a garden of mature trees. There's a small and attractive spa with a sauna, steam room and a hydrotherapy pool. The outdoor pool, heated to 28°C year-round, is situated in a pretty walled garden in front of the glass-fronted spa – a glorious place for an early evening swim. Opt for one of the Master suites, which have little gardens leading onto the spa, for extra privacy while sauntering about in your robes. Dogs are made very welcome at the hotel; you can even enjoy the restaurant's contemporary British fare with them in a side dining room. Read expert review From £115 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Woolley Grange
Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, England
9Telegraph expert rating
This 17th-century home with extensive gardens is a firm favourite with families visiting Bath and the Wiltshire countryside. Its lounges are inviting, with comfy sofas and chests full of wooden toys and books. The gardens are home to a static tractor, a pig, chickens, a scarecrow, a giant tree swing and a fairy garden. A modern, attractive Elemis spa overlooks the hotel's walled vegetable garden. In the spa, there is even a cot beside the pool, so parents can enjoy a dip while keeping a close eye on baby. Each room is different, but all are homely – courtesy of tweeds, heavy woollen fabrics, and antique furniture. There’s a special high tea for families, set in the orangery. It's not all about children though: dogs are very welcome too and the hotel has its own spaniel. Read expert review From £104 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Bowood Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort
Wiltshire, England
7Telegraph expert rating
This hotel sits within the vast and beautiful parkland of the Bowood Estate, next to the golf club, overlooking the three-hole practice course. Also connected to the hotel is the spa, with a large indoor swimming pool and well-equipped gym – both with expansive views over the practice golf holes to the woodland beyond. There is also a sauna and steam room, and treatment rooms for massages, facials, manicures and pedicures. Consider splashing out on a Luxury Parkland Room, which will have French windows opening on to a balcony. Other highlights of the hotel include the elegant library lounge (with log fires), adjacent golf facilities, pretty pathways through the grounds, and complimentary access to Bowood House and its gorgeous gardens. Read expert review From £130 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Babington House
Somerset, England
8Telegraph expert rating
The original countryside outpost of Soho House is known for its fabulous furniture and sumptuous facilities. There are two pools: one outside and overlooking the lake, the other housed inside a cavernous stone barn. Additionally you’ll find steam rooms, saunas, and a cinema that hosts free screenings every day. Cowshed Spa – housed in a former (you guessed it) cow shed – offers luxurious treatments and overlooks a pretty walled kitchen garden. Rooms in the main house are sophisticated, with antique four-poster beds, roll-top baths, open fires, hand-painted wallpaper, and a plethora of Cowshed potions. Elsewhere in the grounds, there are tennis courts, a football pitch, gym, and bikes to keep you occupied. At breakfast, a rather special buffet is laid out in the Orangery – including treats such as Portuguese custard tarts. Read expert review From £220 per night
Contributions by Simon Horsford, Natalie Paris
