The Gainsborough Bath Spa

The Gainsborough Bath Spa is the city's grand five-star address for anyone who wants to stay inside the story of the hot springs. It occupies two restored Georgian buildings on Beau Street, a short step from the Roman Baths, Thermae Bath Spa and the Abbey, and its signature feature is a spa with pools fed by Bath's thermal waters. Guests can swim, soak and unwind in the thermal spa pools, use the hot tub and the gym and book treatments including Swedish massage. The hotel has a bar and the Gainsborough Brasserie, which serves dinner, while an English breakfast is available for a surcharge. Rooms range from Courtyard and Deluxe rooms of around twenty-five square metres to Executive rooms with city views, Junior and Bath Spa Suites and, at the top, the three-bedroom Townhouse. It suits couples, anniversaries and spa lovers who want everything on the doorstep.

Location and getting around: Beau Street is in the middle of the old city, so the Roman Baths, the Abbey, the Pump Room and the Christmas market streets are within a couple of minutes on foot. Bath Spa railway station is about a seven-minute walk, and the Royal Crescent and Jane Austen Centre are a pleasant fifteen-minute stroll uphill. Because the centre is largely pedestrian and the lanes are narrow, you will walk almost everywhere, and Bath is compact enough that you rarely need a taxi.

The rooms: the hotel is a conversion of historic buildings, so room sizes and layouts vary, and the Courtyard rooms are quieter than those facing the street. The Bath Spa Rooms and Suites are the ones to choose if you want extra space and a bath worthy of the setting, while the Executive rooms have city views. If you are visiting during the Christmas market, ask for a courtyard room, since the streets around the hotel are busy and festive in late November and December.

Good to know: the spa is the main draw, but check the pool times and any charges when you book, since reviewers mention that access outside the complimentary morning and evening windows may carry a fee. Parking is available on site, though guests describe it as limited and costly, and many choose to arrive by train instead. The restaurant serves dinner only, so plan breakfast and lunch around the nearby cafes unless you add the hotel breakfast. Rates rise at weekends, in school holidays and over the Christmas market period, so book early. Alongside a visit to Thermae Bath Spa, a night here makes the best-value use of the hot-spring theme for a special trip.