Unsurprisingly for a place called Bath (named after the natural hot springs that we have here), there are lots of spots to enjoy the spa water in the city! Bath’s reputation as a wellness destination brings visitors seeking spas and relaxation and many of the hotels are home to sumptuous spas.
The Romans knew how to enjoy a good spa (check out the city’s Roman Baths) and in Jane Austen’s era the aristocracy would come to Bath to ‘take the waters’ and enjoy their therapeutic effects. Bath is not just home to healing waters, you can also enjoy a massage or spa treatments at places like Lush Spa, Bath Holistic Massage, or Soul Spa where you can take a sound bath, which actually doesn’t feature any water at all, just relaxing sound waves!
Hotel spas welcome day guests and for the price of a treatment you can get access to some of the city’s most luxurious spas. Perfect for taking a partner on a date or enjoying time with friends, just take a deep breath, relax, and dive into our top six spas in Bath!
1. Thermae Bath Spa
Topping the list is Thermae Bath Spa. It might not be the most relaxing option due to the popularity of the baths, but it’s your chance to bathe in Bath’s famous thermal waters and it comes in at a lower price point than many hotel spas. It’s also one of our favourite budget things to do in Bath!
Options include adding a spa treatment onto your visit or you can just soak in the main spa, The New Royal Bath, or go to the smaller area of The Cross Bath, which can be rented for exclusive use.
In the Main Spa there are two pools, including the rooftop one, and a Wellness Suite with ornate steam rooms, an infrared room, ice chamber, celestial relaxation room, and multi-sensory experience showers that have coloured lighting, fragrance, and music to soothe you.
Our top tip? Go at twilight, around dinner time, as there are fewer people and you’ll get a magical view of the illuminated Abbey and skyline! Look out for special events like yoga in the spa to gain after-hours access to the pools or add-on a vegetarian lunch in Springs Cafe while you’re there.
Address: The Hetling Pump Room, Hot Bath Street, Bath, BA1 1SJ
2. The Spa and Bath House at The Royal Crescent Hotel
Perfect for taking your mum for a treat, or just enjoying an elegant spa day with pals, The Spa and Bath House at The Royal Crescent Hotel has a very Insta-worthy setting in the back garden of the hotel, which is located smack bang in the middle of The Royal Crescent.
Inside, it’s not as light and airy as some of the spas, but the historic building gives it a cosy feel and there’s a deceptively big pool, hot tubs, steam room and sauna to relax in before your treatments. As well as massages and facials, you can also get a manicure or pedicure here if you’d prefer a beauty treatment.
Add on an afternoon tea to make a day of it! Despite the fancy surroundings, the spa days are surprisingly good value and include longer treatments and more extras than many of the hotel spas, including a sizable Elemental Herbology gift set to take home.
Address: 16 Royal Crescent, Bath, BA1 2LS
3. Spa Village at The Gainsborough
Feeling fancy? Spa Village at The Gainsborough also makes the most of the natural thermal springs and visitors can ‘take the waters’ at the Bath House where there is a circuit of hot and cold options from natural thermal pools to saunas, a steam room, and an ice alcove.
Hotel guests have access to the Bath House at certain times, but you can visit as a day guest if you book a spa treatment, most of which have an aromatherapy component.
Choose from Asian-inspired treatments like a bamboo-stick massage or frangipani body scrub, or opt for a facial treatment to reveal your youthful self (just going to the spa for the day might help!).
Soak in the natural thermal pool, which is in a light and airy space under a huge atrium, or head to one of the 11 treatment rooms for a spot of pampering.
Stay overnight in a spa room and you’ll have the thermal water in your bathroom so you can enjoy the spring water in a private bathtub.
Address: Beau Street, Bath, BA1 1QY
4. The Spa at No.15 by Guesthouse
If you’re not much of a swimmer but you still want a spa day that involves a soak, try The Spa at No.15! The Copper Room is designed for a duo (take a friend if you’re not in a couple!) and involves a long soak in the copper bath, which is big enough for both of you, and then side-by-side spa treatments.
Ideal for spa-goers who are into eco-luxury, all the products are formulated and blended in Britain by Pinks Boutique which means they are pure, vegan, organic, sustainably-and-ethically-sourced products that are accredited by the Soil Association.
Stressed out? Try the Rebalance and Reset package, which includes a two-hour body scrub to get rid of all that dead weight and then chill out time in the lounge with a new wellness journal and a CBD-infused bevvy. You even get an organic facial kit to take home to continue the good vibes.
Address: 15 Great Pulteney Street, Bath, BA2 4BS
5. The Garden Spa by L’Occitane at The Bath Priory
Head to The Garden Spa to relax in the UK’s only L’Occitane spa, which is at The Bath Priory hotel on the edge of town. If you are not a fan of fragrances then this is not going to be your place, as it focuses on scents through products, treatments, and herbal teas – all of the aromas come from L’Occitane’s ‘grand herbarium’, which is a resource of hundreds of essential oils and natural ingredients that are used in their products.
With four treatment suites, including a double one for friends and couples, there are plenty of places to enjoy an aroma-inspired massage – opt for one that uses L’Occitane’s shea products (like the relax, reset, and restore massage) for the softest skin ever.
There’s also an indoor pool, sauna, and (of course) an aroma steam room to enjoy before or after your spa treatments. There are lots of spa packages available, including lunch at The Pantry if you want to make a day of it and enjoy some food with your chill out.
Address: Weston Road, Bath, BA1 2XT
6. Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel
Soak up some scenery with your spa day at Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel, which is just outside the centre. With indoor and outdoor hydrotherapy pools set in the pretty grounds, you can relax with a half or full day visit in calm surroundings close to the city.
Most spa treatments use ELEMIS products, but the hotel group is one of the first ones to partner with Jennifer Young, the founder of Beauty Despite Cancer to create treatments for people living with or beyond cancer.
Take a swim in the pool, chill out in the relaxation room, or book in for an afternoon tea for an extra sweet (and savoury) treat.
Address: Sydney Road, Bath, BA2 6NS
Amy is an award-winning travel writer born and bred in Bath. She has written for national newspapers and magazines from the Guardian and Mail on Sunday to Conde Nast Traveller and Good Housekeeping. Now she’s helping travellers explore Bath, one story at a time.
