From historic Georgian townhouses to rooms over pubs by way of grand Victorian villas, elegant mini-mansions and home-from-home experiences, Bath’s best bed and breakfast establishments offer unforgettable sleepover experiences for all personalities and budgets.
Here’s our pick of the best of the bunch, none of which are further than 1.5 miles/2.4km out of Bath city centre.
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Here’s how to do it in style.
1. The Bear Inn
Situated on the cutesy Bear Flat plateau around 1.5 miles/2.4km south of the city centre and serviced by multiple speedy bus routes, The Bear Inn offers a superb ‘pub with rooms in Bath’ experience.
Each of the six recently refurbished, thoroughly modern first floor en suites feature stylishly quirky vintage flourishes and luxurious linens come as standard.
At street level, a friendly bar offers a warm welcome to the neighbourhood and a restaurant supplemented by alfresco decking opportunities to the front and rear offers respite for weary travellers. Boisterous breakfasts cost an additional £10pp, but free on-site parking easily recoups the extra cost.
Top tips: foodie-fabulous Menu Gordon Jones is pretty much next door, the terrific Thai Thai diner which is one of the best Thai restaurants in Bath, is just around the corner and the stunning Alexandra Park apex just up the road).
Address: 8 Wellsway, Bath, Somerset, BA2 3AQ
2. Broad Street Townhouse
11 spacious, sumptuous ensuites dotted hither and thither across a characterful Grade-ii listed city centre building that brings authentic, historic charm bang up-to-date: that’s the Broadstreet Townhouse.
Yes, there’s a lively cafe-bar downstairs (which morphs into a sophisticated cocktail bar post-sunset).
And okay, one of Bath’s liveliest pubs is right next door (that’ll be The Pig and Fiddle, then). But the bedrooms magically offer a totally undisturbed, away-from-it-all experience, with luxurious furnishings, organic toiletries and well-stocked mini bars effortlessly transporting all guests to Planet Peace.
Full continental, English, Irish or vegetarian breakfasts set visitors up for the Bath-on-your-doorstep day ahead – the perfect wake-up call, perhaps, after a cocktail or two in that downstairs bar the night before?
But drivers be warned: there’s no parking available on site, and parking in Bath city centre can be tricky.
Address: 32 Broad Street, Bath BA1 5LP
3. The Yard
We’ve already urged Love Bath fans to visit this former historic coaching inn built around an equally historic courtyard to sample their wine list.
But The Yard deserves a listing in our Best Bed and Breakfasts in Bath charts too for its uniquely quirky luxury alone.
Explore 14 individually-designed bedrooms over four floors of a Grade-ii listed building just minutes away from Bath city Centre.
The Deluxe King features its own hidden roof terrace, several are courtyard-facing, and a spacious, airy apartment sleeps up to four guests. Rainfall showers turn freshening up into a spa experience, and signature breakfast hampers are delivered to doors every morning for guests to enjoy at leisure in the privacy of their rooms.
Meanwhile, the lovely little street level wine bar serves fabulous sharing platters to accompany that aforementioned wine list.
Address: 1 Monmouth Place, Bath, BA12AT
4. Brooks Guesthouse
Impeccably stylish but sweetly unique, the award-winning Brooks Guesthouse is a mere 350m away from the Royal Crescent and a gentle 7-minute stroll from Bath city centre.
22 bedrooms including triple, family and ‘superior’ options in a handsome Edwardian former townhouse may suggest hotel rather than B&B territory.
But the warm, friendly welcome, elegantly unique decor and guest living room complete with Honesty Bar confirms Brooks’ reputation amongst the very best of the Bath guesthouse bunch.
Terrific breakfasts made from terrific local produce are cooked to order in the open kitchen, and guests are welcome to return ‘home’ for a splendid afternoon tea (at least 24-hours advance booking required)There’s no on-site parking, but the car park just behind the guesthouse costs £17.10 for a 24-hour stay.
Address: 1 Crescent Gardens, Upper Bristol Road, Bath BA1 2NA
5. Grays Boutique B&B
Situated in a large Victorian villa on a smart residential street just a 15-minute walk south of Bath city centre, Grays blends long-standing family-run British B&B tradition with contemporary expectations. Individuality dictates the vibe and décor across a dozen spacious bedrooms, many of which enjoy expansive city skyline views.
The rooms each have their own distinct personalities, from full-on Georgian grandeur to cosy, ‘loft apartment’ vibes. Attention to detail, meanwhile, is evident in every room; fresh linen, fresh flowers, fluffy bathrobes? Tick, tick, tick! And the morning after?
Breakfast – a strictly locally-sourced affair – is served in light, airy garden room. Free parking solves a tricky problem for guests who are travelling by car.
Address: 9 Upper Oldfield Park, Bath BA2 3JX
6. Marlborough House
“Enchanting!” “Exquisite!” “Friendliness in abundance!” “Complimentary sherry!”. Hang on: complimentary sherry?
Yes indeed! In this instance, the hundreds of super-positive reviews of Marlborough House really do tell the whole story. Within the walls of an impressive Victorian villa a mere 5-minute walk from Bath city centre, long-term Bath resident and local knowledge expert Peter Moore exemplifies the notion of a home-from-home B&B host.
The house is furnished throughout with antiques and glorious artwork, and that sherry comes as standard on an abundant hospitality tray in each room. Fancy a 4-poster bed? Peter can make it happen.
Sunrise brings a lovingly-prepared array of organic, vegetarian temptation to the table, earning Marlborough House a place on the best vegetarian B&B in Bath charts. Dogs are welcome (with notice when booking) and the hotel’s location on the edge of Bath’s stunning Royal Victoria Park makes Marlborough House paw-perfect too.
Address: 1 Marlborough Lane, Bath BA1 2NQ
7. Leighton House Boutique Guesthouse
A stunning, recently renovated Georgian townhouse (more of a mini-mansion, really) on the Wells Road gradient just over 1 mile/1.6km south of Bath city centre, Leighton House offers a seamlessly seductive blend of heritage, history and contemporary character.
Each of the 18 guest rooms have been designed with style and luxury in mind, while details such as underfloor heating, air-conditioning and power showers or spa baths cover every comfort-base.
A carefully-curated collection of modern and vintage artwork, sculptures and antique furniture add fascination at every turn, and the on-site Resident’s Lounge sets guests up with morning coffee or a cocktail prior to a city centre foray.
As one would expect from a guesthouse of such a high standard, breakfast goes elegantly large here and there’s free parking on site.
Address: 139 Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AL
8. The Henry
If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to live in the heart of the city of Bath, just 2-minutes walk away from Bath Spa Station and all the city centre attractions, book yourself into The Henry and find out.
The Henry Street house itself has a history that dates back to 1726, but it’s been a popular, traditional guest house for many a long, modern-day year.
Choose from seven tastefully-decorated, spotless bedrooms split over three floors including a spacious family room that sleeps up to four people. Free cots are available for babies and little people, and the laundry service (£12) comes as a welcome bonus.
Entertainment and eating out opportunities in the vicinity are myriad for all budgets… and you definitely won’t need to worry about getting a cab home. The morning after the night before, the traditional, full-on, full English breakfast gets guests off to a flying start.
Visitors with cars can expect to pay around £12 per 24-hour stay in one of the many nearby car parks.
Address: 6 Henry Street, Bath BA1 1JT
9. The Ayrlington
Is this one a B&B… or is a hotel? The Ayrlington refers to itself as ‘a luxury, 5-star guest house’, so we’re happy to go with that – and 5-star luxury is indeed the modus operandi here.
Discover opulence in abundance in this proudly handsome, historic Victorian house just a 10-minute stroll away from Bath city centre.
Within the Arylington’s 19 beautifully-furnished, individually-themed rooms, some offer exceptional views of Bath Abbey and/or 4-poster beds.
The Grand Suite, meanwhile, combines a huge bedroom with a lounge and a private patio – might this be the special occasion suite of your Bath bed and breakfast dreams?
Elsewhere, the private, walled Oriental Garden, licensed resident’s bar, same-day laundry service and exquisite, 5-star breakfast completes the luxury experience.
Address: 24/25 Pulteney Road, Bath BA2 4EZ
10. The Black Fox
“An 18th century inn with 21st century luxuries”: if that’s your idea of a Bath bed and breakfast haven, The Black Fox ticks all your B&B boxes.
9 bedrooms over this recently-refurbished urban inn (accessed via key code outside the pub) may be minimalist in terms of décor, but there’s everything you need for the perfect pitstop: huge, comfy beds, roaring power showers and distinctly upmarket tea and coffee making facilities.
It’s well worth propping up the bar in the pub itself while you’re stopping over. But given the location around 3-minutes away from Bath Spa Railway Station on of the city centre’s main thoroughfares, you’re spoiled for watering hole choice.
Don’t divert from the a la carte breakfast offering, though; non-residents pay £10 for the full West Country breakfast or homemade Belgian waffles, but for sleepover guests, the whole selection comes as standard.
Address: 47 St James’s Parade, Bath BA1 1UQ
Melissa relocated from Liverpool to Bath in 1999 and has since made the city her official first home. She has 30+ years of published freelance writing commissions on her CV and is a regular contributor to several local and national publications, typically specialising in restaurant and theatre reviews, food-related features and interviews with interesting people.
