Bath is rightfully famous as a wellness destination, with visitors flocking here through the ages to ‘take the waters’ aka soak in the natural hot springs. The beauty of Bath’s top spa hotels are that you can combine a city stay with a spa break and relax in style inside one of Bath’s beautiful buildings, either in the heart of the city or on the edge of town.
As the hotels with spas offer four and five star experiences, there is sometimes a hefty price tag attached, but you can also visit them as a day guest to enjoy relaxing in the spas without staying overnight (see our top day spas here).
Many of the country hotels outside of the city also offer spas, including Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, The Pig, Homewood Hotel & Spa, and Bowood Hotel & Spa – check out our list of top country hotels to find a countryside retreat if you want to stay outside the city.
Be sure to check out our best Spa’s in Bath if you’re not wanting to stay, but instead pop in to use their luxurious services.
1. The Gainsborough Bath Spa
Tucked away on a side street in the city centre, The Gainsborough is only a short hop from the Thermae Bath Spa, and Bath’s best restaurants, shops, and bars. Seriously swish inside, the award-winning hotel’s rooms and suites are custom designed by New York’s Champalimaud Design.
Currently the restaurant si just open for breakfast but the Gainsborough Bar is a chic place to head for a cocktail or quaff some champagne in style. The Gainsborough stands out as a spa hotel as it’s the only one in Bath that has natural thermal spa water.
Get an aromatherapy massage or ‘take the waters’ in the bright Spa Village at The Gainsborough where you can soak in natural thermal water in the Bath House and do a circuit of hot and cold options including the natural thermal pools and an ice room, saunas and steam rooms.
Hotel guests have access to the spa in the morning and evening, but day use is usually for spa visitors (10am-7pm). Stay overnight in a spa room and you’ll have the thermal water in a private bathtub.
Address: Beau Street, Bath, BA1 1QY
2. The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa
You can’t get much more iconic than The Royal Crescent and the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa lives up to its location with 45 individually designed rooms and suites created by interior designer Jane Clayton. Combining traditional character and contemporary comfort, the rooms have views out to the front of the crescent or to the hotel’s gardens.
Eat at the hotel’s new bar and dining space, Montagu’s Mews, where Head Chef Martin Blake serves up locally inspired dishes in the restaurant and you can try small batch sips at the bar.
Tucked away in the back gardens of the hotel is the cosy spa where guests can enjoy a swim in the pool, soak in the hot tub, or relax in the sauna and steam room.
Choose from relaxing massages, rejuvenating facials, or a mani/pedicure to put some pep in your step. Keep an eye out for packages that include extras like afternoon tea and gifts to take home.
Address: 16 Royal Crescent, Bath, BA1 2LS
3. The Bath Priory
Perched on the edge of town, The Bath Priory is in a grand Georgian house set in four acres of pretty gardens. Each of the 33 rooms and suites are beautifully decorated with modern touches and throughout the hotel you’ll find pieces from proprietors Andrew and Christina Brownsword’s private art collection.
Rooms range from simple luxury to suites with fireplaces, four-poster beds, and roll top baths.
Dine at the 3 AA Rosette restaurant for a taste of modern French cuisine on its seasonally inspired menu. During the summer The Pantry & Terrace is a top spot for al fresco summer dining overlooking the gardens.
Relax in The Garden Spa and experience the UK’s only L’Occitane spa. Focusing on treatments that use L’Occitane products, like the relax, reset, and restore massage with shea butter, it’s a fragrant escape from city life. Chill out in the indoor pool, and warm up in the sauna and aromatherapy steam room.
Address: Weston Road, Bath, BA1 2XT
4. No.15 by Guesthouse
Fans of beautiful boutique hotels will love No.15. Set over townhouses and a coach house, the hotel’s 36 bedrooms are individually decorated but all have a soft, Georgian-inspired yet modern look to them and range in size from bijou attic rooms to bigger rooms with vast sash windows and four-poster beds.
Inside the rooms are luxe amenities like Hypnos Lansdowne cashmere mattress dressed in 200-thread-count Egyptian cotton linen, Dyson hair dryers and a pantry full of complimentary snacks and treats to enjoy. Each room also has a turntable inside and guests can choose records to play at reception.
Tuck into yummy dishes featuring local ingredients like bread from Bertinet Bakery and fresh produce from local farmers, or head to the bar for creative cocktails concocted with British spirits, shrubs, syrups, liqueurs, brews, and bitters.
Spa-wise, you won’t find a pool here but The Spa at No.15 has a romantic Copper Room with a bath designed for two (then relax with side-by-side spa treatments). Spa products are all eco-friendly yet still luxurious and are formulated and blended by Pinks Boutique.
You can also opt for the Rebalance and Reset package that includes a two-hour body scrub, new wellness journal and a CBD-infused drink to chill you out.
Address: 15 Great Pulteney Street, Bath, BA2 4BS
5. Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel
Best for bigger groups of spa-goers, Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel has 131 rooms and suites and is just outside the city centre, with many rooms looking out over the extensive gardens. From elegant courtyard rooms to deluxe offerings and even a presidential suite with roll-top bath and four-poster bed, the five-star hotel has plenty of options.
Choose from one of the restaurants at the hotel – Vellore is the fine dining destination that serves up British cuisine, relax with informal fare in The Dining Room, take afternoon tea on the terrace, or have a cheeky cocktail at the Colonnade Bar.
Soak in indoor and outdoor hydrotherapy pools or indulge in a massage or facial with ELEMIS products. The hotel group is one of the first ones to partner with Jennifer Young, the founder of Beauty Despite Cancer, to offer treatments for people living with or beyond cancer.
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.
