Last time I was in London, I made the last minute decision to book a weekend getaway to Bath, and it was fantastic. We loved the hotel, the city, the people, absolutely everything. One of the reasons why we loved Bath so much is that we stayed at The Gainsborough Bath Spa, a five-star hotel with a prime location and very friendly staff.
There are a few elements that help The Gainsborough Bath Spa stand out from other luxury hotels. The first is the location. It has a prime location on a side street steps from the ancient Roman Baths and just an 8-minute walk from the Bath Spa rail station. You can get everywhere you need to be within a quick 10-minute walk. No need to worry about cabs, and the location is quiet but close to the action.
The rooms had the most comfortable beds with soft linens – which meant that we got excellent sleep. You know those beds that almost seem to hug you once you crawl in – it was just like that. The turndown service had some special touches including a poem and sprigs of lavender left on the bed, plus facial mist and lip balm left on each nightstand. Yes, I did make Charles read the poem aloud before bed – and it is on the Charles Insta-Stories highlight.
The hotel has beautiful common areas for relaxing or enjoying tea or a cocktail. The spaces are quiet, relaxing, and beautifully decorated.
The most wonderful perk of all was exclusive access to the spa baths at the hotel. The facility has the same water source as the historic Roman Baths. Hotel guests can also opt to skip the line at the Thermae Spa next door which has a rooftop pool.
We booked a room rate that included dinner and breakfast, so we had meals at Dan Moon at The Gainsborough. It is an exceptional fine dining restaurant, I highly recommend it. The cuisine featured modern and creative takes on classics – like stuffed squash blossoms with a curry sauce.
We only spent one night in Bath, but we made the most of it. We had cocktails in town, then dinner at Dan Moon at The Gainsborough, followed by some time at the baths and sauna at The Gainsborough. It was perfect. We felt so full, happy, and relaxed.
The spa facility at The Gainsborough has three large pools with different types of jets to massage your neck, shoulders, back, and legs, each with different temperatures. Two baths are perfectly warm while one is nice and hot. There are two saunas and a steam room, plus a cold room for cooling down. Then we went out for a couple more cocktails before calling it a night.
The next morning, we had Full English Breakfasts at Dan Moon before spending the day exploring the city. It was just 5 pounds more to get a Full English Breakfast in addition to the continental breakfast, so we had a feast. When I am traveling I like to eat a really big breakfast, a small afternoon snack, and then dinner in the evening, and The Gainsborough accommodated this plan nicely.
The Gainsborough is a little bit of a splurge, but you would pay far more for something comparable in London, and the free breakfast, dinner (you can also opt for lunch), and access to the spa more than make the experience worth the $475 price. I am certain that side trips to Bath and the Gainsborough Bath Spa will become a regular occurrence for us.