Bath

Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel

More Photos
  • Add to Trip
  • Sydney Road
     Bath, England BA2 6JF
    +44 (844) 879 9106
  • Check Rates
barbara
barbara
First Reviewer
Avg. Member Rating
1
Review
4
Photos
Editor Pick

Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel

  • January 30, 2008
  • Rated 4 of 5 by barbara from Atlanta, Georgia
Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel

The Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel provides luxury accommodations for anyone visiting the gorgeous city of Bath. I had the good fortune of spending a Saturday night here in January 2008.

The Building's History: The original, Greek Revival house with seven acres of gardens was built in 1835. It would later become everything from a home to a wealthy man-of-the-cloth who helped restore Bath Abbey, to a boys' school, to housing for nurses, to a set of requisitioned offices used by the Admiralty during WWII! It was first a luxury hotel in 1912. (An exiled emperor from Ethiopia was a guest!) However, it was only recently acquired and restored by Macdonald Hotels. In fact, HRH, the Princess Royal, was at the relaunch. This seems fitting considering the Imperial Suites section of the resort comes with butler service.

So how was MY visit? Decorated in a neutral color scheme of white, magnolia and beige, our room was large and comfortable. There was a small sitting area, a desk, plenty of closet space, a view of the grounds in back, a nicely appointed bathroom, and a king bed.

Though booking treatments in advance is advisable, a "menu" for spa services was displayed for our perusal. If you want to relax, you can have everything from a collagen biomatrix facial (55 minutes at £85) to a volcanic heat pack (50 minutes at £80) to an Indian head massage (45 minutes at £50) to reflexology (60 minutes at £65.)

I didn't get a treatment, but I was tempted to take a dip in the pool. This is open as early as 7AM during the week, 8AM on the weekends. (If you're traveling with children, they are only allowed to swim until 6 PM, Mon-Friday; 7 PM, Saturday and Sunday.)

As we were in Bath for a company party, our evening dinner was catered. I got a taste of the hotel's high quality cuisine in a fabulous vegetarian lasagna and a chocolate tort. (I should note, if you're looking for a corporate event venue, the staff here did a nice job of coordinating and servicing the needs of a large group.)

Other positives? Park your car in the resort lot and walk to local attractions in Bath. The city centre is very close, and this is certainly a giant plus. After depositing our bags, my husband and I easily walked with friends to see a glass blowing demonstration at the Bath glass factory. Since I was wearing high heels, however, I played lazy after an hour of shopping and got a £4 cab ride back to the hotel from Bath Abbey.

Any Negatives? I thought the cold morning breakfast of various pastries and fruit at £15---there's an additional £6 added to the bill for hot food---was only okay. Check-out is at 11 instead of noon.

Bottom line? If you can afford the room---and an extra service from the spa---this is certainly a nice hotel option in Bath. We felt rejuvenated after a relaxing weekend.

From journal Boys in Bath

Compare Bath Rates

1. Enter travel information

City

2. Select websites to compare rates

Each selected website will open a new window.

Helpful Bath Links

Bath Travel Deals