The best spa hotels in Bath for rejuvenating retreats, thermal waters and peaceful countryside escapes

Soak in the natural thermal waters, try out a high-tech treatment or simply snooze on the massage table with these indulgent spa break hotels in Bath

Friday 04 April 2025 09:25 EDT

Homewood’s laid-back atmosphere allows you to fully immerse in its luxury offerings (Homewood Hotel )

You’ll be soaking in thousands of years of history if you book a spa weekend in Bath – this city on the southern edge of the Cotswolds is Britain’s original spa town, and visitors have luxuriated in its natural thermal waters ever since the Celts enjoyed a steamy soak and the Romans built a hot spring temple complex called Aquae Sulis here in AD70. Spa culture is still going strong in Bath – in 2021, the city received a second Unesco listing as one of the Great Spa Towns of Europe.

While you can’t soak in the waters of the original Roman Baths today, they are still wonderful to look around, especially when candlelit after dark on a ‘Summer Lates’ tour. Or dip in Bath’s healing, mineral-rich waters at the modern Thermae Bath Spa. Even better, make a weekend of it and stay in one of the best spa hotels in Bath – these top picks come complete with turquoise pools, wooden saunas, steam rooms and tempting treatments.

Whether you fancy a smart spa stay in the city centre or a peaceful countryside escape nearby, make sure you pack your swimmers for Bath’s best hotels with sumptuous spas.

The best spa hotels in Bath 2025

1. The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa

Two pools is better than one – you can find that and more at The Royal Crescent (The Royal Crescent)

Plonked in the middle of the Royal Crescent, Bath’s most famous Georgian street, this five-star hotel might just be the most swish in the city. From the outside it looks like a Grade I-listed townhouse, but inside the Royal Crescent manages to fit in 45 rooms and suites, plus a sumptuous spa complete with two pools, a herbal steam room, sauna and a treatment room offering tempting therapies that include a decadent-sounding ‘cashmere and truffle’ body treatment. The serene walled garden makes for a peaceful escape when you’ve been pounding the pavements all day, and downstairs you’ll find afternoon tea and fine dining on offer if you get peckish.

Address: 16 The Royal Crescent, Bath, BA1 2LS

2. Homewood Hotel & Spa

Indoor and outdoor pools compliment the hot tub suites found at Homewood (Homewood Hotel)

Not many hotels combine luxury with a laid-back feel, but Homewood really nail both. Describing themselves as a “country house hotel with a dollop of fun”, this hotel is pleasingly unstuffy and attracts guests of all ages to a Georgian pile set in 20 acres of countryside just outside Bath. The 31 rooms and suites are all different, but the ‘hot tub’ suites, complete with their own steamy outdoor bath or a private sauna, are worth the extra spend. The spa squeezes in an indoor and outdoor pool plus tempting treatments such as ‘shamanic cocoa rituals’.

Address: Abbey Lane, Freshford, Bath BA2 7TB

3. The Gainsborough Bath Spa hotel

With a line straight to Bath’s natural thermal waters, Gainsborough has remained one of the city’s best spas (The Gainsborough Bath Spa)

The Gainsborough is the only hotel in Bath with direct access to the city’s natural thermal waters, said to aid relaxation and alleviate joint pains. Try out their healing powers in the hotel’s three thermal pools, grouped beneath a glass-roofed atrium along with saunas, a steam room, and 11 treatment rooms offering facials and body therapies. After all that hard relaxing, crash in an elegant bedroom inspired by the city’s Victorian and Georgian heritage or try the East-meets-West menu served in the Brasserie. Luxe stuff.

Address: Beau Street, Bath, BA1 1QY

4. Lucknam Park hotel

Detox at Lucknam Park’s pool after a state-of-the-art treatment (Lucknam Park)

There’s lots to like at Lucknam, an 18th-century Palladian mansion that regularly tops lists of the loveliest hotels. Head down a mile-long avenue of trees to this sprawling pile, home to 42 elegant rooms as well as six private cottages in the grounds. Then don a bathrobe for the spa, complete with an indoor-outdoor hydrotherapy pool, saunas, steam rooms and a Japanese salt room. Massages use local Natural Spa Factory products, and the treatment menu includes non-surgical face lifts, lomi lomi massage, gua sha soothing facials and sea salt body scrubs. The Cotswolds to the north and Bath to the south are begging to be explored during the day, but you may want to head back to Lucknam in time for a (Michelin-starred) supper.

Address: Lucknam Park, Chippenham SN14 8AZ

5. The Bath Priory hotel

The Bath Priory has the only L’Occitane Spa in the UK (The Bath Priory)

It may sit just outside the city centre, but the Bath Priory still manages to feel like an escape to the countryside. This glam Georgian manor is surrounded by four acres of bucolic gardens and is also home to the only L’Occitane Spa in the UK, offering Provencal-inspired treatments plus an indoor pool, sauna, steam pod, and a heated outdoor pool in summer that’ll make you feel like you’ve been transported to the Med. The ‘weekend in the south of France’ vibe continues throughout the hotel’s bedrooms, with green and sunshine yellow hues and lots of light.

Address: Weston Road, Bath, BA1 2XT

6. Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel

Take a dip in the outdoor hydrotherapy pool (Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel)

You could easily spend the whole day pootling about in Macdonald’s spacious spa, which includes an outdoor hydrotherapy pool, heated indoor pool, infrared cabin,salt infusion room, aroma steam room and sauna – plus an ice room to wake you up after all that relaxing warm steam. With fine dining and a smart bar on site, you might struggle to tear yourself away from the hotel – but the buzz of Bath or a peaceful stroll around pretty Sydney Gardens are just steps from the front door.

Address: Sydney Road, Bath, BA2 6NS

7. No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath hotel

Each room at No.15 has its own individual flourishes (No. 15 by GuestHouse)

The outside of this stylish boutique hotel, on one of Bath’s grandest streets, feels so untouched that Jane Austen could have just stepped out of it for a quick promenade. Indoors, however, is bang up-to-date and mixes quirky touches with mod cons and antiques. Head downstairs to seek out the underground mini spa, set within a former coal vault. It’s small but perfectly formed, with a cedarwood hot tub, sauna, and menu of holistic treatments. The individually designed rooms feature eclectic artwork and thoughtful touches, such as Dyson hairdryers and record players.

Address: 15 Great Pulteney Street, Bath, BA2 4BR

8. Bishopstrow Hotel and Spa

Head for a soak on a sunny day in Bishopstrow’s outdoor pool after indulging in some Elemis treatments (Bishopstrow Hotel and Spa)

Country mouse or town mouse? Have the best of both at Bishopstrow, a gorgeous Georgian pile of honey-hued stone in the wilds of Wiltshire, and pop into Bath to explore the city for the day before heading back for a very peaceful night’s stay. Rooms have rolling views and roll-top baths, and the hot tub suites come with their own outdoor tub to soak in. The spa offers Elemis treatments, including facials and body wraps, plus a sauna, steam room and an outdoor pool that wouldn’t look out of place in a Wes Anderson movie. A charming and chilled-out antidote to city breaks.

Address: Boreham Rd, Warminster BA12 9HH

9. Apex City of Bath hotel

Seek out the heated indoor pool at Apex City of Bath (The Apex City of Bath)

Apex, City of Bath is a modern building with a bit of a corporate vibe that feels geared towards business guests, but if you’re up for mixing work and play, there’s a heated indoor pool, fully equipped gym, a sauna and a steam room to soak in after a long day of trotting around town. Rooms are large, modern and plush, and are stocked with organic toiletries. If all that walking and spa-steaming works up an appetite, grab a bite at the in-house Orange Artichoke or a drink on a sunny terrace.

Address: James St W, Bath BA1 2DA

10. Bowood Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort

Looking for a bargain spa break? Check out Bowood house (Bowood House)

Bowood is a bit of a bargain if you’re looking for a luxe spa weekend. Facilities include an infinity pool, a crystal steam room, a rock sauna, and treatment rooms using Temple Spa goodies. Bedrooms are all about soft furnishings and soft lighting – try the tapestry-strewn Tower Room for something special. Out-of-doors are 100 acres of lush countryside landscaped by Capability Brown and topped with a golf course, and Bath is a 30-minute drive away for a day trip.

Address: Derry Hill, Calne, SN11 9PQ

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