Detailed Review
Situated in four acres of beautiful award-winning gardens, The Bath Priory Hotel and Restaurant is a stylish English country house with a tranquil and elegant atmosphere. The hotel is just 15 minutes walk from the centre of Georgian Bath allowing easy access to the world famous Roman Baths, a wealth of museums, antique shops and historic attractions.
It is one of Bath's finest examples of Gothic architecture and was built as a private residence in 1835 on land once owned by The Priory of Bath Abbey. Later it became a boys' prep school before being converted into a hotel in 1969. The property was fully refurbished in September 1997 when nine further bedrooms and a health and leisure spa were discreetly introduced to complement the original structure.
The grounds have been lovingly tendered over the past century. Nestling in a secluded corner is the heated outdoor swimming pool and sun terrace. Seven new luxurious apartments have been developed and all 28 hotel bedrooms, individually designed by Penny Morrision, offer fine antique furniture, traditional British fabrics and objects d'art, and state-of-the-art telecommunications; by contrast a 1930's HMV Marconi and Bush wireless features in most rooms.
The health and leisure spa facility offers a heated indoor pool, well equipped gymnasium, sauna, steam room and solarium. The fine dining restaurant enjoys a beautiful view of the gardens and houses a fine collection of contemporary paintings. The Pavilion accommodates up to 64 guests for meetings or private dining.
The Bath Priory Hotel and Restaurants is one of Britains finest country house hotels where many original features and a stylish English elegance have been preserved for the exclusive pleasure of every visitor and guest.
Press Quotes
"Where is the best place to stay? Bath Priory, for its charm, style, wonderful food and romantic gardens." Telegraph 06
Independent Reviews
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The Bath Priory
By Caroline MajorFrom a room overlooking the garden you can see what is reputed to be the oldest Cedar Tree in England, as large as Enid Blytons’ Magic Faraway Tree, with trunk so huge it would take Jo, Bessy and Fanny to wrap their arms right around. What a shame that the hotel itself cannot match the history, magic and character of this tree. Under moonlight, the small garden with its wonderful pathways and alcoves is just like The Enchanted Forest. The original Priory is flanked with two new buildings given away only by the newness of the limestone. Weathered, it will improve with age. Inside, the rooms are large but lack the coziness that can make a chinzy décor successful. You must ask for a garden view room to compensate for the unimaginative and bland floral themes. Downstairs in the kitchen, the Chef has been busy and provides the number one reason to visit the Bath Priory. Breakfast and dinner are both events. A twist on kippers served with a chardonnay sauce satisfied my plonk-loving companion while I discovered the Michelin Star Fry-up. The Bath Priory, one of the most esteemed hotels in Bath, is all about the gardens and the restaurant. They continue to rest on these laurels during the renaissance in English hospitality.
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“Quintessentially English, this country house in Bath maintains luscious gardens and an acclaimed, Michelin-starred restaurant.”
Bath Priory Hotel
By Sarah Shuckburgh
The Bath Priory is the only hotel in Bath with a Michelin-starred restaurant - an award it has held since 1999. The hotel is situated in a residential area within walking distance of Bath city centre, near Royal Victoria Park and Royal Crescent, but it feels more like a country house. There are log fires and fresh flowers, and the downstairs rooms are full of antiques, comfortable sofas, and owner Andrew Brownsword’s personal collection of Edwardian and modern paintings.
The Bath Priory Hotel is built on land once owned by the priory, though almost the only hint of a priory today is a pulpit which is used as the reception desk. The hotel spreads across two Cotswold stone houses - one, built in Gothic style, dating from 1835, the other, Linden’s Villa, from 1905. In 1997, links were made between the two houses, adding 10 rooms and a basement spa area, which offers a range of beauty treatments, with pool, sauna, steam room and gym.
The houses still retain distinctive atmospheres, and their south-facing gardens, separated by a listed wall, are different too - one more ’Capability Brown’, with lawns, huge trees, and areas of wild flowers and long grass (and interesting sculptures of a conker and a peapod); the other side, more ’Gertrude Jekyll’, with shrubs and borders of perennials creating outdoor ’rooms’, one of which conceals a heated swimming pool. The enthusiastic Head Gardener, Jane Moore - who won a silver medal at the Chelsea Flower Show 2003 - runs one-day gardening workshops and longer residential gardening courses at the hotel.
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