Hotels in Bath

Where you base yourself in Bath matters more than in most cities, because the valley is steep and the difference between a five-minute stroll and a fifteen-minute climb is decided when you book. The centre, roughly the triangle between Bath Spa station, the Abbey and Queen Square, is the simplest choice for a two-night break. Everything is on foot, you can drop bags and start walking, and you will not need a car at all. The trade-off is price and weekend noise from the bars around Sawclose and George Street.

Couples looking for something calmer usually do better in the Upper Town around The Circus, Brock Street and the Royal Crescent, or across the river in Bathwick. Both are handsome, residential and quiet after dark, and both are within ten to fifteen minutes of the Abbey on foot. Remember that walking back from dinner means going uphill. Widcombe, directly behind the station, is the pick for anyone who wants an independent high street, canal access and a village atmosphere while still being able to walk to the Roman Baths in a quarter of an hour.

Families and drivers should look at the edges. Newbridge to the west sits beside a park and ride with a riverside path into the city, and the villages beyond, Bathampton, Batheaston, Corston and Saltford, offer free parking, larger rooms and noticeably lower rates. Walkers who want the Cotswold Way, Prior Park and the Kennet and Avon towpath on the doorstep are better served in Bathwick, Widcombe or up on Lansdown.

Expect central four-star doubles to start around 130 to 180 pounds a night midweek, rising sharply at weekends and through the summer, with the two five-star spa hotels considerably higher. Guest houses in Widcombe and Bathwick commonly sit between 90 and 140 pounds including breakfast. January and February are the cheapest months. Book several months ahead for summer weekends, the late-November Christmas Market fortnight, and any date coinciding with a rugby fixture at the Rec, when the whole city fills up at once.