If there are few more romantic corners of the UK than Bath, then within Bath itself there are few also few more romantic places to stay than The Queensberry Hotel. Converted from three separate townhouses, it was originally built for the 8th Marquis, which gives you some idea of the grandeur that you can expect, inside and out.
Hidden away down a rabbit warren of honeycombed corridors each of the 29 luxurious bedrooms is completely individual in style. Original features such as ornate fireplaces and ceilings hark back to their Georgian heritage and sit alongside more modern touches like graphic wallpaper, a colour palette of soothing neutrals and olive tones, giant double showers and freestanding baths in the bathrooms; plus there's a selection of glossy mags, paperbacks and DVDs to choose from.
The Queensberry Hotel is much more than something as mundane as a place to lay your head for the night, though. Downstairs, the Olive Tree restaurant has been quietly tucking a string of awards under its belt for a couple of years now, and prides itself on its classic, locally sourced British dishes. ‘Quintessentially British’ is the tried-for mood at the Q Bar, too, and from the high ceilings and polished hardwood floors to the chic vintage-feeling look and the slightly raffish general feel of the place, it pulls it off nicely. (Crucially, though, you can also get on your hands on an extremely well-mixed cocktail.) Like the hotel as a whole, even when it’s fully booked, you feel rather like you have the run of the place. Style, privacy and serenity in the heart of Bath – not something you can argue with.
What’s hot?
- The wonderfully stylish interiors
- This is undoubtedly a hotel - and a city - for romance
- On top of all the style on show, there’s a real sense of calm about the place
What’s not?
- A spa would be nice
Need to Know: The Queensberry Hotel
Number of rooms: 29
Check-in/check-out times: 2pm and 11.30am
Room service: Yes
Swimming pool: No
Spa: No. But you can always take the waters at the Thermae Bath Spa down the road
Dogs welcome: No
Eating and drinking: Chef Nick Brody has been at The Olive Tree restaurant since 2009 (having come from the highly-regarded Wheatsheaf in Combe Hay) and has picked up a number of awards such as Bath Life magazine’s Restaurant of the Year for 2011 and three AA rosettes. Aside from the food – which from Cornish crab and turbot to Dorset scallops is locally sourced where possible – the restaurant’s cellar is superb, and won Wine List of the Year for 2011 from the Good Food Guide.
Near to? It’s only a short walk from the Roman baths and the Thermae Bath Spa (which is Britain’s only natural and thermal spa). It’s also a 10-minute walk into town and all of Bath’s boutique shops, bars and restaurants.
Getting there: Bath Spa station is just a five-minute cab ride away and is well connected, with regular services to London and Birmingham. Bristol International Airport is 15 miles away from the hotel.
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