Brooks Guesthouse

The boutique, bed-and-breakfast-style Brooks Guesthouse is situated in a beautiful converted Georgian town house with a beige sandstone facade fronted by bay windows and a plum-colored door. Throughout, the property feels more like a private residence than a hotel. There's no real lobby (or elevator), just a reception desk in the entryway, and the main lounge space could be mistaken for a sophisticated personal living room. The bright yellow room features a large bay window, a fireplace, and a nice but somewhat eclectic mix of upholstered couches and armchairs in neutral colors. The only other common space is the breakfast room, and it's perhaps the hotel's best feature: The charming country-inspired space combined parquet flooring, wooden tables, and sage-green wainscoting with modern white molded chairs. Brooks is a good choice for tourists who want nice accommodations but don't mind staying slightly outside of the city center for a price break. With a range of room sizes, solo travelers, couples, and families can all fit in here. 

Brooks Guesthouse is situated on one of the main arterial roads right outside of Bath that leads to Bristol. The road can get busy, especially during rush hour, and the immediate area is pretty residential. While there aren't any shops or restaurants right by the property, the heart of Bath is only a 10-minute walk from the hotel. The popular Victoria Park is just a four-minute walk and the Royal Crescent is an eight-minute walk. Bristol Airport is a 35-minute drive while Heathrow and London are about a two-hour drive, depending on traffic. The Bath Spa railway station is about a five-minute drive. The hotel offers residential parking permits to guests with cars. While they cost an extra daily fee, they tend to be cheaper than nearby parking garages. 

The hotel's 22 individually decorated rooms range vastly in size and somewhat in decor. Rooms offer a boutique-kitsch take on traditional style, often pairing pieces like vintage wood tables with modern molded or wire chairs and playful accents. The standout feature in most rooms is the wallpaper, which might cover the walls with shimmering damask or floral patterns. Rooms tend to feature wall-to-wall carpeting and rely on a color theme that repeats in fabric accents and sometimes even furniture and door color. Gentle wear-and-tear is evident in some rooms, but overall they are clean and tidy. Bathrooms tend to be basic with beige tiled floors, cream-colored walls, and shower stalls or combination showers and tubs. Single, Double, Triple, and Family Rooms are available, and some can be rather small.

All rooms have pocket sprung mattresses and goose-down duvets and pillows. Entertainment amenities include flat-screen TVs (DVD players and DVDs are available at reception), radios with iPod docks, and free Wi-Fi, though guests occasionally complain it's spotty. There's in-room coffee/tea service, but no mini-fridges. Bathrooms have hairdryers and free individual toiletries. There's no AC, and with the windows open, street-facing rooms can get traffic noise.

Like many boutique properties, Brooks has limited common areas or extra features. There's no full-service restaurant or wellness facilities, for example. But, in addition to a homey lounge area, there is a charming breakfast room. Guests rave about the daily breakfast which includes free cold items like granola, yogurt, and fruit, plus cooked-to-order options for an extra fee, like eggs Benedict, full English breakfast, and other rotating specials. In the corner of the breakfast room, there's a small honesty bar stocked with reasonably priced alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks as well as light snacks. 

The front desk has limited hours, but guests find the staff accommodating. Luggage storage or dry cleaning and laundry service can be arranged. There's no on-site parking, but the hotel offers resident parking permits for an extra daily fee (which tends to be cheaper than nearby parking garages). Cribs and high-chairs are also available. Wi-Fi throughout the property is free.