Abbey Hotel

On a cobblestone square in central Bath, the Abbey Hotel blends perfectly with the Georgian row houses that surround it. Its entrance is past a flagstone terrace where breakfast, tea, and cocktails are served, weather permitting, under shaded tables by planters with boxwood. During the colder months, the space becomes an "apres ski cabin" lounge whose cozy decor has a playful tongue-in-cheek attitude. Inside, the hotel provides more spaces for lingering and lounging. The lobby has a seating area of chartreuse armchairs and small marble tables. One signature feature of the property, its contemporary, rotating art collection, is reflected in the name of its lounge, Art Bar, a space that radiates a cool, urban vibe. Its liquors and wines sparkle against a shiny shelf, and its bar glows with discrete lighting. One wall of the bar is decorated with framed butterfly displays. The Allium Brasserie is equally atmospheric with raspberry pink walls, pale gold draperies, and pendant lights hung from looped wires. An interesting note: The hotel owners announced in August 2015 that it will be restoring a series of vaults under the hotel designed by John Wood the Elder, the 18th century architect and surveyor of Stonehenge. 

There's almost no need for a car in Bath. The city's train station, where Londoners can depart at Paddington Station and arrive in Bath in 90 minutes, is a five-minute walk away. Pulteney Bridge, arching over the River Avon, is across from the hotel, a five-minute walk away, as is the Southgate Shopping Centre. The Roman Baths and the Bath Abbey are both within a three-minute walk. The Holburne Museum is a 10-minute walk from the hotel. For those that prefer the art of apparel, the Fashion Museum is an 11-minute walk away. And for those who prefer their walking between golf swings, the Cumberwell Park Golf Club in Bradford-on-Avon, is a twenty-minute drive away. Bristol Airport is a 50-minute drive or a 60-minute train ride from the hotel.

Rooms at the Abbey Hotel are high-ceilinged with good natural light. There are seven room categories, and the higher ones have additional posh seating areas with furnishings such as rolled-arm sofas. White walls, crown molding, and doors with trim give a regal backdrop for a variety of punchy colors and patterns: purple and yellow color-blocked curtains paired with multicolored zigzag headboards; silvery brocade walls with purple blankets; or cabbage-rose-print headboards with fuchsia curtains. Not all of the decor is of equal elegance -- some of the nightstands and cabinets seem generic and mass-produced. But details like Lucite lamps and gilt-trimmed mirrors maintain a glamorous sheen. All rooms have desks, electric kettles for tea and coffee, flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, hypo-allergenic bedding, irons and ironing boards, and hairdryers, plus local calls are free. Unlike the bedrooms, bathrooms look tired and not high end. Blocky, laminate cabinets, high-traffic flooring, and tiles look dated. Stall showers have old-style fiberglass pans in their base. One bright spot: The toiletries are REN, a favorite of beauty editors.

The Abbey's highlights are its clubby, atmospheric social spaces including its bar, outdoor terrace that becomes a cheeky "apres ski lodge" in colder weather, and its restaurant, serving all meals and afternoon tea. Room service is 24-hours. The hotel has a small but handsome meeting room that can be configured for as many as 30 people; it's equipped with a 55-inch flat-screen TV, flip charts, and free Wi-Fi. Newspapers and magazines are free in the lobby and rooms. The front desk is staffed 24-hours, and includes a car rental site. There's a luggage storage room on-site as well, and laundry service, for a fee. Bike rentals, for a fee, are nearby the hotel.