I was in town for a look at the city’s celebrations surrounding Jane Austen’s 250th anniversary and staying at the Gainsborough Bath Spa in England. While the hotel’s buildings would have been around when Austen wrote her groundbreaking novels, they were not a hotel then.
Instead, the hotel’s various wings were hospitals, evidence of which is still present in the skylight which used to illuminate the operating theatre with its natural light and which today sits above the picturesque stairwell.
One of the wings of the hotel used to be a leprosy hospital, and, of course, there is the natural spring that feeds the hotel spa, securing the Gainsborough the accolade as the only hotel in England to have its own spring.
But let’s go back to the start. On arrival, I nearly walked into the entrance to the hotel’s Brasserie with its double staircase and a much more imposing and suitable entrance than the actual rather small main door, just around the corner.
Once I found my way, I was immediately presented with some water and when my room wasn’t quite ready yet, an oh-so-English cup of tea was on offer.
My room, in fact, turned out to be a suite – a King Suite, no less. That said, while the little living room, guest toilette, and bedroom were lovely, the windows were too high for me to look out of, and even a taller person would have had to tiptoe to get a glimpse of the rather nice view across Bath’s rooftops.
I also found the bathroom a little snug with the shower closed off with a somewhat too friendly shower curtain rather than a screen. That said, it’s quite rare to have a rain shower and a separate bathtub, and the Elemis bathroom goodies and comfy robes made up for the clingy shower curtain.
In the afternoon, I did what you should do in a place called Bath Spa: I went to the hotel’s spa. As I slid into the hot thermal pool, I felt like I was going back in time.
After all, while the Celts had already enjoyed the city’s natural hot springs, it was the Romans who put Bath (or as they called it, Aquae Sulis, the Waters of Sulis, goddess of healing and natural springs) on the map.
Their leftover Roman Baths remains one of the main attractions of the city today and only steps away from the hotel, but even within the hotel, there are Roman treasures to be found. When the Gainsborough Spa was remodeled, a Roman mosaic was found, with an exact copy lying right on top of the original now. And they also discovered a real treasure: 17,000 Roman coins dating to Mark Anthony, some of which are on display in the lobby.
The hotel itself is spread across various buildings in a block with a townhouse nearby. There is even a chapel within the main building, as would have been befitting for a hospital, and it doubles as an events hall today.
With a brasserie, tearoom, cosy bar, and the wonderful spa, there would be hardly any reason to leave the place, but when in Bath, one must explore the Roman, Georgian, Regency history and also follow in Jane Austen’s footsteps.
After a day meandering through Bath, I came back in time for the History and Heritage Afternoon Tea, complete with small sandwiches and scones with clotted cream and jam. For those of you who have an opinion on the old argument as to whether the cream or the jam should be spread first on a scone, I put the cream first, and it was perfect.
Heading back to my room, the turndown service had left me some little goodies on the duvet’s edge: Elemis lipsalve and pillow spray, promising a restful sleep. It certainly worked.
The Gainsborough delivers when it comes to a historic stay with modern comforts, thoughtful service, and those little touches that so often make or break a hotel experience. As for the spa, it’s worth getting a day pass next time you find yourself in Bath, even if you aren’t staying in the hotel.
The author received a complimentary stay at this property, but as always, we’re committed to providing you with unbiased assessments of our experiences.
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