My wife and I are planning on staying in Bath (in the UK)for four nights. Is four nights (3 1/2 days) too long to stay in Bath? Also, we are looking for a 3-5 star hotel that is close to the city centre. We are considering the Hilton National Bath, Queensberry, or Bath Spa Hotel. Anyone have an opinion on any of these or a better choice?

Hi David.<BR>I have lived 20 miles from Bath for the last 30 years and my choice would be the Royal Crescent Hotel.<BR>Bath is a lovely city and I would suggest that you take the open top bus tour where you are taken to see all the places of interest and can hop on and hop off as you wish. You could easily spend a whole day doing this.<BR>It is also very pleasant to walk around the narrow streets in the city centre in the area around the Abbey.<BR>Bath is ideally situated for taking trips to Bristol - lots to see there - and Wells, in Somerset, a very small town with the most beautiful cathedral.<BR>I do hope you enjoy your trip.

We stayed at the Dorian House last summer for four nights. Dorian House is a 5 diamond B&B which we found to be very nice. As a matter of fact the breakfast was the nicest we had at all the B&B's we stayed in. One thing to note is that it is about a 10 minute walk into the center of town, down hill in the morning (beautiful views of the city) and up hill when you come back in the afternoon. If walking is not your thing then you might not want to consider this B&B. We loved it though. The owner was always there and the place always seemed to be full.<BR><BR>We spent 4 nights there but really saw everything we wanted to in Bath in 2 days. We took a day trip to Cardiff to see the Museums of Welsh Life and to see Cardiff Castle. We took another day trip to Salibury and Stonehenge. Both of these trips were very doable and enjoyable from Bath.<BR><BR>Have fun.<BR>

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Hi David, I stayed at the Bath Spa Hotel a few years back and really enjoyed it. There are very beautiful gardens, nicely appointed rooms and a park just down the way. The food is good too at the restaurant. Also the Tour Bus stops at the hotel. From what I've heard I agree with Maggie that the Royal Crescent is supposed to be the best. Last year I stayed at the Hilton National with my tour group and it is not in the same running as the Bath Spa. It is a little more dated and the grounds are plain unlike the gorgeous garden at the Bath Spa. Hope this helps! Enjoy!

Natalie,<BR> <BR>How far is the Bath Spa hotel from the city centre - is it an easy walk? I checked out the Crescent and unfortunately $350+ per night is a little too steep for us. So, you weren't impressed with the Hilton National, thats good to know, thank you.

I can't help you with accommodations, but I can tell you that I think 4 nights will be too much time in Bath. My guess is that you can see it in 2 full days (3 nights).<BR><BR>Be sure to read Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen before you go. It is a great send-up of the Gothic novel (and is perhaps best read in connection with one or more serious gothic novels) and has a great view of British society on holiday in Bath.

We stayed at the Laura Place Hotel in Bath a few years ago. It is an old townhouse that has been converted to a hotel. Very comfortable, reasonable and charming. Great location for walking to everything in Bath. It has private parking too. I think 2 or 3 nights is plenty in Bathy

Hi David, sorry I didn't notice your note sooner. Bath Spa is a short walk into town. 5-8 mins tops. I think the location is ideal. The Hilton is a little more of a trek, we took a taxi back to the hotel 2 days as it got a little long after spending the day seeing the sights. I think the Bath Spa is a great choice, you'd be happy there! Have a wonderful trip!

Natalie,<BR><BR>I'm surprised that the bath spa is closer to the city center than the Hilton. On a map it looks as if you have to walk through a large park to get to the city center from the bath spa Hotel while the Hilton looks as if it is nearby. Thanks for the info. Now I have to convince myself to spend the extra $150 a night to stay at the Bath Spa Hotel. I can't find much info or pictures of the Hilton anywhere and that makes me nervous. <BR>

is there a particular reason you want four nights in Bath? The city is wonderful - but it is very compact and almost everything is within walking distance. two days in Bath is very generous - you could see everything and not be rushed at all. <BR><BR>A reason to consider shortening your stay - accomodations in Bath are much more expensive than comparable properties elsewhere. Upscale Bath hotels are as expensive as in central London. You could splurge on the Bath Spa or Royal Crescent for two nights and then head out to South Wales, or Somerset or Dorset or Wiltshire and find Lovely places for a fraction of the cost.

I would like to recommend the Francis Hotel on Queen Square in downtown Bath. It is near to EVERYTHING, on foot, and has a parking lot for guests. I have stayed there twice, including 7 nights a few years ago, using Bath as my starting point for day tours that extended as far north as Warwick, and as far to the southwest as Dartmouth. It is extremely handy for places such as Cirencester, Bristol, Glastonbury, Stonehenge etc. etc. Four nights is NOT too long to spend in Bath if you use it as a starting off point or if you are there during the Bath Music Festival, which I was. <BR><BR>Visit the Francis site at:<BR><BR>http://www.hotelinformation.com/html/england/bath/francis/<BR><BR>You really will love this elegant Georgian hotel, with large rooms, heated bathroom floors etc. <BR><BR>Lanny

The Hilton in Bath is much nearer the city centre than the bath spa hotel. It is in Walcot street, just around the corner from Milsom street (bath's main street). The Bath Spa is located over Pulteney bridge right at the end of great pulteney street, much further from the city centre, although located well for some locations such as the Holbourne Museum. However the Hilton Hotel is a rather ugly looking modern hotel compared to the Bath Spa.

My wife and I both like to "mingle with the people" and take our time seeing the scenery, rather than see the tourist sights for the most part (with some exceptions). We may also make a day trip to Bristol, although that is now a little "iffie" after reading other posts about Bristol. That was the reason for staying four nights, but now after reading evryone's opinion we may change that. Staying for one less night and seeing another place sounds like a good idea. Unfortunately the Francis is booked for the days we are staying in Bath (Thanks anyway Lanny). I'll have to check out the other B&B's mentioned. The Hilton does not sound like a place we would really enjoy, so I'll continue to look for a place with more character. Thanks everyone, you have been very helpful. Please keep the info coming.

XXX may be right about the Hilton being closer than the Bath Spa. Last year we traveled with my inlaws so we paid a lot more attention to walking distances than the previous time. I do remember it was a slight incline to walk back to the Bath Spa. Still, I'd stay there again in a heartbeat as I think we had a really lovely time at the hotel. I was a little under the weather with an upset stomach at the Bath Spa and the staff heard about it and brought me up some chamomile tea. It may have been because we were traveling with a tour company but little things like that always leave a good impression about a hotel. There is a London hotel broker called Hotel! Hotel! at 011-44-1372-46-4488 that gives terrific rates on hotels (4 & 5 star) I've used 2 times in the past and has saved me quite a bit than from the hotels themselves, perhaps you can try them for a quote on the Spa hotel. They will save you $$$$ if you're looking. Enjoy!

Have stayed at the Bath Spa Hotel and really enjoyed it. You might want to check out the Heritage Hotels web site as they sometimes offer specials on the Bath Spa Hotel. The hotel is on the outskirts of the city proper but we enjoyed the walk downtown. The architecture, like most of Bath is quite stiking.

Hello David, My husband and I are staying three nights in Bath end of June in an historic coaching inn, the Old George Inn at Norton St Philip. The prices are very reasonable and the website shows all the rooms you can choose from, lots of atmosphere. The price for 3 night stay any day Sunday to Thursday was $150Pound per person for the three nights, including breakfast. Website is www.thegeorgeinn-nsp.co.uk have a look, its very interesting.<BR><BR>We intend to do a day trip to Oxford from here also and if time allows, maybe a drive down to Barnstaple and back. All up we will be in that area for 4 days before we fly home to Australia.<BR>Enjoy your trip. <BR>

Kerryanne - Some things to think about on you trip. As you know Northon St Phillip is not in Bath, it is about 10 miles south. That is not a big problem for Bath. But from there to Barnstable is almost 100 miles and to Oxford is nearly 90. 90 - 100 miles does not sound that far by Australian standards. But in the UK it is a VERY long way. Norton St Phillip is probably not a good base for the three places you want to see because they are so far apart. There is so much to see much closer - consider Wells, Glastonbury, Cheddar, Wookey Hole, etc instead of going all the way to Barnstaple.

David,<BR><BR>I haven't been there yet, but an interesting new venture is Dukes Hotel, on Great Poulteney Street (super location). Bath recently lost its "best" restaurant, and the chap that owned it (a Bristol City fan, which may help explain the fate of his hotel/restaurant) is now consultant to Fitzroy's, the restaurant in the hotel. There is a web site www.dukesbath.co.uk, and it's about $200 plus a night, with lots of offers around. I am a bit wary of consultancy arrangements like this - the Bath Spa had one with Raymond Blanc (top chef in England at the time??) when it first opened, and I didn't think it made for a stupendous dining experience. And Martin Blunos, the cook in question, has just relaunched in Great Poulteney Street, in a place called Blinis, which may be stretching his talents a bit.<BR><BR>BTW, I really like the food at the Priory, but it's of a price/standard with the Royal Crescent, and out of town.<BR><BR>Kerryanne, I agree with Janis. In particular, getting from south of Bath to the north and the M4 can really be pretty hard work - the roads are not fast! Oxford/Barnstaple could take well over two hours each way if there is a lot of traffic. If you want the seaside, I would aim for the Dorset/East Devon coast (Sidmouth, Beer, Lyme Regis), but all these roads get busy. What I would add is that the area south of Bath is pleasant countryside for pootling round in, and I'm really quite fond of the gardens at Stourhead, which are pretty close. Stonehenge and I are not great pals, but Salisbury is pleasant too.

Well, I just got back from Bath/ London last week. I knew I should have listened to everyone on here. We booked the Hilton, because of its location, for 4 nights, but only stayed for one. I'm waiting on Hilton's response to my "feedback" on the Hotel, so until then I rather not give the details (but I'll keep you updated). We did stay at the Queensberry hotel - which was excellent in every aspect except one - too many stairs! One other thing was that it a little far from the town centre being the walk back to the hotel is all up-hill. Other than that it was absolutely great. The staff was VERY helpful. The Bath Spa Hotel is way too far to walk back and forth everyday many times. The Francis had a great location, and it was VERY busy. Many people walking around the lobby and bar area. I'd consider the Francis if we ever went back. The area around the Royal Crescent was pretty, but boring. You could walk right past the hotel ad not even know it was there. Its quite a walk as well to the city centre. WEll, thanks everyone for your advice. Take care.