Two hours drive from London and only 90 minutes by train from London’s Paddington Station, and set, like Jerusalem and Rome, amongst seven hills is the city of Bath. The city center is fantastically accessible and walking about is a real pleasure both visually and practically. Very at ease with itself with a vibe that’s genteel and civilized and very clean. Here is the Abbey, clean and light with its fan vaulting to heaven, and the beautifully preserved Roman Baths. Here is Pulteney Bridge supporting an arcade of shops (reminiscent of Venice’s Rialto and Florence’s Ponte Vecchio) and Royal Crescent and The Circus: such stunning constructs from the world of Jane Austen whose 250th birthday is celebrated next year.
Discretely promoted halfway along Great Pulteney Street, one of Bath’s widest and longest Georgian streets, in effect a grand promenade, is the creative and classy hotel No. 15, Bath. It has the famous Holburne Museum at one end, and Great Pulteney Bridge at the other. The street is otherwise purely domestic so everything felt very home-from-home.
This listed building has a gorgeous façade and is lined with flowerpots. It’s a combination of three interconnected classic Georgian townhouses and the vibe is urbane and civilized. It opened in 2011 and is part of Guesthouse hotels that have sister hotels in York and Margate and one soon in Brighton. Their mantra is to create “wonder-filled, happy hotels” and certainly there was much to delight in in this elegant boutique hotel.
The decor throughout all the rooms on six floors, you could call Cotswolds-cum-Nordic with its painted wooden floorboards and jute rugs, its neutral and natural tones set in tasteful taupe. All offset by imaginative themes and collections of art and objects. Behind the reception, there’s a doll house with the room keys and a model of London’s Big Ben. Every floor has its decorative twist as, up and down the staircases, are displayed colorful top hats and walking sticks, paintbrushes and palettes, brushes and brooms, cornets and bulges. Quirky and creative. All added to its sense of theatricality by the sweeping curtains and the eclectic crystal chandeliers.
The 36 Rooms (with starting rates of $195) comprise a Small Guest Room, Guest Rooms, Large Guest Rooms, and Coach House Guest rooms. Coach House Large Guest Room, Henrietta Rooms, Pulteney Rooms, and The Hideout in ascending order of grandeur. I loved my Henrietta room and the beauty of every need was met in such minimal fashion. So homely and snug within my shuttered windows and without the view over the buildings on the surrounding hills and countryside beyond. Roberts radios and Crossley record players gave my beautifully finished room a glorious twist. Luxury was offered with my cashmere mattress and Egyptian cotton linen and the marble washstands played home to luxurious Wildsmith bathroom products.
I loved my dinner at the hotel’s restaurant called The Bar at No 15, Bath. To offset the traditional curtains and swags and tassels were artifacts and cabinets of curiosities. I sat spaciously before a table of pearls, fans, and curios. The perspex tops and counters worked so cleverly in creating space and visibility. Chunky gorgeous oval mirrors reflected the fish-scaled pattern of the bar.
My first course, from a reasonably-priced and typically British menu, consisted of harissa cauliflower and red onion, hummus, and pomegranate and was extremely creative while, to follow, my sirloin steak from a locally sourced farm, was just perfect.
Breakfast was served beneath its earthy-colored ceiling in an elegant basement dining room, now decorated with modern portraits and once the Wig Room, where gentlemen would remove their headpieces.
In a city devoted to physical wellbeing, where better than the hotel’s very own subterranean spa. I waited in a boudoir-cum-salon adorned with apothecary bottles amongst the stone vaults to savor what was truly a treat of a treatment. It felt clean, spacious, and recently decorated so luxurious was the finishing. I opted for a ‘couples massage and facial’: a side-by-side treatment for two using 99% natural, organic products. I came away glowing, so radiant was my skin. The experience had genuinely taken the weight off my feet and granted me the chance fully to unwind. As restorative as the Roman baths must have been.
No. 15, Bath goes the extra mile with its own magazine and its second-floor pantry full of complimentary snacks and treats. There’s a cargo bike to collect one from the station with one’s bags and No. 15, Bath has its own car park. The clientele is youngish and pets and children are well accommodated. Perhaps it’s too modest as its hotel status far exceeds its Guesthouse brand and the restaurant its name The Bar. No. 15, Bath really is a true gem. Pearls and all.
