The Bath Priory
"What did you notice on arrival?This is a timeless, magical place. Up a gravel drive, along row of distinguished 19th-century houses on the east side of Bath lies the ivy-covered c.1835 house that is the Bath Priory. It's chocolate box pretty. Inside it's stunning and filled with fine art covering every wall from the elegant drawing rooms to your bedroom. What’s the crowd like?It's quite a smart place, owned by the Brownsword family, and it has a touch of nobility to it with guests to match in nice cars and good-looking clothing. I also noticed quite a few couples sans kids celebrating anniversaries. The good stuff: Tell us about the rooms.The rooms and suites are a mixture of clean and modern with nods to the past, mostly four poster beds, flowery fabrics and grey wood panelling. All feel spacious, even the smallest rooms. The Premium Deluxe room was perfect, with views on to the back garden, a four poster double bed and spacious bathroom. Lovely art on the walls, soft carpeted floors and a wonderful old Kubrick-style leather arm chair had me on entry. We’re craving some deep, restorative sleep. They got us?The bed was firm with fine sheets and plenty of room, I was able to sleep crossways without falling off. How about the little things, like mini bar, or shower goodies. Any of that worth a mention?Forget the mini-bar, this is order-in from the bar downstairs. The Espresso Martini and the Pisco Sour are worth a pop. Please tell us the bathroom won’t let us down.The bathroom was big, but the best thing was the size of the shower, big enough for two with both a forest shower and separate shower head, so plenty of water. I can see why anniversary couples like this place. L'Occitane products are a nice touch. Staff: If you could award one a trophy, who gets it, and why?The receptionist who got us checked in quickly and efficiently. There's a lot to be said for that after a long drive from London. Anything stand out about other services and features?The art—look out for a valuable painting by Sir John Lavery entitled "The Lady in Black."—and the outdoor spaces. The lovely gardens are dominated by a massive Cedar of Lebanon and an outdoor pool open in the summer. The Garden Spa is super sexy in design - the indoor pool just makes you desperate to dive into its perfect blue waters. Bottom line: worth it, and why?All in all it's worth a romantic trip, except that everyone else is doing it too. The seven course tasting menu at the Michelin-starred restaurant makes up for it though. There's enough good food here to rekindle any romantic flame." - Ramsay Short
