Macdonald Bath Spa

We came for two nights as a short birthday getaway. The hotel as a whole is lovely, and the reception staff were welcoming and helpful. Our garden-level room was impressive when we first walked in, and it was clean and warm. My only room complaint is that there’s no window covering apart from the curtains, so anyone walking past could see straight in. We had to keep them shut all the time. Breakfast was a big letdown, nowhere near the award-winning experience advertised. We were seated quickly and given coffee and toast, but both were cold, and the toast was hard. We waited 15 minutes to order. The Maître D only came over after I caught his eye, and he didn’t ask how we wanted our eggs. The food arrived fairly quickly, but the egg looked like it had been sitting under a heat lamp and was rubbery. I understand the kitchen has a lot of restaurant covers and can’t make every dish from scratch, but eggs and toast should be fresh. We later saw breakfast was £26 if you weren’t staying on a B&B basis, which definitely wasn’t worth it. We’d stay again, but eat breakfast at a town café instead, where it would be better for half the price.

The hotel’s location was great, with the town an easy walk away, and the grounds were beautiful. But the hotel itself felt incredibly tired and in need of TLC. The room was lovely and the bed very comfortable, though the en-suite was in poor shape: the bath enamel was peeling, limescale was embedded on the tiles and shower screen, and the extractor didn’t work, leaving the room smelling damp. We tried the spa, but the facilities were tired, the floor was soaked and the lounge chairs were covered with other people’s towels, so there was nowhere to sit and relax. The food and drinks seemed expensive for what you got. In the bar, we were told to sit down and wait for our two drinks to be brought over, then found out a 12.5% service charge had been added. We also ordered room service, but they forgot the salt and pepper. We had to wait for it, and our food got cold.

The staff throughout were genuinely lovely and friendly, which made the stay feel welcoming and relaxed. My facial and back massage with Marilena were the best I’ve had. She was exceptional, attentive, skilled, and clearly knows her craft. The heated outdoor pool was absolute bliss, a real treat in any weather. Breakfast was the only small disappointment. Vegan and veggie choices were very limited. Who doesn’t have a vegan sausage in the freezer these days? Still, it didn’t take much away from an otherwise excellent stay, and I’d happily return.

The staff were amazing, polite and helpful, and we loved the spa, especially the outdoor Hydrotheraphy pool. We had excellent food and a good selection of cocktails in the bar. Our room on the third floor was lovely, with fantastic city and skyline views, plus a sunset. The coffee pod machine was a nice touch. We were here for two days to visit the Christmas market and got a great deal through Secret Escapes. Happy to come back in future.