The UNESCO World Heritage City of Bath is best known for its impressive architecture and spa culture, so any new venue aiming to equal, if not usurp, local standards has a tough task ahead. Yet The Gainsborough has done just that. Housed in a grand Grade II listed property, the hotel honours the area’s longstanding thermal bathing tradition and successfully marries a centuries-old institution with modern technology. The main draw is undoubtedly the multifaceted Spa Village Bath, which offers guests local thermal spring water; warm, mineral-rich and pumped directly from a private reserve. Capitalising on the water’s healing virtues, the spa has at its heart three Romanesque thermal pools, and is equipped with thermal pods, saunas, a steam room, an ice alcove and 11 relaxation rooms. Elsewhere, The Gainsborough is equally as impressive: The 99 guestrooms, outfitted by New York-based Champalimaud Design, give a distinct nod to local history via toile antimacassars depicting Bath scenes, while public spaces feature pieces by artists from the Bath College of Art & Design. The hotel’s restaurant, Johann Lafer, is led by a philosophy of ‘dining without borders’, which manifests itself through exciting Asian flavours produced with locally grown English produce.
ADDRESS
Beau Street
Bath BA1 1QY
-
We stepped inside the Stedelijk Museum's newest addition in AmsterdamAmsterdam's Stedelijk Museum has unveiled its latest addition, the brand-new Don Quixote Sculpture Hall by Paul Cournet of Rotterdam creative agency Cloud
-
On a sloped Los Angeles site, a cascade of green 'boxes' offers inside outside livingUnStack, a house by FreelandBuck, is a cascading series of bright green volumes, with mountain views
-
Travel editor Sofia de la Cruz’s gift guide for the discerning globetrotterWallpaper* travel editor Sofia de la Cruz curates her festive wish list, packed with stylish essentials for those constantly on the go
-
First look at Belmond’s new ‘romantic and nostalgic’ luxury trainBelmond introduces the Britannic Explorer, the first high-end sleeper train experience in England and Wales
-
First look at 19 Motcomb Street, Belgravia’s iconic Pantechnicon reinventedFormer Nordic-Japanese design and dining hub Pantechnicon reopens as 19 Motcomb Street with a trio of food and beverage concepts
-
Explore Cornwall's cosiest coffee shopsCornwall is known for its natural beauty and stunning landscape, here is our pick of coffee shops to enjoy the views and refuel
-
First look at Soma 2.0: a new nighttime highlight in east LondonFresh from its Soho roots, this newly opened London bar is set to redefine Canary Wharf’s nightlife – not least with its Indian-flavour-twist cocktails, as Neil Ridley discovers
-
This new London restaurant bursts with Mexican flair and flavourFonda is London’s new Mexican restaurant, courtesy of chef Santiago Lastra, also behind Michelin-starred Kol. As Mary Cleary discovers, it’s serving up colour and creativity
-
Kanpai! Discover the best bars to drink sake in LondonDiscover the best London bars in which to celebrate the ancient delight of sake
-
London’s Covent Garden makes the perfect cosmopolitan backdrop for new British-French bistro, HenriBritish chef Jackson Boxer and French designer Dorothée Meilichzon reunite for Henri, a restaurant located inside darling hotel, Henrietta
-
Step inside Cowley Manor, a refreshed 300-plus-year-old spa hotel in the CotswoldsExperience bucolic bliss at Cowley Manor, recently renovated by architects De Matos Ryan and interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon
