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
-
Nordic Knots and Eagle + Hodges’ new rug collection is inspired by the English gardenThe Scandinavian rug company and the British property development duo have collaborated to create a collection that reinterprets the English garden in a way that doesn’t rely on delicate florals
-
Studio Urquiola’s immersive Kvadrat textile forest is inspired by the Nordic landscapeDuring Chart 2025, Studio Urquiola and Danish designers Tableau team up to present a textile installation showcasing Kvadrat’s nature-inspired new collection
-
The new Plaud Note Pro deploys AI to transform the spoken word into searchable dataThe Note Pro promises full-on conversational AI, a pocketable device that can capture roundtable chats and correctly attribute speakers, thoughts and action points. Help or hindrance?
-
The Macbeth, an icon of indie sleaze, goes from grotty to gastroAn East End legend meets Portuguese small plates in Jamie Allan’s ambitious revival of a beloved Hackney watering hole
-
A complete collection of Phaidon’s ‘Contemporary Artists Series’ is on display in LondonA 30-year project reaching 100 volumes is being celebrated with an exhibition at the 45 Park Lane hotel, including limited-edition works by Kaws and Dana Schutz
-
London’s best pizza restaurant gets a new home in MayfairSecure a slice of New York-style pizza in central London as Crisp Pizza teams up with the Devonshire pub to set up shop in the relaunched The Marlborough
-
Harry Nuriev’s Noisy Oyster London bistro isn’t quite finished – and that’s the pointA futuristic, work-in-progress aesthetic forms a striking backdrop for a new, sustainably focused seafood bistro in Shoreditch
-
Head to Lupa for a taste of Rome in the heart of HighburyEd Templeton, Theo James and Naz Hassan unveil an intimate 28-seat restaurant that balances a cosy, candlelit atmosphere with Roman-style dining
-
Underground grooves and a touch of ‘controlled chaos’ make this exciting Japanese-inspired restaurant one to bookMoi, a new subterranean hotspot in London, is a feast for the senses
-
Café Kitsuné doubles down on London with a new locationCafé Kitsuné continues its global expansion with a bijou two-floor venue in Covent Garden that prioritises both craft and flavour
-
You can live out your Gatsby dreams, thanks to Claridge’s new Jazz Age-themed sleepoverCheck in for the legendary hotel's Bright Young Things Sleepover — Shalimar perfume included
