Villa at Henrietta Park – Bath
Like its sisters, the Abbey Hotel and No.15 Great Pulteney, Villa is a breath of fresh air on the Bath hospitality scene. An impressive Victorian house on a peaceful road, it’s close to the centre yet with its own car park – gold dust in Bath. Owners, Ian and Christa Taylor, have all the right instincts about what makes a successful boutique hotel. The decoration is light, bright, contemporary and occasionally quirky. There’s a predominance of grey and white in the 21 bedrooms, enlivened by touches of colour and each with one wall papered in a jazzy design. The rooms are furnished with a happy mix of antique and modern pieces, huge, supremely comfortable beds and many have fabulous views. Feather-light duvets and Egyptian cotton bedlinen are hidden delights. A glass of complimentary Buck’s Fizz comes with breakfast, taken in an elegant room under the beady eye of Morris the stag, whose head adorns the wall above a wood-burning stove. Doubles from £144.
tip
Name to Know: General manager Caroline Browning. She makes extraordinarily good cakes.
See: Take a stroll across the road to Henrietta Park with its sensory garden and rose-covered pergola. Art lovers should head for the Victoria Art Gallery on Bridge Street.
Eat: Don’t miss Villa’s legendary breakfasts. Will’s potato pancakes with smoked salmon, roasted tomato, spinach salad, pickled cucumber and sour cream and chive dip come highly recommended.
Buy: The handmade cards in reception by local artists and friends of the hotel.
Want to find out more? Visit the hotel's website.
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