The best b&bs in Bath, from beautiful Georgian townhouses to Victorian villas

A first-rate b&b converted from a pub, in a terraced Georgian building near the centre of Bath. Everywhere – the hall, stairs, breakfast room and bedrooms – is tastefully furnished with interesting paintings, photos and objects, and a successful, understated mix of antiques and modern pieces. Hill House manages to feel smart but homely, as is borne out by the hallway’s bookcase of eclectic, browsable reading matter, much as you might find in a friend’s living room. Owners Harry Tedstone and Douglas Yeates live in the property, and provide hands-on hospitality that goes beyond the usual call of b&b duty.

The location of this b&b, which occupies a handsome, double-fronted Georgian townhouse, is ideal — in the centre yet peaceful, on a wide, curving residential street. The owner, Peter Sherwin, is an art collector, and eye-catching paintings are dotted all over the building. The 19 bedrooms have an attractive but unfussy style: think a mix of antique and good-quality and reproduction furniture. Larger rooms may have a sleigh bed.
The breakfast menu is far more extensive than your average b&b: pancakes with banana and maple syrup, smoked kippers, homemade granola, and apple and cinnamon cake.

A sizeable, professionally-run b&b with smart and spacious bedrooms and first-rate breakfasts, that in some respects feels more like a boutique hotel. Directly across the street lies pretty Henrietta Park, with mature trees dotted over the grass. It’s five minutes’ walk to Pulteney Bridge; eight minutes to the Roman Baths. An elegant, unfussy style pervades the property – for example, bedrooms come with American-style shutters or blinds rather than curtains. The breakfast room is a lovely, light and relaxing space, with bay windows looking onto the park, crystal chandeliers, large mirrors and Lloyd loom seating.

This upmarket b&b is on Great Pulteney Street, Bath’s most impressive Georgian thoroughfare, and occupies two Grade I-listed 18th-century townhouses. Inside, long sash windows and creaky floors abound, and furnishings are largely in keeping with the Georgian era: crystal chandeliers, period portraits and a carriage clocks.
Service is pretty faultless. The 17 rooms have reproduction furniture and books on Jane Austen. Breakfast is a substantial platter, with local bacon and sausage, and top-quality Scottish black pudding. There’s a little-used bar downstairs, and off it a pleasant courtyard garden.

This property, seven minutes’ walk from the centre of Bath, has Victorian roots and French-country-chic style. The front garden, with tables and chairs laid out on the lawn, is particularly appealing in summer months. The owners run it with a high degree of professionalism.
Expect check-patterned bedheads, prints of rural France, and sachets of potpourri on plump cushions in the rooms. Breakfast is served rather late – from 9am on weekends – but it’s well worth waiting for. Eggs cooked any way and locally-sourced bacon and sausages.

Grays occupies a semi-detached Victorian villa set on the city’s southern slopes, a 15-minute uphill walk from the centre of Bath. The proprietors have designed it with flair: think sisal carpets, French-style furnishings and carefully coordinated colour schemes.
In the 12 bedrooms, you can expect fresh flowers, thick towels scented with lavender sachets, and Kit Kats on the tea tay. Some enjoy expansive views over Bath’s skyline. Number six has a big bay window and four-poster bed. Breakfast includes a buffet, and hot options to order such as eggs Benedict and full English.

This substantial three-storey house, hidden away on a quiet, no-through back lane under a wooded ridge on the southern side of Bath, dates from 1735, and has later Georgian and Victorian extensions. The garden, which has pristine lawns and flower beds, and tables and chairs set out on the terrace, is a major feature. Inside, the drawing room sets the restful tone, with views over the garden and city through the floor-to-ceiling windows, modern paintings of Bath and a selection of daily newspapers. There are 12 individual en-suite bedrooms, decorated with bold colours (particularly bed headboards) and kitted out with high-quality amenities.

A substantial late-Georgian house, built in 1830 as a country home for the Duke of Wellington, Apsley House is probably Bath’s classiest b&b. The lounge, with its grand piano, gilt mirror, ruched curtains and leather armchairs, sets the refined tone. It opens through to an equally elegant breakfast room, laid out with a sense of occasion with white tablecloths; through its big bay windows are expansive views over the outskirts of Bath and the countryside beyond. The 12 bedrooms are individually furnished. However, common to all are antiques, graceful extras (hand mirrors and brushes on dressing tables) and smart, modern beige marble bathrooms with Molton Brown toiletries.

This upmarket b&b occupies a fine Georgian townhouse in an outstanding location on a wide, gently-curving terrace of residential Georgian properties on peaceful Henrietta Street, very close to the city centre. It’s spread over five storeys, with chandeliers and period-style prints and paintings in the hallway and over the flights of stairs, all painted a striking deep blue. You can even sit out in the pretty recreation of a Georgian garden, with mini box hedges. The 12 bedrooms are decorated in individual styles in keeping with the Georgian surroundings, with pretty wallpaper schemes, reproduction furniture and period-style prints.

With 22 bedrooms, Brooks is bigger than a lot of other guesthouses. It spreads over two interconnected houses on a Victorian terrace. Classic period features such as cornicing, chandeliers and fireplaces combine with strikingly patterned wallpaper and boldly coloured walls – mustard, for example, in the relaxing lounge – and a mix of antiques and modern furnishings. Breakfasts, taken in a fetching, parquet-floored basement dining room, are a highlight: the appetising buffet spread includes homemade granola, muffins and marmalade, while the long list of cooked treats to choose from includes bacon sandwiches and smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels.