Royal Crescent, Upper Town · Hotel
Five-star hotel occupying the centre of the Royal Crescent itself, with a walled garden, adults-only spa and a restaurant in the old coach house.
The Royal Crescent Hotel occupies numbers 15 and 16 at the midpoint of John Wood the Younger's great sweep of Georgian terraces, which means guests sleep inside one of the most recognisable buildings in England. From the front the hotel is deliberately indistinguishable from its neighbours, with no sign and no visible entrance beyond a plain black door. The scale of the place only becomes apparent once you are through it, because the garden behind runs back a surprising distance and takes in a further set of listed buildings.
Rooms and suites are spread across the main house and the garden villas, with the grandest at the front looking out over the lawn and the ha-ha towards Royal Victoria Park. Interiors mix period proportions, high ceilings, tall sash windows and original plasterwork, with modern beds and bathrooms; several suites are named for figures associated with the city. Room sizes vary considerably between categories, so it is worth checking what you are booking rather than assuming.
The Spa and Bath House sits in the garden, an adults-only complex with a relaxation pool, sauna, steam room and treatment rooms, along with a plunge pool and garden loungers in warmer months. Dining is at the Montagu, in the converted coach house, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and opens onto the garden terrace. There is a small bar and a drawing room for afternoon tea.
It suits couples, special occasions and anyone who wants the Georgian city delivered at full strength, and it is a ten-minute walk downhill to the Abbey and the Roman Baths. It is less suited to families with young children given the adults-only spa and the quiet, formal atmosphere. Parking is limited and chargeable, and the surrounding streets are permit-only, so the train is the easier arrival.