It’s

It’s
a big call, but we think Bath might just be the most
Christmassy place in the entire UK. Not only does the ancient city
put on a whopping 60 carol concerts across the festive season, but
it has one of the biggest and – dare we say – best Christmas
markets in the country (despite being held virtually this year).
Then, there’s the city’s extraordinary Georgian architecture and
impeccably preserved Roman bathhouse, Thermae Bath Spa. On top of
all this, Bath is also notable as having been Jane Austen’s
hometown during the early 1800s and the setting for several of her
novels, including parts of Pride and Prejudice, and what could be
more redolent of Christmas cheer than a viewing of Pride and
Prejudice?

Bring on the festive cheer: this is Bath’s best Christmas
stay

What’s even more exciting is that we’ve found the perfect
partner for a festive staycation in the city. Enter No.15 by
Guesthouse, Bath; a heritage hotel turned modern boutique bolthole.
Formerly known as No.15 Great Pulteney, the Grade-I listed Georgian
townhouse has been revamped by renowned designer Martin Hulbert,
who also masterminded the hotel’s original interiors, and who has
injected a wonderfully whimsical contemporary spin to the classic
British crashpad. And when we say whimsical, we mean it in the very
best sense of the word: everything from the hotel’s quirky art
collection to its in-house newspaper, packed with insider travel
tips, has been crafted with personality and the utmost attention to
detail.

Arrive into Bath Spa train station and you’ll have the option of
being met by one of the hotel’s friendly team, who’ll whisk your
suitcases back to base at your discretion, leaving you footloose
and luggage-free to explore the city as soon as you touch down.
When you do arrive at your new home from home, you’ll pass through
the reception area: don’t forget to look up. Above you will be a
chandelier made entirely of earrings, and it’s definitely not one
to miss. The story goes that Hulbert created the masterpiece by
gathering umpteen single earrings from his friends who’d lost the
other one from the pair along the way. Genius, right?

Next, you’ll wend your way upstairs to one of 37 uniquely
decorated bedrooms, passing irreverent curios including a dolls’
house where room keys are stored (keep an eye out for these in your
bedroom, too – they’ll be hiding a handy Nespresso machine), a
chandelier made of trumpets and Hulbert’s own artist’s palette
adorning the wall above the bar. See what we mean when we say
quirky?

Once inside your room, luxurious touches greet you at every
turn, and we’re not just talking fancy bathroom products – which
are all from Aromatherapy Associates, incidentally – but things
like a Dyson hairdryer (who knew hair could dry so fast!), a record
player with a cool collection of LPs stashed below its stand and a
snazzy LED TV complete with all the channels you could possibly
hope for.

Feeling peckish? There’s no shortage of good grub here. Either
head down to the hotel’s elegant basement dining room for quality
British fare cooked to perfection – breakfast treats include
pancakes, crumpets and homemade apple and cinnamon Bircher – or nip
up to the hotel’s complimentary communal snack stock for an
after-hours treat. Found on the second floor, the “pantry” is a
warren of secret nibbles including homemade brownies, fudge and
tubs of sumptuous ice cream. Just make sure you get there before
the other midnight feasters clean out supplies.

Finally, if you’re after a serious pampering session, make a
beeline straight to the subterranean spa for a treatment you won’t
forget (think anything from reflexology and hot stone massages to a
bespoke couples’ ritual in a giant copper bathtub). Aside from its
impressive facilities, the spa is also another window into Regency
times, nodding to Jane Austen’s Bath with a colour palette riffing
on the novelist’s favourite shade, duck egg blue, and with
old-fashioned apothecary jars lining the walls of its reception
area.

All in all, we’re calling out the fact that you may never want
to step outside as the only drawback to this hotel. Spoiler alert:
we didn’t, and we’re all the better for it.