Why this Bath hotel might be the best spa mini-break in the UK right now

With bespoke treatments and direct access to natural thermal spas, the five-star Gainsborough Spa Hotel is a jewel in the heart of the city of Bath, says Penny Mountbatten. A restorative girls’ trip shows her exactly why it consistently tops most wellness wishlists...

Penny Mountbatten prepared for upcoming surgery with a break at The Gainsborough Spa hotel alongside her daughter (Vranch Visuals)

February is a dreary month at the best of times, and this year it felt especially bleak. With a hip replacement looming in March and work demands mounting, I realised I needed to do something restorative – a short escape to rebalance and prepare myself mentally and physically for what lay ahead.

Cue a girls’ trip: my best friend Vicky, my daughter Alix, and I booked a spa hotel in The City of Bath – a place I know intimately, having spent my school years on Lansdowne Hill, one of the seven hills that cradle the city like a Georgian amphitheatre. My teenage memories linger on every street: first kisses, first heartbreaks, many others... Returning to Bath was not just a tonic, but coming home.

We chose The Gainsborough Bath Spa, a veritable jewel of a hotel tucked in the heart of the city. This unique hotel is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, having been awarded best hotel in the UK only two years after opening. Named after the portrait artist Sir Thomas Gainsborough, the hotel occupies two Grade II listed buildings, reconfigured with style and elegance by Champalimaud Design. The Gainsborough is the only hotel in the UK with direct access to natural thermal waters – a fact that instantly put it at the top of my wellness wish list.

From the moment we stepped through its doors, The Gainsborough lived up to its glowing reputation. Andrew Jordan, the vice president of YTL Hotels, welcomed us warmly and regaled us with the hotel’s rich history, including its location above one of the city’s most significant Roman archaeological finds: the Beau Street hoard, a treasure trove of 17,500 Roman coins unearthed by archaeologists in 2007, in advance of constructing the hotel.

It’s a seamless blend of heritage and luxury that defines the Gainsborough experience, where history meets modernity, creating an atmosphere that is both timeless and daringly contemporary.

Our bedroom suites overlooked Bath’s honey-stoned architecture, glowing golden even under grey skies. But it was the spa that truly stole the show. Designed around the original Roman Baths, the spa invites guests to “take the waters” via a contemporary bath house circuit: beginning with a warm balneo pool, then a lymphatic cool hose, infrared sauna, ice alcove and finally a leisurely float in the main pool, under a glass atrium in mineral-rich geothermal waters.

These therapeutic rituals mirror ancient wellness practices while delivering undeniable 21st-century results – think tension melting away, joints eased, spirits lifted.

Mountbatten and her daughter enjoying the spa’s facilities (Vranch Visuals)

Each of us indulged in bespoke treatments. I chose the golden body treatment – a decadently restorative experience using anti-inflammatory colloidal gold to repair, calendula to calm and vitamin E to boost collagen. Alix opted for the Hungarian mud detox, designed to detoxify and re-mineralise. Vicky had her own peaceful ritual, which remains a mystery to us since she dozed her way through most of it. By the end, we were all glowing – both inside and out.

But a girls’ getaway isn’t just about luxury, it’s about laughter, bonding and shared moments. After a delicious dinner in the hotel’s Brasserie – where east meets west in a colourful array of flavours – we wandered the cobbled streets to the Theatre Royal, Bath for a performance of Girl on a Train. It was gripping, atmospheric and gave us plenty to talk about over a nightcap at the Gainsborough Bar.

The next day, we explored Bath’s cultural riches with our guide, Jamie Morris, who was brimming with knowledge, stories and humour. We strolled past The Royal Crescent and The Circus, lit candles in the 15th-century abbey, and even drank a cup of the thermal waters in the famous Pump Rooms. We walked over Pulteney Bridge to The Holburne Museum, where we immersed ourselves in an exhibition exploring portraiture from Bacon to Warhol.

It wasn’t lost on me how precious this time was. In the whirlwind of work, family and modern life, we so rarely carve out space to simply be together – mother, daughter, best friend. This trip reminded me how essential that connection is. We talked, we laughed, we rested. We created new memories in a city that has already given me so many over the years.

The Gainsborough Spa Hotel was awarded best hotel in the UK only two years after opening (Vranch Visuals)

Bath is no ordinary backdrop. A Unesco World Heritage Site, its heritage runs deep, conjuring images of Roman soldiers soaking in hot springs 2,000 years ago, or the 18th-century aristocrats “taking the waters” between scandalous parties. A million litres of geothermal waters come up to the earth’s surface through the natural hot springs in Bath every single day, which The Gainsborough’s filter system cleans and cools. It’s rich in 43 types of minerals, including sulphate, calcium and sodium, reputed to ease aches and soothe the soul. The Gainsborough honours this miracle of nature, with a spa that taps into the ancient waters both literally and metaphorically.

As Andrew Jordan puts it: “Every detail is a deliberate nod to our storied past while paving the way for tomorrow’s luxury. I’m proud that our hotel isn’t just a place to stay–it’s a living, breathing work of art.”

When we checked out, we really did feel transformed. My anxiety had softened into calm anticipation for the surgery ahead; Alix, Vicky and I felt connected, and we agreed we hadn’t laughed so much in months. This trip wasn’t just a pause – it was a reset, and one that I’m fairly certain contributed to a strong healing response to my hip replacement surgery. Just a couple of months later and I’m speeding around with a bionic, titanium version that works like a dream.

So, is this the best spa-hotel for a mini break? Without any hesitation, a resounding yes. The Gainsborough offers more than just a spa break – it’s a shared experience of healing, history and pure indulgence, set in one of the UK’s most charming cities. For me and what lay ahead back then, it was exactly what the doctor ordered...

Suites are available at The Gainsborough Spa Hotel from £295 per night; treatments begin at £150