HOTEL REVIEW: Hotel Indigo Bath, Somerset

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Hotel Indigo Bath, part of the IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) is a sprawling hotel comprising 14 honey-hued Grade I-listed terraced houses that extend along the South Parade cul-de-sac. It was first laid out by John Wood the Elder, the most famous Georgian architect of his time in the 1740s using Bath stone typical of the city. The hotel finally opened in 2020 after four years of restoration costing millions of pounds. 

The main entrance leads to the reception area where staff clad in jeans and a waistcoat are welcoming and efficient. The colourful area has comfortable sofas, armchairs and chandeliers making this a lovely place to hang out. It has a trendy vibe about it. Small bells hang on the wall perhaps in homage to the Abbey bells, behind a white reception while the rest of the room has funky artworks, as does most of the hotel. Sometimes it’s Regency-style, sometimes faces obscured by a primary colour and bizarrely even animals dressed in military costumes. In much of the communal area, carpets are decorated with butterflies; sometimes there are prints and maps. A lot is going on.

Who for

Anyone wanting to enjoy a city centre hotel close to everywhere you would want to see in Bath.

Accommodation

Hotel Indigo Bath has 154 rooms that sprawl over 12 Georgian houses – 73 are Standard, 57 are Superior, 18 are Superior Premier, 3 are Suites and 3 are Accessible.  These include ‘Romance & Mischief’ rooms themed with playing cards (gambling was a big part of Georgian life), ‘Literary Hideaway’ rooms which tend to be standard attic rooms, ‘Architectural Beauty’ rooms’ whose decor includes faux ceiling roses as headboards, ‘Garden’ rooms and ‘The Vaults’.

All rooms come with comfy Hypnos beds with luxury Egyptian cotton linen, spacious bathrooms, Nespresso coffee machines, highspeed Wi-Fi and several channels on a 40” flat-screen TV.  The mini-bar comes stocked with some drinks that are included in the room rate.

Our bedroom was room 399, located in an add-on to the hotel –  ‘No 5 Pierrepont St’. This is a private house which offers eight en-suite guest rooms, a meeting room/lounge, and a private courtyard. Although accessible from the main hotel, this section has its own entrance useful for business meetings in the Parlour Room, also in this section.

The decor is a departure from other themed hotel rooms; it has a four-poster bed with stylish bathrooms decorated with patterned tiling, a rainforest shower and a free-standing roll-top bath. 

Food and Drink

The hotel works with a fine dining restaurant next door – The Elder. The decor comprises wood floors with tables with mustard-hued banquettes on wood chairs. Green-panelled walls display stuffed animals, a deer head and prints of hunting scenes to indicate the nature of the menu. Game is a speciality, a carnivore’s heaven with delicious fallow deer, dirty mash and bread that comes with meat broth to dip into. There are some fish and veggie dishes too. 

Breakfast is served here too. Choose smoothies, muffins, croissants, pastries and fruit from the buffet or go a la carte including a full English.

This month (May 2024) a brand new restaurant Brasserie Beau has opened with Executive Chef Liam Goldstone at the helm. It’s great for brunch, steaks or a long Sunday lunch. On the menu, you will find the likes of French onion soup, oysters, venison sausage cassoulet and confit crips Barbary duck leg.

Facilities

There is a gym in the vault section of the hotel but no spa. But never mind, there is Thermae Bath Spa just a five-minute walk away. Wifi is free and there is valet parking which costs £40. However, an open-air car park directly opposite costs £17.50 for 24 hours.

How much

Rooms rates start from £159.00 per night.

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What’s nearby?



South Parade is three-minute walk from the city centre and close to Roman Baths and Pulteney Bridge. The train station is just down the street, and a public car park lies directly opposite.  

Verdict: Hotel Indigo Bath has a great choice of bedroom styles yet maintains a boutique aura and gives off a trendy vibe. It has a great location in the heart of Bath and a great restaurant too.

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