The Francis Hotel Bath — Attraction in Bath

A charming and enjoyably decadent hotel in the centre of Bath.

We were greeted on arrival by a polite well dressed valet and our bags were unpacked and the car driven away to the car park (at the rear of the hotel). Immediately, I felt rather spoilt a hint of grandeur to come. The foyer however is very small, and acts as a walk way between guest lounges, but checking in was quick and handled by attentive and kind staff.

We had a room on the second floor at the front of the hotel, and whilst the windows weren't particularly good at blocking noise from the street, the room itself was almost regal. A four poster bed, richly coloured decor and plenty of paintings and oddities to keep you looking around the room. I very much liked the painting hung from the ceiling above the bed.

The shower was very hot with significant pressure and there was a selection of toiletries available; all of which I'd be happy to buy and use again from home.

We heard no noise from the rest of the building and enjoyed a good nights sleep.

The location of the hotel is within immediate walking distance of shops and attractions, and Bath isn't particularly large anyway. We visited during the Christmas markets and were less than 5 minutes away from the very centre of all the goings on.

Wi-Fi was free and of a good speed. Parking was free too for the duration of the stay, but quite expensive to stay afterwards. However, during Christmas the near car parks were so full it would have been better to accept the cost. We ended up driving 9 miles outside Bath to get to a Park-and-Ride to then be bussed back in and out. Keep the car in the car park and accept the cost as a luxury to be so close to the centre of Bath.

Breakfast was neat and plentiful, but nothing exceptional. Service was attentive, if a little plain. There was lots on offer, and my wife, who is gluten intolerant, was able to find plenty to eat without fear of contamination.

Overall, I would heartily recommend this hotel. I would have liked to have stayed longer and enjoyed the hotel lounges and relaxed further into their plush and decadent offering, but for the experience had with a one night stay, I...

Stayed here for a couple of nights this week. Staff very friendly and welcoming. Some good Covid measures taken, staff wore face coverings, hand sanitiser readily available. Though like this post spelling mistakes on some of the Covid action posters up and around the hotel. Changes made due to Covid fully explained in information letter handed to us, and explained by the Concierge, i. e. Bedroom was not going to be internally serviced during our two night stay, apart from changing of one used towel in bathroom, but not the soaps or shampoos, which was not a problem, but I thought for the standard of hotel it was a detail missed, as was the fork on our bedroom floor (which we assume was from a previous guest, as it was not ours), so possibly a little improvement to detail when staff do tend room would be good. Limited amount of parking was available at the back of the hotel, though I do not think there would be enough spaces if the hotel was busier. Breakfast was nice (included in the price of our stay), possibly a bit expensive for what it was if paying separately. Dining room staff, as per the Receptionist, and the Concierge, were very friendly and attentive. The hotel is a number of grand old houses that have been made into one hotel, and I liked the little blue plaque in the corridor explaining who lived in the particular house part you were walking through. Location was great. Litteraly a few minutes walk to the shopping centre, Bath Abbey and Roman Baths, also near a theatre unfortunately is currently closed due to restrictions. The bedroom (number 37) itself was lovely, and whilst not the largest room I have ever stayed in, it was plenty big and nicely laided out, with chairs and table. The bed was large (I think two combined together) and comfortable. We both had a great night's sleep, both nights. The room was facing a side street, and was quite at night (and in the day too, to be honest). All in all, we had a lovely stay here, and if we were to visit Bath again, we would more than happily stay...

I've previously lived in Bath and have also come back to visit countless times, as such I have a lot of experience with hotels in the area.

Firstly, the location of the hotel is great. Walking distance to most of the things you'd want to do/see in Bath, no issues with that.

I booked a double room which was advertised as 'newly refurbished room with a seriously comfy double bed'. The reality however was far from this. The room didn't look like it'd been refurbished in years.

The main cause for my 1 star rating is the fact they gave us two single beds pushed together. Everyone knows that this is extremely uncomfortable for couples to share, and it's certainly NOT a 'seriously comfy double bed'. I couldn't share a bed with my partner, ruining the entire hotel experience. Might as well have slept on a bench in front of the Abbey, would've been just as comfortable and cost less compared to the extortionate gouged price of £250 a night.

The bathroom had black mould in many places, there was dust on almost every surface. TV didn't work and neither did the lift on arrival.

I don't usually bother writing reviews, but the attitude towards me and the handling of my complaint has been ridiculously poor. I submitted a feedback form hoping to speak to someone a couple days after the booking. I heard back from someone who asked for more info. I gave more info at which point I was contacted by their 'Guest Relations Manager'. I've since sent three emails to this person, all have gone unanswered. I can only assume they're ignoring me in the hope I simply forget, or drop it. That's not good enough.

In short, avoid this overpriced hotel. If you book a double you'll get a single. If you complain...