The Royal Bath Hotel (formerly the De Vere Royal Bath) was the town’s first hotel with first-class sea views. Steeped in grandeur and with a fascinating heritage, Bournemouth’s four-star Royal Bath Hotel basks in majestic sea views with an enviable position on the town’s East Overcliff, overlooking Bournemouth pier and beyond. Nestled in three acres of mature gardens, glorious views abound at the 207-bedroom hotel, with its three restaurants and health spa attracting devotees far and wide.
By Royal Appointment
A south coast landmark, sharing its birthday with the coronation day of Queen Victoria in 1838, the ‘Bath Hotel’ was also Bournemouth’s first, with the ‘Royal’ added to the title after the Prince of Wales, Edward V11 stayed here in 1856. The historic architecture of this Victorian grande dame captures the charm of a bygone era. A magnet for the glitterati of the day, famous guests flocked in droves to enjoy the hotel’s sumptuous surrounds. David Lloyd George, Benjamin Disraeli and Oscar Wilde were frequent guests. Wilde was such a regular that the hotel’s restaurant, Oscars, was named after him.
Year-round regular offers add to the hotel’s vibrancy and appeal, with special deals over the Christmas and Easter breaks and half terms, plus mid-week and one-off events marking occasions like Valentine’s night, offering special treats like pamper weekends and celebrating the town’s annual air festival. With various sized hotel rooms and suites, the Royal Bath caters for everyone including families and, what’s more, the hotel is pooch friendly, so your canine companions are most welcome.
Price range: £35 – £133 (Average rates for a standard room)
Check in: 3pm
Check out: 10am
Parking: A valet service with limited spaces on-site £20 per night. Public parking close by.
Your health, pleasure and leisure
The Royal Bath Hotel’s ‘Spindles’ Health and Leisure Club is a haven for peace and tranquillity, where you can be pampered royally with ESPA therapies in a sumptuous private treatment room. If you’re feeling more energetic, you can pump iron in the state-of-the-art gym complete with fully equipped cardiovascular equipment too. An array of soothing spa treatments such as aromatherapy facials, Indian head massages, body-wraps and back treatments ensure frazzled guests can truly unwind. For those wanting gentle exercise, a leisurely swim in the indoor pool ticks the boxes rounded off by a session in the Jacuzzi and Steam Room. With health, beauty and fitness professionals on hand and at your service, you will relax and unwind in no time.
Spindles opening times
Monday-Sunday 7am-9pm (last entrance 1 hour before closing). The Christmas period and Bank Holidays may operate reduced opening hours, so check on the health club notice boards during your stay or call the Royal Bath’s friendly team in advance on 01202 204910 for more information or to pre-book your spa treatments.
Beautiful breakfasts at Oscar’s Brasserie
What finer way to start your day than by enjoying a sumptuous breakfast in the brasserie with its picturesque garden vistas overlooking the lush green lawns and mature shrubs? A mouth-watering selection of hot and cold food fare caters for all palates, from a full English to continental croissants, fruit and granola. Open for breakfast 7am-10am, you can also return for dinner in the evening between 6:30pm-9pm.
Local delicacies at Oscar’s Restaurant
Upping the food ante is the super fine British cuisine served up in the hotel’s main dining room, Oscar’s Restaurant. The chef makes the most of locally caught fresh fish and seasonal produce. Dorset is a region well known for cultivating many talented food producers. For wine connoisseurs, an impressive wine list indulges every palate and complements every plate. Open daily 6:30pm-9pm.
Dine and unwind in The Lounge
What makes a hotel stand out is service and how it offers something for everyone – the Royal Bath Hotel delivers on all counts. The lovely relaxing lounge is open all day from 9am-11pm for tasty light bites, a glass of wine or ale, or just a coffee and a newspaper. Soak up the chilled atmosphere with a selection of delicious sandwiches and snacks at lunchtime. Or take a pew at teatime for the traditional Dorset afternoon tea with homemade scones and clotted cream – the perfect way to while away your luxurious seaside stay.
Lazy last orders
For an evening cocktail or aperitif, to a post-dinner nightcap, two of the hotel’s late night bars, the Lounge Bar and Wilde’s Whisky Snug, cover every occasion for a relaxing drink in some seriously comfy sofas and armchairs.
Home, suite home
Each of the Royal Bath’s 207 well-equipped bedrooms includes satellite TV and free WiFi. Some enjoy picturesque views of the secluded grounds and sea vistas across the bay – the different types of rooms cater for various guests’ tastes and budgets. Whether you’re a business executive, a single travellers or travelling as a family, a couple or with those with mobility needs to consider there is a room for everyone. Take your pick from Accessible Twin Room, Executive and Standard Twin Rooms, Double and Single Rooms or luxuriate at the top end in a Four Poster Double and Sea View Double. You can block-book multiple rooms, and even celebrate your wedding here. In fact, The Royal Bath Hotel is one of the town’s most popular wedding venues, with a long heritage of beaming brides and grooms tying the knot here.
Each bedroom has the expected en-suite facilities (including flatscreen TV, direct dial telephone, tea and coffee making, iron and ironing board) even a hairdryer, a practical masterstroke for anyone with long hair or an intricate haircut that requires styling (wedding parties take note).
Another savvy touch is the Double Suite option, (two large interlinked rooms containing a double bed and two sofa beds), perfect for families and offering a sea view or balcony. Other rooms such as the en-suite Double City are windowless as these rooms are internal, so decide what’s important for your stay.
For job vacancies at the Royal Bath Hotel and careers in hospitality visit www.britanniahotels.com/recruitment. If you’ve been inspired to book your next seaside break at the Royal Bath, click ‘Book Online’ today. Or contact hotel reservations directly on 0871 221 0204.