Had problems from the word go! First of all the Reception Staff couldnt speak good english and kept telling us that we had not paid for our room and even called me after clearing the situation whilst i was having dinner. I then recieved a further 3 calls one of which was when i returned home telling me that i hadnt paid when i paid when i booked the Hotel back in May. Then we where invoiced for things that we didnt even have. Are breakfast came out incorrect, the toast come out cold the first time and burnt the next and our drinks didnt come at all. For a 5 star hotel the service was really bad. The Hotel was beautiful but i dont think the stay was worth what we paid for it. The Spa was exellent and the staff there were brilliant shame about the staff ever where else!

We have recently returned from a two night stay at the MacDonald Spa Hotel, where we chose to spend our 12th wedding anniversary. The hotel and its grounds were very pleasant and met our expectations from visitor reviews and photos. The service was warm and friendly and the executive double room that overlooked the front of the hotel was clean and met our requirements but was more what you might have expected for a standard double. Although at the time of booking we thought the hotel was overly expensive (?309 for a Saturday stay and ?259 for a Sunday stay – including continental breakfast), we nevertheless decided to treat ourselves as our wedding anniversary is a special occasion. One of the key attractions in choosing this hotel was its spa which had recently been refurbished. On arrival we were unable to book any spa treatments as we were led to believe the spa was fully booked on both Saturday and Sunday, so we suggested that our names were put on a list for any cancellations. On the evening of our first stay we visited the spa for a swim, Jacuzzi and to sample the various spa steam and sauna rooms. Unfortunately the swimming pool was very busy with young, mostly unsupervised children, who along with their parents ignored all the signs that indicated that jumping and diving were not allowed and that children under 14 were not to use the Jacuzzi. Equally, parents ignored the ‘No Outdoor Shoes’ sign. The area was littered with used towels and generally unappealing – consequently we made a hasty retreat to the steam rooms. The rooms appeared fairly new and therefore clean and very pleasant, although again the area around the rooms were littered with towels and slippers – there was no attendant, that we could see, on duty throughout our visit to the spa – so a very disappointing experience. We found the walk into Bath a little too far for us to undertake, so we used the local taxi service. This was very good, friendly and cost ?4.50 per trip. We may have made the walk down the hill but walking back uphill could have been a struggle. Breakfast was available until 10:30 in the main restaurant, and when we arrived at 10:00 the restaurant was very busy with families and large groups, nevertheless we were seated and attended to promptly and courteously. Unfortunately the buffet breakfast was not as inviting, as cereals littered the table and there were only remnants of fresh cheese and salami left, although their was a fair selection of pastries and yoghurts. We therefore decided to opt for a cooked breakfast (at ?6/head extra) – this was very good. As the restaurant was busy, especially with children, it was a little noisy and very messy – disappointing. We assumed the Sunday breakfast experience was due to a busy week-end. The hotel seems to cater for weddings , family celebrations and girly- group bookings – something not made overly clear in the hotel info - so we assumed our experience on Monday might be to a higher standard. Unfortunately, the breakfast table was not, although the restaurant was much quieter. As continental breakfast was ?15 per head we felt the experience should have been significantly better. The hotel bar was located inside the hotel and therefore dark having no windows and access was through a second, more casual restaurant. Two whiskies with ginger cost ?17 – which was too expensive in our opinion. We did not use the bar again. We decided to have our anniversary dinner in the hotel, as the main restaurant, although quite old fashioned, had an ambience on Saturday night that was quite appealing. Unfortunately, the hotel decided that the restaurant would be closed on Sunday, even thought it is advertised as being open. We were assured that the second restaurant (which was more of a corridor with small tables set either side of the aisle) could fulfil our requirements and the restaurant manager would arrange a special table (with tablecloth!) to meet our needs. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the restaurant, the staff seemed unaware of these arrangements, and it looked like another couple had already been seated at our table. So we spent our 12th anniversary dinner in a very average setting and disappointed at the obvious lack of communication. The staff were eventually apologetic and offered us a free glass of champagne(!!!). Equally disappointing was the emphasis the reservation staff had made on ‘dressing for dinner’ – it appeared we were the only ones who had heard that message! On Monday morning we were due to depart for home (11:00 am check out – rather early we thought), and were woken at 8:15am by the Spa Manager who asked us if we were still interested in a spa treatment! Needless to say, we were ready to leave at 11:00 through frustration. Overall, great place, good service, too expensive and probably geared more towards families, large celebrations and groups than to a quiet discerning couple, who like a bit of style!.

Very impressive building with beautiful grounds.We stayed in a room at the back of the hotel which was adequate.Wouldn't say it deserved 5*.Enjoyed the spa facilities, plenty of loungers and very peaceful.Staff very friendly. Breakfast on the first morning was a disaster because we had to queue for 30 minutes due to a staff shortage.The second day it was much improved. Very easy to access the canal for peaceful walks and only a 10 minute walk into the centre of Bath.The weather was glorious so we thoroughly enjoyed exploring on foot.Walked back into town in the evening to eat ,as restaurant prices at hotel looked a bit pricey.Would definetly like to return.

I stayed at the Bath Spa Hotel with my wife at the beginning of April. We booked the Hotel using a well known supermarket's loyalty points scheme so the 3 night stay only cost us ?30 bed and breakfast. Upon arrival at the Hotel we were warmly welcomed and informed that we had been upgraded free of charge to a four poster room at the front of the Hotel. A welcome surprise. The room was excellent, the bed very big and comfortable, flat screen TV with satelite channels, desk, easy chairs etc. The only downside being the air conditioning didn't seem to be very efficient. The bathroom was also very good with everything you would want to a high standard. We chose this Hotel because of its spa facilities. These were of an excellent standard and included in the Hotel rate. I made full use of the various thermal rooms and pools. The spa also offers various treatments at what appear to be a premium price. My wife booked a head massage which was "disappointing" for ?50! We found the bar to be okay but quite small. I must admit I was quite surprised that an Hotel of this standing having such limited bar facilities. On our first night there was a corporate function, we couldn't get anywhere near to get a drink. The Hotel has two restaurants, one of which is in a corridor, well that is what it looked like. I must admit walking through there while people where having their lunch felt quite uncomfortable for us and probaly them. We found a detour to avoid this on the 2nd day. The only meal we had in the restaurant was breakfast. This I must admit let the Hotel down. Although included in our rate, the continental breakfast costs ?14 and if you want anything cooked it costs an additional ?6. ?20 for a full English is far too expensive! All in all this is a very good Hotel worthy of its 5 star status. It is situated in an elevated position overlooking the City in its own very well kept and very pretty grounds. The walk to the centre of Bath is only 10-15 minutes and after a hard days sightseeing is only a ?5 taxi ride back. Would I stay again, probably not if I was paying the rack rate but definitely when I've collected enough points!

My boyfriend and I stayed in a king room on level 2 overlooking the spa over Easter 2008. The room was average sized, slightly dated decor but tidy, clean and comfortable. The room's best points were the bed - very comfortable, and the bathroom, nice and big. The downsides included a dated TV with poor reception. But the worst for us, and the reason we'd never return, was the air conditioning did not work in our room. On questioning the front desk we were given a strange and vague answer 'the rooms are heated until a certain date, then the air conditioning comes on, but I'm not sure when that switch over happens'. In short, we had no working air conditioning in our room, and at times it was stiffling hot even with the window fully open. Our other major disappointment was the hotel's fine dining restaurant Vellore. At around 14 pounds per starter, and 29 pounds per main, we thought we'd treat ourselves. My advice is don't. The service staff were very friendly but (a) we were seated then waited 30 minutes before our order was finally taken - and only then because we went and got a waiter ourselves; (b) when our starters arrived one of them was stone cold, the other wasn't even what was ordered; (c) the food was simply not up to par for the price - decidedly average. The pasta was thick and rubbery for example - in a fine restaurant it should be light and delicate (and not cold! Obviously the head chef does not check meals before they leave the kitchen which is very poor for any restaurant let alone one that charges these prices). Apparently this restaurant has 2 rosettes. I don't know what that means anymore, except I won't be giving that rating system any credibility in future. And while the staff were friendly, they did not offer to reimburse us for the starters, nor even a free coffee after dinner which would have been an appropriate gesture. The experience tarnished our stay at this hotel and we will not be returning.