Venture to the West country to The Bath Arms for one of the friendliest and charming hotels you will find around.
For a weekend away from the hustle and bustle of city life, this boutique hotel is the ideal remedy to the stresses and strains of the working week and will have you feeling recharged, revived and completely reluctant to leave.
The Bath Arms is a quirky gem, located in the quintessentially English village of Horningsham, about 30 minutes outside of Bath and close to the famed Longleat estate.
The exterior exudes the warm charm of a country abode, which leads into a ground floor bar, reception and dining room. Country chic is personified in this area of the hotel, with roaring fireplaces, flagstone floors, wooden beams and even a friendly, neighbourhood dog who resides in the bar. Intimate and cosy The Bath Arms definitely is and we were instantly whisked up to our bedroom by one of the delightful staff for our one night stay.
The design of each room is entirely different and all of The Bath Arms’ rooms are a quirky melange of the exotic and unique.
Our designated room was the Peacock, a sumptuous Rajasthan-style palace in the heart of Wiltshire. Absolutely spotless and inviting, we were instantly drawn to the enormous four poster bed complete with carved wooden peacock headboard and beautifully soft white cotton bedding. These ornate, yet welcoming touches were an added delight, with glass peacock lightshades dotted on the walls, a beautiful roll top bath and rich, silk furnishings, offering an extremely luxe, yet warm welcome to our very own Indian inspired boudoir.
A fantastic selection of teas and coffee were provided, along with some locally produced organic elderflower vodka, a thoughtful and distinctly adult touch which set the tone of our stay nicely.
We made our way down to the restaurant for dinner, where an utterly gastronomical treat lay in store. The thoroughly attentive, friendly and professional manager welcomed us with the relaxed charm that really makes The Bath Arms such a winning hotel.
Our meal had the standard of a Michelin starred restaurant but was in no means stuffy. After our spectacular meal, all featuring only the finest locally sourced ingredients and award-winning dishes, we decided on a nightcap, testing the knowledge of the barman, who created some special cocktails for us at our request. No task was too small for any member of staff and they easily accommodated our request for breakfast in our room, as opposed to in the restaurant area.
After a relaxing nights sleep we were welcomed with our fresh and tasty breakfast, before reluctantly heading back to the city, secretly wishing for the snow to stop us from heading back to London.
The Bath Arms is the perfect place for a weekend break, whether it is as a couple, or even with kids. A boutique environment, set in idyllic countryside, with the friendliest staff we have ever encountered; we can’t recommend it enough.
Need to Know
Number of Rooms: 15
Check Out Time: 11am, but flexible subject to availability.
Facilites: Retro skittles alley. In rooms: TV and DVD, free WiFi, Apothecary toiletries, hot drinks facilities.
How To Get There: About 2 and a half hours from London, traveling on the M4. Also within easy reach of Bath, Salisbury and Stonehenge, Warminster, Wincanton and Frome. Just 15 minutes drive from the A303.
Rates: Double rooms from £137.00, excluding tax at 20 per cent.
Children Longleat Safari Park is on your doorstep, and a family of pigs in the hotel garden like to say hello. There is a charge of £20 per night for each child sharing a room with parents (maximum two children).
The Bath Arms at Longleat, The Common, Horningsham, Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 7LY
For more ideas of weekend breaks away, check out our hotel reviews page.