*gifted stay
Hey Owlets,
If you've been following my Instagram you'll know I've been pretty much living out of a suitcase recently. If I'm honest I absolutely love travelling this much and one of the best parts is getting to stay in so many different places. It's so inspiring to see how each place offers something different, the different decor, how hands on the staff are and of course comparing the food! One of my most recent trips took me to the beautiful Abbey Hotel in Bath. The luxurious four star hotel is laid out across three Georgian townhouses, just around the corner from the famous Abbey.
Unlike many other luxury hotels, The Abbey is jammed full of character; each room is unique, styled according to different themes. While you can tell there is a theme, it's not intrusive and doesn't get in the way of the function of the room and isn't distracting in any way. During my visit I stayed in the cinematography room - it wasn't made clear to me what the theme was so I'd guessed photography/cinematography and my suspicions were confirmed after a chat at reception, so if you're curious to see what your room is called go and ask!
Despite most of the rooms following a 20th century theme they're not any less packed with mod-cons; in the bathroom there was a light-up makeup mirror (my hotel stays are beginning to make me wonder how I've lived without one this far) and in the bedroom there's a Smart TV where you could connect your phone to listen to music, although it didn't seem to be a fan of Apple as despite trying for a good 20 minutes I couldn't connect it and went back to playing music from my laptop. However, given how helpful all of the staff were I'm sure if you'd called them they would have come to try and fix it for me!
During my travels I've found that a lot of hotels say they're luxury, but really they mean the accommodation is decadent and the rest of the hotel is standard. The Abbey, however, have thought of absolutely everything. At one point I needed a safety pin and asked at reception thinking I was clutching at straws - to my surprise I was presented with a box that contained a mini sewing kit among other things and was told that "every good hotel should be able to look after everything you need, Miss". Maybe I've just not stayed at any good hotels before, but I was seriously impressed.
One of the hotel's biggest claims to fame is it's bistro - a collaboration between Pierre Koffman and Marco Pierre White featuring a mix of French and English cuisines. I was so excited to eat there, but if I'm honest it was the only underwhelming part of the stay. To start with the service was excellent but unfortunately it didn't last. Our food had been pre-ordered as our stay was part of a press trip so I wouldn't necessarily have chosen the duck myself, but I was still disappointed after hearing all the hype around the restaurant. The duck was cooked well but it was nothing to write home about, the lentils were bland and watery and the dish was poorly presented with lentils slopped down the side of the dish.
When our food arrived I asked the waiter if it was gluten free and he said he'd check but never actually came back; I understand being distracted on a busy evening but if someone had a more severe reaction than me then I'd be concerned about what I was eating. Since coming home I've looked at the reviews and most of them are great so maybe they were having an off-night, and not being able to choose what we ate didn't help. While my experience wasn't great it doesn't appear to be the norm so I'd recommend going to try it for yourself - I would probably give it another chance in the future too.
After dinner we moved into the newly opened ArtBar. Usually hotel bars are just there out of necessity but this is one of the most unique and well thought out bars I've been in for quite a while. The walls are filled with art from local creators, and vintage glasses hang from the ceiling to reflect the light, acting almost like a disco ball. The paint-splattered tables are home to a sketchbook and pencils, encouraging you to get creative and doodle while you enjoy your drinks. Although I am assured that the contents is closely monitored, just in case you've enjoyed a few too many drinks before putting pen to paper!
Overall I would absolutely recommend staying at The Abbey Hotel - it's one of those places that even if you're local to the South West you could go for a little getaway/staycation. The hotel is in the perfect location and it's beautiful, decadent and spotlessly clean. The bar is the perfect space to relax without the sometimes tacky over-the-top theming that other bars suffer from and it's a great creative space to hold a meeting or get some work done during the day. Yes, I did find the restaurant a little underwhelming but given the usual glowing reviews it receives online I'd give it another chance, and I think choosing something you know you'd enjoy would make a huge difference to the outcome.
What do you think, would you stay here? Let me know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram,
Love and Feathers,
The Owlet 💜
You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Pinterest
This hotel stay was gifted as part of a press trip with Visit Bath. I was not asked to write a review of the hotel, but I wanted to share it as it's such a beautiful place. As always, these views are mine only and are not affected by my collaboration with any company.
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