With an outdoor hydrotherapy pool and extensive spa suite, the Bath Spa capitalises on the city’s Roman reputation for healing waters. But that’s all hidden out of site when we arrive at the hotel - the lobby's traditional décor oozes country house credentials.

At check-in we felt like relatives visiting a distant cousin's mansion. By the time we found ourselves padding along the thickly carpeted corridor to our room, we decided that we must have been that cousin's favoured relative: our room had a huge four-poster bed and a view of the hotel’s seven-acres of manicured lawns with the Bath cityscape in the background.

The bedroom's design was traditional in style but the furnishings were all new: the plush bed dominated the room, and it was surrounded by furnishings in muted shades of brown and cream, including two armchairs that were big enough to curl up in, two tables, a large desk, flat-screen TV, and large wall paintings of Bath scenes. The large, tiled bathroom had a bidet, bath/shower, surround-sound to drown out singing in the shower and the ubiquitous - but still lovely - stash of Molton Brown toiletries.

Oh, and there was a trouser press and ironing board for those inclined towards sartorial neatness. We definitely were not, so we took our crumpled clothes and rumbling bellies to the Vellore restaurant for dinner.

The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath

The grandeur may be a little faded, but the food and spa still impresses Lucy Tobin

The Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel, Sydney Road, Bath

A disappointing breakfast was more than made up for by the evening meal and spa

BACKGROUND

• Homewood Park, Hinton Charterhouse, Bath

• Lucknam Park Hotel, Colerne, Bath

• Dorian House, Bath

• The Queensberry, Bath

• Milsoms Hotel, Bath

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When the Bath Spa was a private house, the Vellore was its ballroom. Nowadays, its activities are less exotic, but the food made up for it.

My Jerusalem artichoke soup (£6) was thick and delicious. The following chicken supreme with leek tart and fondant potato (£17) was drizzled with a sauce so good I needed extra bread to mop it up. My boyfriend went for smoked salmon (served, like the restaurant, amidst “traditional accompaniments”), and steak and chips (£21) - and declared it delicious.

After crème brulee (£8) for dessert we were glad our room was a short waddle away, and sleep, between the four-poster’s crisp sheets, wasn’t far behind.

The next morning, breakfast - included in our rate - was disappointing.

There were a few cereals, some anaemic-looking watermelon, a couple of other fruits and pastries, plus a few plates of pinkish scrambled eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes and bacon. We ordered tea and hot drinks, but the overworked staff forgot our order. Even my boyfriend, who has the appetite of ten labradors, could only bothered to take two trips to the buffet.

But the hotel soon fell back in favour when we paid a visit to its spa. After a few laps in the indoor pool, we spent an hour lazing in the hot outdoor hydrotherapy pool. Looking up at the bright blue sky it felt more like May in Miami than February in Bath.

Then it was onto explore the thermal suite, infra red cabin, rock sauna, ice room and salt infusion room – where we took any scientific claims with a literal pinch of salt and relaxed.

By the time we actually made it out of the hotel and got round to exploring Bath city, we’d plenty of proof that our modern spa innovations have improved since the hot spring baths of the Roman times.

The reviewers on Tripadvisor.co.uk, who gave the hotel an overall average score of 3.5/5, also make complaints about the food: most rate the hotel with top marks for location and cleanliness, but it is let down by poorer ratings of service and value, with several describing the hotel as overpriced. There are also some complaints about thin walls, but copious praise for the spa and pool.

Bottom line: Our classic four-poster room cost £310 inc. breakfast. Classic rooms inc. breakfast start at £180.

Best thing: the spa

Worst thing: the breakfast

Access all areas: A range of accessible rooms with handrails, extra space and alarms to reception.

Need to know: The Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel, Sydney Road, Bath, BA2 6JF; tel: 0844 879 9000; www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/bathspa

Food: dinner 8 out of 10, breakfast 5 out of 10

Service: 8 out of 10

Room: 9 out of 10

Value: 8 out of 10

Four word review: chintzy luxury relaxing pools

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