Beautiful Bathrooms

Fluffy towels and fragrant toiletries to spacious showers and enormous bathtubs (sometimes even two…), there are few greater pleasures in life than a luxurious hotel bathroom. We discover some of the UK’s most sumptuous spaces where you can get squeaky clean in style.

1. The Ark Royal Signature Suite at Malmaison, Newcastle

The Ark Royal Signature Suite

Image ©Adrian Houston Limited

If you don’t want to waste precious time waiting for your travelling companion to finish in the bath, then plump for the sophisticated Signature Suite at Malmaison Newcastle, because here you’ll each get a tub of your own. This stunning open-plan room has the bathroom at its centre, separated from the bedroom by smart glass walls. Other highlights include a spacious walk-in rain shower and vast windows offering fabulous views over Newcastle’s Millennium Bridge, which can be enjoyed from the tub(s). Why not pop a bottle and soak it all up, side by side.

→ The Ark Royal Signature Suite starts at £269 per night, malmaison.com/locations/newcastle

2. Bedroom 2 at At the Chapel, Somerset

Bedroom 2 at At the Chapel

In the centre of trendy Somerset town Bruton, At the Chapel is a stunning, Grade-IIlisted 17th-century former chapel that has been creatively converted into a truly beautiful hotel. The eight luxurious bedrooms here carefully combine contemporary, minimalist interior design with some of the historic building’s original features; no two rooms are the same, and so each bathroom is also totally unique. Our favourite is located on the first floor, in Bedroom 2; here, the sleek and serene space is all white marble and clean lines, with a large walk-in shower and a huge oval-shaped freestanding bath sitting underneath a magnificent 19th-century lancet window. All this plus a generous supply of heavenly scented Bramley toiletries, made nearby in Wiltshire.

→ Bedroom 2 starts at £185 per night, atthechapel.co.uk

3. The Bushby Bacon Suite at The Retreat at Elcot Park

The Bushby Bacon Suite

Image ©Jake Eastham

Named after Anthony Bushby Bacon who owned Elcot Park in the early 19th century, this spacious two-bedroom suite oozes opulence and artistic glamour. Elegant and refined, the airy, whitewalled bathroom has twin sinks, a large walk-in shower and a show-stopping roll-top bath that sits proudly in a large bay window. Made from marble, this clottedcream coloured tub has been beautifully hand-painted with intricate purple wisteria that continues on to the surrounding walls, ‘growing’ all around the room. Three large windows flood the space with natural light, which bounces off the polished wood floor, antique mahogany furniture and the elegant lily shaped golden chandelier that hangs gracefully from the ceiling.

→ The Bushby Bacon Suite starts at £560 per night, retreatelcotpark.com

4. The Heron Suite at Lympstone Manor, Devon

Heron Suite - Lympstone Manor

With spectacular views of the Exe Estuary and the Jurassic Coast, Lympstone Manor is an exceptional five-star country-house hotel with a Michelin-star restaurant, a brand new outdoor pool, and its very own vineyard. There are 21 sumptuous guest rooms and six luxurious shepherd’s huts here, and when it comes to beautiful bathing options, well, guests are spoiled for choice. Several rooms have oval-shaped baths outside on private terraces, and even some of the shepherd’s huts have beautiful outdoor tubs overlooking the vines. For a truly unforgettable bathing experience, the magnificent Heron Suite’s marble bathroom enjoys direct south-facing views across the estuary and has not one, but two glistening gold bathtubs, romantically positioned side by side.

→ Rooms start at £360 per night, lympstonemanor.co.uk

5. Master Bedroom at Gleneagles Townhouse, Edinburgh

Master Bedroom at Gleneagles Townhouse

With inspiring views over Edinburgh, the boutique bedrooms at the newly opened Gleneagles Townhouse pack some serious interiordesign punch. The rooms pair Georgian elegance with contemporary comfort, and guests can relish in regally high ceilings, king-sized beds, wooden floors, antique rugs and panelled walls, and some very gorgeous bathrooms too. Master bedrooms have a separate stylish bathing area hidden away behind chic wooden screens; here, luxurious green marble flooring and original artwork provide the perfect backdrop for a large roll-top slipper bath, complete with gold taps, and a freestanding marble sink with wonderful views over the historic St Andrew Square.

→ Rooms start at £495 per night, gleneagles.com/townhouse

6. The Acacia Suite at Pennyhill Park, Surrey

The Acacia Suite

If high-tech innovation floats your bathroom boat, then check yourself in to Pennyhill Park in Surrey. It features an award-winning spa, a Michelin-star restaurant, and its guestrooms are just as deluxe. In the state-of-the-art Acacia Suite, guests can take a shower lying down. Perfect for those looking for something more invigorating than a bath but with a similar amount of effort required, simply lie flat on the heated mosaic surface and enjoy six different waterjets being simultaneously powered at different parts of the body. This cutting-edge bathroom also features soothing blue lighting, a large walk-in shower and a waterproof ‘Aquavision’ TV.

→ The Acacia Suite starts at £565 per night, exclusive.co.uk/pennyhill-park

7. The Cabin at Settle, Norfolk

The Cabin

Image ©India Hobson

Home to three beautifully designed and decorated accommodation spaces, Settle is nestled within blissfully private parkland in South Norfolk. Combining enormous windows, reclaimed marble and aged timber, the stunning bathroom in the lakeside Cabin is home to a sizeable shower, a porcelain basin and a vast stone egg bath, perfectly positioned for soaking up the surroundings, both inside and out. Tumbling houseplants, soft towels and La-Eva toiletries add to the stylish serenity of this gorgeous space. Outside lies another picturesque bathing option – a wood-heated bath set on a private deck overlooking a rather magical lily pad-covered lake.

→ The Cabin is £1,080 for 3 nights, settlenorfolk.co.uk

8. Deluxe Beach Lodge at Carbis Bay Hotel, Cornwall

Deluxe Beach Lodge at Carbis Bay Hotel

Image ©Kieran Brimson

Just around the bay from the artistic town of St Ives, Carbis Bay Estate is a super luxurious five-star hotel and spa that sits directly on the sweeping white sands of its very own 25-acre Blue Flag beach. Its beautifully appointed Deluxe Beach Lodges, which sleep eight, maximise their seaside location and the panoramic coastal views at every turn; even the plush marble bathrooms offer stunning copper roll-top baths and walk-in showers that directly overlook the turquoise-blue bay. There aren’t many places where you can grab a glass of Cornish fizz, lie back, and spot dolphins from the comfort of the tub...

→ Beach Lodges start at £1,200 per night, carbisbayhotel.co.uk

9. Rock View Suite at The Cashel Palace, County Tipperary

Rock View Suite at The Cashel Palace

In the heart of Ireland, just an hour's drive east from Limerick, Cashel Palace is a grand Palladian manor that has been splendidly reimagined into a luxurious hotel, thanks to a recent multimillion-euro renovation. For a specialoccasion stay, the two elegant Rock View Suites on the first floor of the main house feature high ceilings, a romantic four-poster bed, an original fireplace and soothing muted tones. The sumptuous en-suite marble bathroom is as pretty as a picture, with framed botanical paintings, smart toiletries from French brand Memo, fluffy towels and an indulgently deep marble bath that offers fabulous views of the famed Rock of Cashel.

→ Rock View Suites start at €729 per night, cashelpalacehotel.ie

The Lookout at THE PIG- on the Beach, Dorset

The Lookout

Image ©Jake Eastham

The PIG offers plenty of unique bathrooms across its litter of stylish hotels and beautifully designed bedrooms, but The Lookout at its Dorset outpost is particularly special. Tucked away just beyond the hotel’s abundant vegetable garden, this picture-perfect hideaway for two is in fact an incredibly romantic two-storey dovecote, complete with thatched roof. Inside, there’s a four-poster bed and a wood burner on the ground floor. Head upstairs, and you’ll find the show-stopping bathroom, complete with a monsoon shower, a velvet chaise longue, and a freestanding bath surrounded by enormous windows, which provide gorgeous views of the gardens and stunning Jurassic Coast beyond. And that’s not all – there’s a statement chandelier hanging from the vaulted ceiling, a handy telescope for boat spotting, and a second wood burner to keep you cosy as you bathe. Grab a garden-inspired cocktail from the minibar (it’s a tough choice between the lemon drop chili margarita and the verbena cosmo) turn on the taps, and float away.

→ The Lookout starts at £605 per night, thepighotel.com

Text by Sophie Farrah