Francis Hotel Bath

The hotel is set in a terrace of nine adjoining Georgian townhouses. The Grade I listed building was constructed between 1728 and 1736 by John Wood, the Elder, a leading architect of the time who was responsible for much of Bath’s Georgian architecture including Queen Square, the Circus and the Royal Mineral Water Hospital. Wood lived in one of the townhouses that would later be transformed into this hotel.

A hotel has existed on this site since 1858 when Solomon Francis, for whom this hotel is named, set up a boarding house in one of the townhouses. After his death, his widow bought up the adjacent townhouses and expanded the hotel. The Francis Hotel was extensively renovated in 1952–53 and again in 2010–12. The Beatles stayed at the hotel in 1963.

It was formerly part of Accor’s Sofitel MGallery chain, however, it is now operated independently.

The hotel’s 98 air-conditioned guest rooms all have comfortable beds, a writing desk, a sitting area, a flatscreen television, ironing facilities, a fridge, tea and coffee making facilities and an en suite bathroom with bathrobes and White Company toiletries. Two of the ground-floor rooms are adapted for wheelchair access.

At 18.85m² (203 sq ft) the classic rooms are smaller than you would expect from a hotel of this standard but superior and feature rooms are more spacious and also have larger beds and Nespresso coffee machines.

The interior decor in the rooms and the public areas of the hotel is evocative of the Regency era, the period at the end of the Georgian era when Jane Austen’s novels were set.

The hotel restaurant, Boho Marché, has a menu featuring a fusion of Moroccan and Mediterranean cuisine. It is noted for its particularly good weekend brunch and the adjoining Emily’s Tea Room is a nice spot for afternoon tea. There is also a nice lounge bar where you can relax with a cocktail or a glass of wine. The hotel’s central location also means that there are plenty of other places to eat and drink on your doorstep.

The Francis Hotel is on the southern side of Queen Square at the western end of the city centre, around halfway between the Theatre Royal and the Jane Austen Centre, which are both only a one-minute walk away. Other points of interest nearby include the Assembly Rooms, Bath Abbey, the Circus, the Fashion Museum, the Museum of East Asian Art, the Roman Baths, Thermae Bath Spa and the Victoria Art Gallery, which are all within a five-minute walk from the hotel.

Valet parking is available for £15 per day.