The Gainsborough Bath Spa, the first UK hotel to be owned and operated by YTL Hotels, will soft open on 1 July. The facility will feature Spa Village Bath – YTL’s international brand concept of a thermal Romanesque bathing circuit.

Designed by London-based EPR Architects along with New York-based Champalimaud Design in collaboration with a number of other interior designers, the hotel will retain its Georgian characteristics and will have marble bathrooms, burl wood inlaid wardrobes and draperies that frame the property’s tall windows.

The Grade-II listed building housed the United Hospital in the 19th century and, more recently, the Bath College of Art & Design – until 2005. Named after the highly-acclaimed painter Thomas Gainsborough, The Gainsborough Bath Spa has selected three students from the College and commissioned them to create exclusive artwork for the hotel to feature prominently in its public spaces.

To promote social bathing, the hotel spa has created a one-hour bathing ritual – a self-guided tour of the thermal pools, saunas, steamroom, ice alcove and relaxation rooms. There are also three pools of different temperatures – cooled from an initial 47ºC (117ºF).

The 99-bedroom hotel will include an exclusive spa suite and two further spa rooms with in-bath access to the thermal waters via a second tap.

The Aroma Bar within the spa allows guests to blend their own oils. Products on offer at the spa are by Neal’s Yard, Kerstin Florian and Amala.

In March 2014 Martin Clubbe was appointed general manager of the hotel, having previously worked for Macdonald Hotels – managing the repositioning of The Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel as a five-star property.

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