The Gainsborough in Torbay

An amazing hotel with great location BUT the thing that sets it apart is the extremely high levels of service.

We stayed at the Gainsborough for two nights, a fancy hotel, not what we were used to. The concierge took our bags to our room, hung up our coats and then walked us around our room showing the facilities. We use the complimentary spa time and this was plenty of time to make full use of the facility. The staff couldn't do enough to help. If you didn't want to eat at the hotel, they offered to make calls at restaurants in the city for you. They also offered to call to make plans in the city such as Roman baths or tours. An amazing hotel, I would definitely stay again.

We visit yearly and sometimes twice a year. Love this Hotel very much. The spa is just amazing. do not hesitate to make a booking if the price suits you.

We chose this hotel based on its 5-star rating and glowing reviews, but unfortunately, our experience did not live up to the expectations. While the concierge service started off well, we were surprised by the £40 parking fee for an off-site car park, especially when more affordable options were nearby. Upon check-in, we learned that using the spa would cost an additional £70 per person for three hours, which felt steep, especially given the limited free usage times. We opted to pay, expecting a luxurious experience, but were met with yellow stained robes, messy changing rooms, and no loungers in their relaxation space, contradicting the serene images advertised on their website. The room cleanliness was average, with remnants of the previous guest's stay, such as eyelash extensions on the bathroom floor. Breakfast pricing was exorbitant, at £25 for continental and £40 for cooked options, which we decided to skip for a local café. However, upon checkout, we were inappropriately charged for breakfast we never consumed, and the staff member handling our complaint was rude and unhelpful. While we're willing to pay for premium experiences, the services and amenities at this hotel did not justify the high costs. Despite some positive aspects like the initially helpful concierge and the tranquil spa environment, the overall experience felt lackluster and overpriced. Regrettably, we would not recommend this hotel nor plan to return.

Great central location, staff top notch, rooms good, gym OK, spa looked good etc. Very Bath! Slight down side was it wsd v loud at night with folks out on the town and so soundproofing maybe not the best. But no big issue.

A luxury hotel with all the special touches you want! We stayed here to celebrate our anniversary (having previously stayed here when we got engaged), and this hotel is just as special second time round! CHECK IN EXPERIENCE The experience starts the day or 2 before when I received a call from the hotel confirming my stay but also if I need help with anything (such as parking or dinner reservations etc). Upon arrival we were greeted with a delightful welcome, the team kindly took care of our bags, whilst we checked in. We were shown to our room, whilst also being shown where the spa and gym facilities were. THE SPA We booked in for 2 massages whilst also using the beautiful spa facilities. Hana who looked after me and my troublesome back was fantastic. She really knew what she was doing and offered some extremely helpful advice after as well. The Spa itself was delightful, unlike the Thermae Spa next door which feels tired and dated. The Gainsborough feels exactly like the luxury, modern, and peaceful experience you would come to expect! If you want to enjoy the Bath Spa water, this is where you should come! ROOM The room we stayed in was a courtyard room which was nicely tucked away in a peaceful and calm area, with a lovely courtyard to sit out and enjoy the sun (British weather permitting!). NB the courtyard is shared with a few other rooms. The free use of the minibar is a lovely touch, the bathroom comes with Elemis toiletries, and the bed is large, comfy, and so inviting! We were treated to 2 rounds of treats in our stay, a lovely hand written card celebrating our anniversary with a bottle of Champagne (and it’s proper champagne Billecart-Salmon)!. And after dinner we returned to our room to find a wonderful gift box of Bath Cheese! BREAKFAST You have 2 options of a continental and also cooked (which includes continental). Whilst the buffet does have a lot of lovely food such as smoked salmon, natural yoghurts, and pastries, the cooked/hot options are the real delight! SERVICE Top notch. From the moment we arrived, everyone was so caring and attentive. People we had only met once remembered our name and greeted us by name as we walked past. This is that special kind of service you only find in truly top establishments. CONCLUSION I have stayed in many of the top hotels in the world (Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, Shangri La, and other hotels in the Small Luxury Hotels of the World). The Gainsborough Bath Spa is truly fantastic and is up there with the best of them. When you stay in these top hotels, it’s not just the facilities etc, but it’s the small personal touches and service which makes each one really stand out. And that’s what the Gainsborough has. The Gainsborough Bath Spa ticks all the boxes and is one of the few places that really sticks out as a true gem. So much so that we will be coming back as soon as we can! Just book and stay here, you won’t regret it.

Superlative City stay in Bath. Everything from the service, to the location, to the quality of the lodging was extraordinary. The spa is very well maintained, and has access to the natural spring water that makes Bath famous. The finest hotel experience I've had in my time in the UK - definitely recommend a visit!

When we initially booked the hotel, we went for a flexible rate just in case we needed to cancel. Then when we spoke to the staff for booking the hotel they provided us it’s a non-refundable rates and advised if we’re sure of our plans and closer to the time of our staying there we could convert from the flexible rate to the non-refundable rate which was cheaper. However unfortunately they said there wasn’t any availability to convert it to the non refundable rate which is very disappointing. Also, the member of who I had spoken to on the phone was very rude and unhelpful. We found the opening times of spa for guest was very unreasonable as you could only access it between 8.00am-10.00am and 7.00pm-9.00 pm. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay £50 per per person during other hours. Our first morning in the hotel at 8.00 am, we rang on the phone to order our coffee to our room and was told there’s no any room service even for a coffee until 11.00 am and this is also a subject to a tray fee of £5. We would not expect for a 5-star hotel to not have a room service during morning. Also, we had issues with our heating in the room which was a junior suit and the system is complex. The hotel kindly provided a welcome champaign for us on our first day however whenever the room was cleaned the champagne bottle and the dirty water wasn’t removed. So, we had to leave it outside of our front door. Whenever the room was cleaned shower gel, shampoo and body lotion weren’t provided enough for us- two people.

I really enjoyed my stay here for my wedding anniversary but here are some things that I didn’t like: 1- There was no turndown for the room done in the evening 2- The breakfast was ABSOLUTELY not worth £40 per person. Our food took 30 mins to arrive ( it’s literally avocado toast), the food was very mediocre and the buffet was very poor for the amount we paid. I ordered a pancake that I wasn’t able to cut through from how hard it was. They changed it but it was still the same. There were absolutely no vegetables, very tiny selection of cheese and deli meats and breads. Also, as a luxury hotel that is charging this much for breakfast, the least you can do is offer fresh orange juice instead of packaged.

I stayed here over the summer and it was the most wonderful experience I could’ve asked for. The spa is beautiful, and the service was 10/10.

Always welcomed by everyone. Feel like family. Especially Bhareth who makes me feel very special.

I stayed here for two nights because I wanted to see Bath and relax near London. First of all, the building is very nice and the atmosphere is fantastic... Every single staff member is professional and the rooms are a work of art. Not to mention the spa. I think there was one large lukewarm bathhouse, one hot bathhouse, one hot bathhouse, and three saunas. It was a really nice place. I would like to visit again if I ever go to Bath or nearby.

Extremely relaxing break. The hotel spa is unique, clean and well run.

Everything was perfect. All staff are highly professional and thoughtful, building is warm, clean, charming and with loads of lovely period features. The spa facilities are top notch for relaxing, destressing, spa therapies. Room price cheap for how much you get for your money. We will be back!

Booked a room through hyatt and received a complimentary bottle of wine, complimentary mini bar which included sodas, water, beer, tea, and espresso, 2 pm late check-out (staff also offered early check-in), and complimentary breakfast for 2. The spa village includes a warm tub, hot tub, warm pool, steam room, sauna, infrared sauna, and ice alcove. Staff was friendly and helpful. Breakfast was high quality.

Just got back from a 5 night stay here. On arrival a concierge appeared to open my door and unload the car. While we checked in our luggage was taken to our room. The room was fabulous, nice large bed, all the facilities you need. Spa access was 8-10 and 7-9 pm. Waters from the thermal spring were amazing. There were 2 baths, 1 warms and 1 hot, an infra red sauna, normal sauna, ice area, steam room and the main pool with jets and jacuzzi areas. We also had a massage which was lovely. The hotel was spotless, the staff were very polite and friendly. Little things like providing an umbrella when we went out in the rain. We had breakfast there and dinner. The meals were fantastic and again the staff were amazing. I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone looking to stay in Bath, the spa is amazing and the hotel is fantastic 😍

One of the nicest UK hotel stays I have ever had ! BUT, I'm glad this was as part of an Amex Platinum Fine Hotel stay, which included spa credits and breakfast allowance. Not sure I'd be up to using all my own money for a 40GBP cooked breakfast and 150GBP massage. Let me be clear, the breakfast was one of the nicest cooked breakfasts I have ever had ANYWHERE ! but I'm a 58YO self made guy, who has a problem letting go of 40GBP, no matter how good THE BREAKFAST was :O Service, from check in, to spa, to breakfast, to check out, IMPECCABLE. I simply could not fault it. The Spa massage experience, again, I could not fault it. But 150GBP plus tip, for one hours massage ...... If I had been paying for everything out of my own pocket without any credits or deals, this could easily have been a 500+GBP ONE NIGHT experience. That's too rich for my blood, but, having said that, I can't tell you it wouldn't be worth it, as this was easily a 95/100 expereince. Where's the missing 5 points you ask ? well, my room did have a slightly unusual musty odor, when entering the room. You forgot about it within minutes. I think this is just a result of the age of the building and being built on very humid Roman baths. Also, my TV was temperamental, requiring me to switch on/off a couple of times. I think the old adage of you get what you pay for is definitely true for this hotel. It really is top class, but unfortunately, it's probably a grade or two higher than my conscience will allow.

Lovely hotel, very friendly staff (you feel like you’re taken care of) and the thermal pools are fantastic. Well worth staying just for the pools, but everything else is to a high standard as well. Rooms are spacious with nice amenities. Very well-located.

This Hotel is absolutely amazing, the spa with thermal water is well managed and super clean❤️

My partner and I organised a couples spa package here which did not include a room. The package was well arranged with treatments and afternoon tea included. The treatment itself (full body massage) was top quality with professional, friendly and accommodating staff and great spa facilities. The pool and saunas & steam rooms were a great addition and changing room facilities couldn't be faulted. We couldn't get a booking at Thermae spa nearby so went with Gainsborough instead and would love to do again.

Superb spa hotel right in the centre of Bath. Parking is an issue but otherwise the location is perfect. Can't wait to return.

Not providing flipflops anymore and no information about it on the website. It's not as good as it used to be.

We cannot fault this hotel after our 2 night city break. Every inch of the hotel is spotlessly clean and maintained to a very high standard . All the staff we encountered were all polite, friendly, helpful and nothing was too much trouble as they genuinely wanted you to enjoy your stay. Our room was an executive room which was an upgrade to the deluxe one we had originally booked however the hotel had called a couple of days before arrrival to offer to upgrade for a nominal fee so we thought why not. Again all spotlessly clean and well looked after even though the buildings are listed. The spa facilities and gym are both well equipped with the spa being available exclusively to hotel guests at certain times of the day. Whilst we did not done at the brasserie we did have a very nice cocktail in the bar. Whole hearted recommend this as a hotel right in the middle of bath, close to all the main landmarks.

This is the best hotel I've ever stayed in - and the spa is just heavenly. Can't wait to visit again soon 💜

Came here for a spa day. Excellent venue more on the pricier side though which is to be expected from a 5 star hotel. The afternoon Tea was included in the spa day which is the main reason for the review. At £38 a person it was rather disappointing. The desserts were good and the tea was great but the sandwiches and the rest definitely wasn't worth the price. As an add on for the Spa day it's perfect but I'd rather go somewhere else for a fancy afternoon Tea and cakes.

Great location in the centre of Bath. Staff were very friendly and efficient. Only a couple of tiny things would have improved our stay. Our suite was spacious but very cold and the air conditioning unit was very slow to regulate temp. The room phone was not working so we phoned the hotel main number from our mobile and were eventually transferred to reception to ask for a spare blanket which was swiftly delivered to the room. Most rooms I've stayed in have a spare bedspread in the cupboard but not here. The hot breakfast was very over priced at £30 each. I had a roman spa treatment which was wonderful and the spa area itself was clean and well laid out, only one jacuzzi area was working in the pool. The concierge was wonderful and made a booking for Oak restaurant where we had an amazing vegetarian feast. We would stay there again

We’ve been to the Gainsborough about 4 times previously - it was the first place I took my now wife when we began dating so it held a special place in our hearts. This time however I am incredibly disappointed. This 5* spa hotel has decided it is somehow acceptable to make their spa only available during early morning (when you want to sleep) and evening (when you want to go out for dinner). If you want access any other time you either need to book a £100+ massage or pay a £70 entry fee. Guests used to get access throughout the day, and having a spa hotel ration its main attraction in order to profiteer off guests is insulting. This was particularly infuriating as my wife is pregnant, so doesn’t really have energy to go walking/ out and about all day. @Gainsborough, you are a 5* hotel, so behave like one - this kind of upselling customers is what I’d expect from Ryanair. We will not be coming back, you should be ashamed.

It has been a pleasure spending a few days in Bath, and staying at the Gainsborough hotel made my weekend break fabulous. The hotel provided everything I needed - a spacious and quiet room, a gym, and most importantly, an amazing spa! It was wonderful to wake up in the morning, go to the gym, relax in the spa, and then have breakfast. After a few hours of sightseeing, I would return to the spa to unwind and prepare for a fantastic massage. Every member of the staff, from the housekeeper to the concierge who helped me find a restaurant for dinner, was incredibly attentive. I cherished every moment and I will definitely be returning!

The hotel is definitely too expensive for what it offers. The rooms are very average, the restaurant is closed on Sundays and Mondays, the spa area is free from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., otherwise only open for treatments. Without treatments (at least 150 pounds) entry costs 70 pounds, even for hotel guests, very unfair. breakfast 40 pounds. Unfortunately it's not worth it. Staying in this hotel is not recommended!

Just stunning, everything you need and want in a hotel. Luxurious, and welcoming. So Central you can walk everywhere.

Quite possibly the best UK hotel I’ve ever stayed in. Made our Christmas! Thank you for a brilliant stay.

Fabulous spa day. Not cheap but worth every penny for exclusivity. Massage from Solaris (sorry about spelling) was fabulous. As was afternoon tea. All staff so helpful and friendly. Worth going for the spiced chocolate alone!

Really enjoyed my stay. Food was lovely, staff all very helpful, perfect location and would definitely come again. Only a slight negative mark (which is why it's not 5 🌟) is the bathrooms, which show lots of signs of wear/usage, and a 5🌟 hotel should do better in that department.

Restaurant supervisor Dylan is amazing. Couldn’t have asked for a better supervisor for this restaurant. Knew his role and how to execute it. Couldn’t have asked for more!

Meh. It’s got an upmarket vibe but really it’s not a 5 star. The spa is ok, nothing special- yes the water is hot but they really could have added to the experience as opposed to dining off the fact that it’s thermal waters. There were no nice warm loungers, the robes were cotton like you get at centre parcs! No atmosphere or anything. Treatment was ok but nothing great. The room was nice- could do with mini bar and drinks options- for example there were no non caffeinated options for a pre bed drink. No turndown service either. All these things make a hotel 5 star. Also the customer services are not on site so things get lost in translation such as the wrong treatment being booked. Breakfast was rubbish considering the cost. However the location is faultless and great in the winter time.

Como se describe en mi crítica hotel este restaurante que ahora se llama 'El 1881 Restaura no y ya no el Gainsborough restaurante es bastante elegante, muy bien dirigido y sirve comida de calidad. El personal es muy amable y muy eficiente. La comida es muy buena. Música suave, y el restaurante tiene vistas al mar.

Las palabras no pueden expresar lo agradecidos que estaban de la personal en el Grand Hotel en la noche de mi fiesta de 70 cumpleaños de mi padre al 15 de octubre en sábado.

Call in here one evening as we live locally, waited ages to be served and once we did wrong drinks came. Very disappointed. There are other choices bars and hotels in torquay with better service, won't be back

food and service excellent. A good reasonably price wine list.Service a bit slow but food prepared to order

El Grand Hotel siempre ofrece el mejor té helado que he probado jamás. Dos preciosas, caseros, grande, con un número abundante de bollos strawberry preserve, cuajada y una taza de té, todo por 6.50 libras. Sencillamente, ni el precio ni la merienda puede ser mejor! He estado viniendo al Grand Hotel durante muchos años y la merienda nunca ha cambiado. La perfección!

Only spent 1 day in Torquay but loved the beach and the gorgeous beach huts. Dined out in the old pub looking out to sea.

Food disappointed. Service was excellent. Room reflects the history of the hotel. Note now called 1881.

bad service, disgusting food, over priced and a total waste of my life. refused to pay and will never ever return !!!!!!

Visitamos el Compass Cafe bar en el Grand Hotel después de una mañana en Torquay. Disfrutamos de dos bocadillos diferentes que eran excelentes recién hecho y con patatas fritas y guarnición. cafetiere y deliciosa torta de llovizna de naranja a seguir. Como siempre una experiencia agradable con un buen servicio de personal y una bienvenida. Buena relación calidad-precio y uno de los pocos lugares donde te dan buena comida y servicio todo el día.

The Grand Club sandwich is the best in the bay. Likewise the choice of wines on offer are excellent. The service in the Compass cafe bar is always excellent. We dine here for lunch often.

Me gustó todo, y no me gustó nada la comida es muy buena y abundante buenos alrededores y algunas mesas con vistas al mar cálido y amable personal esperando por usted y un buen precio para verdaderamente es una buena relación calidad-precio para verlo cuando estás al lado en Torquay

El Compass Cafe Bar en el Grand Hotel es el lugar ideal para una luz relajante almuerzo con la ventaja de una magnífica vista al mar.

After visiting the Grand Hotel on Friday evening 30th August I felt I had to make a comment regarding my visit. On arrival we sat down& waited for at leased 10 minutes to be served by a girl who was obviously under pressure noting this we looked at the male staff behind the bar they looked very stern no smiling faces and were infact simply bullying the under staff. Later on in the evening the two behind the bar had an argument with jugs of milk being slammed on the bar & arguments taking place in front of customers. Not what I expect at the Grand Hotel. I have noticed on previous stays with you that your staff all look unhappy & the managers seem to intimidate & argue with them all the time. On leaving there was no goodnights or thankyou's ..... Very disappointed.Shall I stay with you again....It would be very doubtfull. Mr G Gillard

My partner and I went to the Marina Restaurant last night thinking of saving the best to last at the Grand Hotel with it having two AA Rosette Stars. BIG MISTAKE fish cake starter only tasted of lemon and just edible. More than can be said for the mussels for main course. To be polite.. i would have enjoyed drinking sea water more than eating this dish. It was bland and very very very salty. As it was my birthday I sent it back and asked to speak with the so called award winning chef bit he declined my offer ! The cheek !! In honesty I have thought my teenage children to cook better food. I'm gutted what a total waste of time :-( rather stay at Travel Lodge

Another excellent lunch in the Compass Cafe Bar on 24 June 2013 with excellent service from Viktorija who has served us before and remembered us which was very pleasant considering how busy the cafe bar can be.The new menu offers plenty of choice and we had a favourite the Grand Club sandwich and the new season Chicken Caesar salad both of which were wonderfully fresh tasting and plenty big enough.We enjoyed a bottle of Jack Rabbitt Merlot; a litre of sparkling water and a pot of coffee.From our table we had a wonderful view across the bay. We will return for lunch again soon.

Upon arrival the four of us decided on pre dinner drinks in the bar. We asked the waitress for the restaurant menus so we could peruse them over our drinks, she disappeared and came back a few minutes later and said the restaurant was too busy to give us menus.Once we finished our drinks we asked for the bill to be to be transferred to our table - we were told this was impossible and we would have to pay now at the bar.Once seated in the somewhat old fashioned and dilapidated restaurant it started to dawn on us what sort of place this was.The breakfast buffet took up almost the entire length of the dining room and had been covered in table cloths to hide it. There were several large tour groups (either coach or train trips) on large tables who were very noisy and even had some sort of presentation with the hotel staff.We were finally given our menus and were then pestered every minute by both the wine waiter and our table waiter for our choices.When the wine arrived the wine waiter asked us each in turn which glass he should use as he didn't know and how much he should pour into each glass. Obviously not his fault - he just hadn't received even five minutes training.The food was OK - I had mackerel pate which was sloppy and served with an anemic looking single quarter of toast followed by chicken which was unremarkable. For two very plain courses we were each charged £24.95 - no doubt the tour groups who were eating off the same menu were charged something more like £5 per head.We couldn't face deserts or coffee as the noise from the large tour groups was now unbearable.Overall the cost of the meal was more than a fantastic lunch at the Elephant the previous day.Never visit this restaurant unless you're on a package deal.

I have had many Sunday Lunches at the Grand Hotel. The food is excellent, menu varied, served by staff who know their 'stuff' in beautiful surroundings. It is excellent value for money = why eat at home when its this good? .

We enjoyed lunch in the Compass Cafe Bar today Monday 4th Feb. It was a lovely sunny day and Loyd suggested a corner table with excellent sea views across the bay. He also advised us of a promotion on a bottle of Australian Shiraz (£12). It was full of fruity flavours and went well with our food order.We have previously enjoyed the Grand Club sandwich and so had 2 of them today and as before they were excellent and a full portion size with salad garnish and crisps. We did have room for a dessert and we were very pleased with the Nursery pudding which was a plum frangipan with custard. We had 2 Americano coffees with hot milk to finish. Good menu choice and new menu. We were served by a number of staff during the meal and must say that everyone is always very friendly and efficient. We will certainly return and this is the ideal place to relax and take in the view and enjoy a very pleasant meal.

We started off the new year with a trip to the Grand Hotel on the Seafront of Torquay and their Compass Cafe Bar where we had great service and tasty and substantial starters and salad mains. The homemade chicken terrine was the best we have had in ages and the fresh warm bread delicious. Our main courses were a Brixham crab salad and a smoked salmon salad and these were full of flavour and the crab in particular was so fresh and super. We had a bottle of Merlot and a bottle sparkling water and found that we we had to passion dessert because we were fully satisfied. the service and surroundings make this venue an ideal place for lunch and on all our visits we have been very pleased with our meals.

We popped into the Grand's Compass Cafe Bar today 17th December 2012 and just like last time (September) were very impressed with the service and the food and drinks on offer. The Compass BLT is impressive and full of flavour a real winner and the Salmon and cream cheese sandwich a delight. A bottle of house wine and a large bottle of sparkling water all made for a brilliant lunch in the equally brilliant sunshine that was pouring through the windows that look out to sea. We will definitely be back and by the looks of things the Compass is very popular and there was hardly a seat to be had which cannot be bad. Give it a try when you are next on the seafront.

We were looking for lunch before a theatre trip and went to The Grand because we saw the banner advertising their cafe bar. All went very well and we were greeted by a very helpful member of staff Viktorija who gave us a lovely table with stunning view of the sea opposite the hotel. We ordered a pot of tea which was the best tasting we have had in a long while. We were told about the soup of the day and specials etc. We opted for West Country Fish Chowder that was full of fish and flavour and came with a basket of breads. Our main it being a lunchtime was The Grand Club sandwich which was excellent and of substantial size. The wine list is extensive and we had a Jack Rabbit Merlot which was so smooth. A large bottle of sparkling mineral water was also ordered. We felt very comfortable and the staff looked after us very well. We will return again as our first visit to the cafe bar went so well.

Great food, service needs work and more attentive would be nice, seem to want to be rushing you out, and pushing you to eat faster