Bath’s newest hotel, the Hampton by Hilton Bath City, welcomed its first guests this week, becoming the latest in a flurry of new openings that have greatly increased the availability of rooms in the city.
The seven-storey, 220-bedroom hotel, pictured, built on the site of Bath College’s landmark Ralph Allen Building on James Street West, has been developed by Dominvs Group, which owns showpiece hotels and commercial and residential properties in London and around the UK.
It also features a bar, pictured below, restaurant and a 24-hour fitness centre at street level.
Each of its fully air-conditioned rooms features a 55-inch TV along with USB power-points, a mini-fridge and ergonomic workstations.
Construction work on the hotel, which is targeting business travellers as well as the Bath’s traditional domestic and international tourist market, was started by Irish building group McAleer & Rushe in September 2019.
Dominvs said the hotel’s design was inspired by the city, with its façade constructed with locally sourced sustainable Bath stone to blend in with its historic surroundings, while its interior is bright and spacious, with rooms featuring large windows and stylish, contemporary décor.
It overtakes the 177-bedroom Apex City, which opened nearby just under five years ago, as the city’s largest hotel.
Despite a fall in visitor number caused by the pandemic, which has triggered a small number of hotel closures, new venues have continued to open.
The 166-bedroom Hotel Indigo on South Parade launched last summer after a delay of nearly two years while other new additions include the 18-bedroom Eight on North Parade Passage and the 11bedroom Broad Street Town House on Saracen St.
These openings follow an equally busy pre-pandemic period during which the 149-bed Z Hotel on Saw Close was among new venues to start trading.
The rapid growth of hotel rooms in the city, now in the region of 2, 000 against 1,500 six years ago, has led some existing operators to urge a slowdown in new developments, especially as the large – and growing – availability of Airbnb rooms in the city is not included in these figures.
Hampton by Hilton Bath City general manager Angela Humble said her team was excited to welcome guests to the opening of new hotel.
“Hampton by Hilton Bath City is set to impress with its modern design, prime location and excellent amenities,” she added.
“We are so proud to open such a wonderful space in the heart of this historic city, ready for visitors from all over the world to experience.”
Dominvs Group principal Jay Ahluwalia added: “We’re pleased to expand our partnership with Hilton with the opening of this hotel.
“It serves as a brilliant addition to the city centre, and we could not have done it without the hard work of our partners.
“The hotel is an ideal destination for visitors to sample everything that Bath has to offer, and we are delighted to make another great addition to our fast-growing portfolio.”
Privately owned Dominvs Group was founded in 2011 and is built on the founding Ahluwalia family’s five decades of experience in founding and scaling fast-growing businesses.
In addition to Hampton by Hilton Bath City, it is also developing two other hotels as part of its partnership with Hilton, including Lost Property St Pauls London, Curio Collection by Hilton, and Hampton by Hilton London City.
