From £55/night
Bath is an expensive city, but there are genuinely good budget options. Travelodge Bath Waterside starts from £55/night on a canal walk into the centre. Premier Inn is £70 and a 5-minute walk from the Roman Baths. Four budget hotels ranked honestly.
Bath is one of the more expensive overnight destinations in the South West. The average hotel rate in the city centre runs £140–180 per night, which reflects demand rather than supply: UNESCO listing, Bridgerton tourism, and a finite number of rooms mean prices hold up year-round. Finding genuine value requires either booking several months ahead or accepting a compromise on location, room size, or both.
The YHA Bath on Bathwick Hill (BA2 6LA) offers private rooms from around £55 a night — genuinely the cheapest bed with its own walls in the city, and the views over Bath from the hill are better than most hotels charge you extra for. Premier Inn Bath City Centre on James Street West comes in around £70 and sits five minutes from the Roman Baths on foot. Travelodge Bath Waterside on Rossiter Road (BA2 4JP) starts around £55 but adds a pleasant 12-minute canal walk into the centre; the route is flat and well-lit.
Be honest about what the budget end sacrifices. Rooms are smaller — the Georgian proportions that make boutique hotels here special do not feature. Period details are absent. Breakfast is not always included and, when it is, costs £10–12 on top. Bath's direct rail links from London Paddington (journey time around 90 minutes) mean some visitors save by staying in Bristol or Frome and day-tripping in — both have cheaper hotels and fast connections. If you want to be in Bath itself, book early: budget hotels in this city sell out faster than the boutique ones.
Book early. Bath budget hotels sell out faster than boutique ones. For Bridgerton filming dates, Christmas Market, and summer: book at least 3 months ahead.
#1 Canalside Travelodge with better-than-average location for the price. Standard Travelodge rooms — clean, functional, no surprises. The canal walk into the centre is genuinely pleasant. Book well ahead; this property sells out early during Bridgerton filming windows.
#2 Premier Inn's best-located Bath property. A 5-minute walk from the Roman Baths and 10 minutes from the Holburne Museum. Whitbread-standard rooms — reliable and predictably comfortable. The Premier Inn breakfast here is worth adding on.
#3 IHG-branded mid-range hotel on the edge of the centre. 171 rooms, parking (charged), decent-sized rooms. The Walcot Street location puts you near the independent shops that the centre lacks. A sensible option if the Travelodge and Premier Inn are sold out.
#4 177-room contemporary hotel with a rooftop pool — unusual at this price point in Bath. A step above the chain budget options; closer to four-star standard. The rooftop access alone justifies the premium over the Holiday Inn. Good for a longer stay.
The Weekend Five
Picked from the live feed. One email a week, no filler.
Advertisement
