Hotels near Thermae Bath Spa

This is where you get in the water. Thermae Bath Spa draws from the same three springs that feed the Roman Baths, but filters and treats the supply so it is safe to bathe in, which is exactly why the Roman site next door has to stay look-only. The complex opened in 2006 and combines the Nicholas Grimshaw-designed New Royal Bath, a glass and Bath stone cube, with the restored Georgian Cross Bath a few steps away on Bath Street.

The open-air rooftop pool is the reason to come. It holds water at around 33.5 degrees Celsius and looks straight across the rooftops to Bath Abbey and the green hills beyond. Below it sit the Minerva Bath and four aroma steam rooms built into glass pods. A two-hour session runs about GBP 45 on weekdays and slightly more at weekends, with towel, robe and slippers included. Minimum age is 16 for the New Royal Bath, and swimwear is required throughout.

Pro Tip: Book a session that starts about an hour before sunset. You get the rooftop pool in daylight, then watch the abbey floodlights come on with steam rising off the water. Last entry is typically 90 minutes before closing, so check the cut-off when you book.