Conde Naste Traveller
June 2010
WHAT IS IT? A new boutique hotel in a double fronted Grade I listed Georgian townhouse on South Parade. Its right in the centre of town and a 2 minute walk from Bath Spa train station, which is a godsend as both the traffic and parking in Bath can be a nightmare.
BEHIND THE SCENES. Formerly a tired B&B called Georges' hotel, it was brought last year by Giles Thomas (a property developer who grew up in Bath), given a £3m makeover, and reopened as The Halcyon in February.
SLEEP. Headboards, Cushions and Blankets come in mustard yellow, scarlet or purple;contrasted with white bedlinen and pale grey walls, the effect is smart and stylish without being over blown. Else where the colour palette is subtle, with dark grey curtains and pale walls. Bathrooms have white metro style tiles, Phillippe Starck fittings and White Company products. The 4 studio rooms have a tiny kitchenette within a cupboard, so you can rustle up a basic meal. The original features have been retained, including charming Georgian panelling and beautiful cornicing. The rooms are small, so go for a Deluxe or a Studio if you can and ask for one at the front with views to Somerset Hills.
EAT: There isn't a restaurant but the hotel has a big kitchen and our breakfast, served in the lobby, was excellent and spectacularly good value. My husbands' full English was enormous and included all the usual trimmings as well as a delicious mashed potato patty and black pudding. The bar serves cocktails in the evenings and has a license to serve drinks out the front in Summer, when the hotel will also introduce a light lunch. I am told there will be umbrellas and a big wicker basket full of blankets and hot water bottles for when the weather gets a little nippy.
WHO GOES THERE: At the time of our visit it was Valentines day so it was mostly couples on a romantic break, but I gather the guests usually vary a great deal: couples young and old, families, singles people on business. As Bath is hugely popular with Americans, you can expect a few of them too.
WHAT'S THERE TO DO? The hotel is surrounded by beautiful Georgian buildings made from golden Bath stone and a wonder through the historic Bath streets is a must. Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths are within spitting distance, and the lovely Theatre Royal, which hosts several festivals and plays en-route to the West End is a 10 minute walk away.
WE LIKE: The price; the chic urban interiors in a town where chintz prevails; the jam jars of Smarties in the room;the hotels' bicycles for guests to use.
WE DON'T LIKE: Our room overlooked a flat roof and the back of another row of buildings, which was disappointing. Only 2 of the rooms have baths and they are small.
PRICE: Doubles from £99; Breakfast from £6.99; There is a 2 night minimum stay at weekends.
RSPCA staff were full of praise for staff at The Halcyon as they rushed to help rehouse the Peregrine Falcon that had fallen from its nesting box on St. Johns Church on South Parade. As reported on the BBC, "The family of peregrines is living in a spire of St John the Evangelist church in South Parade, Bath". These birds are endangered with only 1400 mating pairs in the UK.
The young bird of prey had been on its first flight from the nest and glided unsuccessfully towards the River Avon at the end of South Parade, fortunately the bird was spotted by a member of the public and rang the RSPCA officer. It was then that the staff from The Halcyon rushed out with ladders and helped the officer climb the church roof to rehouse the falcon. On lookers gathered in anticipation to see whether the mission was successful and with one flap of the wings all of us were pleased to see its mother return to ensure the little tyke was tucked up in the nest again....until its next flying lesson.
You can learn more about the falcon family at http://www.stjohnsrcbath.org.uk/
Elle Decor USA
May 2010
A Georgian town house in Bath, England is home to The Halcyon boutique hotel. The 21 individually designed guest rooms combine period details with luxurious amenities such bespoke beds and and Philippe Starck bathroom fittings. At 2-3 South Parade, call + 44 1225 100. www.thehalcyon.com
We are very lucky at The Halcyon to have one of the best mixologists in Bath. Hector the General manager has years of experience in hotels and bars in London and has brought his finest recipes with him to the hotel. Quite seriously, on a hot day out on the terrace it is very difficult to have just the one. Just ask the ladies from Spain we had staying last week, they started with Mojitos and finished with Dirty Martini's...having sampled the Caipirinhas and The Halcyon signature along the way!... a great evening had by all, the morning after wasn't quite as lively!
Stay 2 nights midweek and receive a free cocktail - that can't be right?!...see our promotions page.
There's no doubt about it.One look out the windows of the newest boutique hotel in Bath will tell you, Spring is definitely here! The cherry blossom adorning the trees, the blue skies but more importantly the tables and chairs seem to be flourishing on the terrace. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the sunshine is here to stay...roll up your trouser legs, dig out the sun hat and slap on the sun cream - its going to be a BBQ summer!
The front terrace is now officially open, since Easter weekend we have had table and chairs out on our extra large paved area at the front of the hotel. Its a lovely south facing sun trap perfect for midday coffees, beers and cocktails, in fact on weekends Pimms is the shout of the day. Its a great spot to rest your tired legs after a day of exploring... or as one chap put it..."the pitcher of Pimms was the only way i could stop the missus dragging me around another shop!", either way, a well deserved rest.
So when you're down in Bath next and the scorching mid April sun is sapping your energy to do those last few shops or your exhausted from climbing to the top of Bath Abbey....get yourself to The Halcyon for a refreshing beer, pot of tea or even better, a pitcher of Pimms...Now relax.
