By Liz Simpson, i-escape contributor
What beats soaking in a romantic bathtub with a glass of bubbly in hand? Answer: very little! Whether you are looking for a spacious hotel room with a bathtub to soak in privately, or you want to bathe in nature while gazing out at a dreamy view, we know of some absolute stunners. Here are 12 luxury hotels with bathtubs worth travelling for.
UK hotel rooms with bathtubs and views
1 Number Thirty Eight, Bristol
Location: Bristol
Price: Rooms from £150
Luxurious Number Thirty Eight in the heart of Bristol has stunning bathtubs in several rooms, some deep copper affairs, others classic rolltops. Soak up sweeping cityscapes as you bathe: the leafy Downs and Bristol’s rainbow-hued streets are just past your toes.
Indulge: For an extra dose of decadence, ask for a room-service breakfast (no extra charge). The bacon, avocado, chillies and cherry tomatoes on sourdough is divine.
2 Lime Wood, Hampshire
Location: Lyndhurst, Hampshire
Price: Suites from £405
Lime Wood is the ultimate country-house hotel with a world-famous spa and fabulous service. But if you’re after ultimate romance, book the secluded Lake Cabin. Tucked far away from everyone else, its dreamy interiors combine beautiful grey and pink mosaiced floors with a green velvet Chesterfield, but outside is extra-special: the terrace holds a deep alfresco bathtub for 2 and a wood-burning stove. Soak by candlelight as you gaze across the lake (and at each other – there’s plenty of room!)
Indulge: Borrow bicycles and cycle through the gloriously beautiful New Forest.
3 Chapel House PZ, Cornwall
Location: Penzance, Cornwall
Price: Rooms from £185
All bedrooms in sociable Chapel House PZ have exquisite bathrooms, but Room 6 is the knockout. Its vast tub is set under a sliding glass roof: open it up and as you gaze at the stars it feels like you’re bathing outside. Unforgettable.
Indulge: Try the sizzled cods’ roes at breakfast (a west Cornish speciality). There’s also smoked haddock, buttered samphire, and eggs any way you want them.
4 Croft 103, Scotland
Location: Sutherland, Scotland
Price: Cottages from £283
The glass walls of Croft 103 at the very tip of Scotland will allow you to drink in views of water, mountain and sky from the warmth of your bed. But you’ve come this far (literally), so a lavish soak in the clawfoot bathtub on your huge private terrace is the ultimate treat. Croft 103 is extremely popular, so book well in advance.
Indulge: Go in winter and there’s a good chance you’ll see the Northern Lights.
European hotel rooms with bathtubs and views
5 Forsthofalm, Austria
Location: Leogang, Austria
Price: Rooms from £201
Forsthofalm, a piste-side wellness retreat in the Austrian Alps, is as much about relaxation as it is about mountain activities. And what could be more relaxing than a petal-filled romantic bathtub with an Alpine view? You’ll be topping up the hot water again and again.
Indulge: Take a sunrise vinyasa yoga class (included in the rates).
6 Casa Angelina, Italy
Location: Praiano, Italy
Price: Rooms from £282
Sleek, modern Casa Angelina is as white as a sunlit snowdrift – but beyond the enormous windows all you’ll see is the endless shimmering blue sea that wraps around the Amalfi Coast, seducing all who visit. Drink in the azure views from your sleek bathtub as you luxuriate in lotions and potions by L’Occitane.
Indulge: Take a boat trip along the peninsula’s rugged coast: the hotel has a ‘Sea Gem’ speedboat for up to 10 people.
7 Village Castigno, France
Location: Assignan, France
Price: Rooms from £134
This off-radar wonderland spread across an authentic French village has acres of vineyards and enchanting bedrooms inspired by wine hues: bold pinks, purples and blushing reds. Village Castigno is not for the faint-hearted, but we loved its dazzling style. Some suites have fabulous freestanding bathtubs at the end of the beds with views of distant mountain peaks. Best enjoyed with a glass of their exceptional sparkling rose.
Indulge: Rent a classic Citroën or Vespa to explore the gorgeous Languedoc countryside.
8 Le Grotte della Civita, Italy
Location: Matera, Italy
Price: Rooms from £176
Staying at Le Grotte Della Civita is an extraordinary experience, full stop. It’s a cave hotel, in the UNESCO-listed underground town of Matera. You open your gnarled wooden door to find a 6m-high vault flickering with candles, but there’s no sense of roughing it. Beds are adorned with handmade linens, there’s underfloor heating, and the biggest rooms have egg-shaped Starck bathtubs.
Indulge: The hotel serves apertivi at 5.30pm daily: Aperol spritzes accompanied by spicy salamis, juicy olives, tomato crostini or focaccia with a broad bean and chicory puree.
Faraway hotel rooms with bathtubs and views
9 Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, Vietnam
Location: Near Nha Trang, Vietnam
Price: Villas from £759
You arrive at Six Senses Ninh Van Bay by boat to find a 2km crescent of white sand. You step ashore and your very own butler whisks you off to your private villa. Each one is out of this world, with every imaginable luxury, including metre-deep wooden bathtubs that overlook the South China Sea. You’ll wallow for hours.
Indulge: Take a meditation or Tai Chi lesson and learn to slow down – a true life skill.
10 Bambu Indah, Bali
Location: Ubud, Bali
Price: Houses from £123
Bambu Indah, an extraordinary eco retreat in Ubud, is enchanting for so many reasons: amazing bamboo architecture, beautiful organic gardens and fabulous eco credentials. Best of all is the accommodation – a clutch of antique Javanese houses, restored with all mod cons (even Japanese washer-drier loos!). Our favourite was Afrika, with its enormous handmade copper bathtub, which we filled with marigold flowers then gazed out at paddy fields as we bathed.
Indulge: Ask to eat dinner on the deck overhanging the ravine – the views across the Ayung river gorge are an unforgettable lush lime green.
11 Sayari Camp, Tanzania
Location: Northern Serengeti, Tanzania
Price: Trips from £1220
More like a boutique hotel than a campsite, luxurious Sayari Camp in the northern Serengeti is heaven for a honeymoon. Located on the doorstep of the legendary annual Great Migration route, there’s a high density of wildebeest, zebra, big cats and elephants, plus hippos and crocodiles in the nearby Mara River. After a day’s game spotting, retreat to your stunning ‘tent’ for a soak in the freestanding bathtub that faces out across the plains. We lazed in bubbles and watched zebras grazing just outside.
Indulge: Take a walking safari with a guide. We discovered leopard claw prints and rhino tracks, and learnt loads about bushcraft.
12 The Outpost, South Africa
Location: Kruger National Park, South Africa
Price: Spaces from £756
One sink into your standalone bathtub at architect-designed The Outpost in the Kruger and you’ll never want to climb out. Before you lies breathtaking 180-degree views over the bush, all the way to Mozambique! Birdwatchers will be especially enthralled: there are 350 species flitting about, so keep your binoculars by the bath! When your skin begins to prune, take a drive to see prides of lions or white rhino, then enjoy an exceptional dinner (ostrich, impala and springbok steak) before returning to your incredible room for another moonlit soak.
Indulge: The Outpost’s bathtubs are perfectly positioned to watch the sunrise over the valley. As is your bed, if you’re feeling lazy.