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After a long day’s exploring, what could be better than a hot soak with a glass of wine in hand?
Nothing, is the answer, but you’re in an “upgraded” Hampton Inn staring at a suspect-looking tub cemented into the corner – the disconcerting smell means you’re not certain it’s been cleaned in a decade. You whimper gently and retreat to your bed.
A good tub should be a symbol of luxury, standing proudly in all its decadence, reminding you how excellent your hotel choice was even if you don’t use it. Extra points if it has those fun Victorian feet.
Below, we’ve curated a list of nine hotels with exceptional bathtubs. From classic luxury to avant-gard opulence, grab your favorite bath bomb and get booking.
The Price: $550 +
The Feel: Elegant simplicity
The Rundown: Cabo’s hotels already have a reputation for flaunting the finer things in life. The Cape is no exception and has simple elegance down to an art. Smart wooden finishes elevate the studio-styled guestrooms, while its glorious artificial beach club is perfect for sunset cocktails.
And what about the bath? Taking center stage in a generous bathroom, the deep copper tub is perfect. Falling in line with the rest of the room’s confident statement that practicality can be sexy too.
The Price: $950+
The Feel: High-end art immersion
The Rundown: Perched on the Cape Town Waterfront and above the Zeitz Contemporary Art Museum, The Silo is an architectural gem. Its pillowed floor-to-ceiling windows are magnificent, gifting lucky guests views of Table Mountain. Art and design are at the heart of everything in the property, so brace yourself for style overload.
The lavish ceramic bathtubs are set close to the windows, perfect for watching the sun over the mountains.
The Price: $250+
The Feel: Hunting lodge for the fashion-forward
The Rundown: One for the boys. If you’re a guy that likes baths but doesn’t like finding yourself feeling like one of the gals in a fabulous tub, Urban Cowboy is for you. A sophisticated mountain retreat in Upstate New York, guestrooms are boldly decorated in dark, moody palettes, while the downstairs common rooms are distinctly hunting lodge-esque – think grand stone fireplaces and tree-framed bars.
A striking copper clawfoot tub holds attention, and rightly so. It’s a magnificent detail, screaming for a glass of whisky while the woodburning stove crackles away.
The Price: $135+
The Feel: High-flying urban luxury
The Rundown:The Grand Hyatt is a personal favorite of our writer Steven. Nestled in Kuala Lumpur’s buzzing city center with the iconic Petronas Towers looming just two buildings away, the hotel offers expansive rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows for views of the city. But the real showstopper is the astonishingly attentive service. And the breakfast buffet. Oh, that breakfast buffet. Did we mention the breakfast buffet?
The suites’ tubs are also massive, best enjoyed as the sun sinks below the horizon and the surrounding skyscrapers’ lights begin to twinkle on. Rooms start at under $200 too. You can’t beat Southeast Asia for value.
The Price: $1000
The Feel: Incomparable tropical opulence
The Rundown: Words probably won’t do the beauty of this resort justice. Take a look at the pictures for yourself. Burrowed into the verdant splendor of Ninh Van Bay, Six Senses offers a series of private villas built for nothing but unadulterated relaxation. Four excellent restaurants and an award-winning spa make leaving to explore elsewhere a chore, but Nha Trang City is within easy striking distance.
Once again. Look at the bath. Look at it! This is pure luxury but a big splash.
The Price: $240+
The Feel: Manhattan style without the sticker shock
The Rundown: Finding a cooler hotel in New York City at this price point is an impressive feat. Boasting striking views of the city from its Meatpacking District home, the Standard High Line is the epitome of more with less. Beautifully designed common spaces, generous rooms, and even some with those spectacular tubs.
Grab a pint or five at the excellent beer garden downstairs or a craft cocktail on the roof when you need some air.
The Price: $400
The Feel: Heavenly French escape
The Rundown: Hollywood has been projecting impossible scenarios upon us for decades. None are more implausible than the idea that two people in one bathtub is romantic. It’s not. Unless you’re both 5 feet tall, and even then, it’s a push.
Hotel Crillon le Brave understands this and gifts not one but two immaculate tubs, sitting side by side gazing out into the French countryside. That’s romantic. The rest of the hotel is equally wonderful. Picturesque to a fault, this is rural France at its best.
The Price: $90
The Feel: Budget balling in an overlooked gem
The Rundown: Newcastle is a heavily underrated city in the UK. Next time you’re going transatlantic, skip the capital and grab a train to the Northeast – you’ll never have a better night out. The locals, affectionately known as Geordies, are a passionate bunch and more than likely to buy you a pint.
The Malmaison is your go-to for a night in The Toon. With rooms running under $100, it’s impeccable value for money. The partner tubs are a brilliant piece of design in what are already sleekly put-together rooms. This hotel punches well above its price point.
The Price: Contact for details
The Feel: Hemingway-styled savannah adventure
The Rundown: An African safari is a bucket list experience for almost everyone. But it’s unlikely you considered a sunset champagne-tinged soak in a canvas bathtub while giraffes grab an evening snack just a stone’s throw away.
That’s a lot to process and doesn’t sound real. But it is. Cottar’s goal is to emulate the high-class safari trips of the twenties, so expect lusciously dated furniture in your glamping tent and incomparable service – or at least the best service you’ll find on the savannah.
by travelers, for travelers.
