Bath House Hotel

We were doing a family genealogy trip to Somerset County and ending up staying in Chard as it is in Somerset yet borders both Devon and Dorset counties giving us a base that would allow us to explore a variety of directions. We were driving a rental car and a priority was to have parking available with lodging which can be difficult to find. We lucked out when we chose the Bath House Hotel. It surpassed our expectations. Husband and wife, hosts Ron and Karine aided by their right hand woman, Shin, went out of their way to make our visit special. The motto above the hotel/restaurant entrance says Dine, Stay, Meet, Experience. And that is what we did. Ron is a master chef and his progressive menu included British classics with Asian and European touches. He has won several culinary awards. The quality and presentation of the food equaled that of more pricey London restaurants and is definitely worthy of a visit by choosey foodies. Our excellent breakfasts were free of charge. We also chose to pay for some evening meals which did not disappoint. Karine is a very gracious hostess. We enjoyed the opportunity to sit and take evening tea with her and others in the family. There was no pressure just an offer of friendship which we accepted. She also makes a very tasty chocolate candy dessert that goes very well with the English tea. Shin took care of so many details of our stay. She gave us information that we didn’t know we needed and made sure our rooms were fully stocked. The rooms themselves were immaculately cleaned. Each room is uniquely decorated. We stayed in the Willow Room. Older English buildings rarely have large bedrooms but ours was perfectly acceptable for two people. We prefer the charm and quaintness to the modern sterile huge look alike hotel rooms. Our hosts insisted on carrying our bags both up and down the steps on arrival and departure which we appreciated as we are senior citizens. There are steps up to the rooms and I am a bit handicapped in walking but I managed the stairs without problem. The hotel is in close driving distance to a number of local attractions. We particularly enjoyed a visit to Forde Abbey, a beautifully restored historic house and gardens. The Abbey was a less than a fifteen minute drive. The bedrooms are distant enough from the kitchens that there is no trace of cooking smells. The air conditioning and wi-fi worked perfectly, not alway the case in older buildings. We found the lodging cost to be extremely reasonable, much cheaper than if we had stayed at a lodging in the crowded, noisy tourist areas along the seashore. We were sorry to leave and would love to return some day.

Wow! Everything was perfect from the moment I arrived to the moment we checked out. A very, very warm welcome awaited me upon arrival. Room immaculately clean, comfortable and large enough for two friends to kick back and chill out. (I was told upon arrival we had been upgraded.. which was a delightful surprise). We had dinner at the Bath house hotel. It was thoroughly enjoyable. The food will be a memorable experience of our stay. Perfect! Breakfast was exactly the same. A choice of everything you’d expect, freshly cooked and brought to the table hot with a smile, and at the time we’d requested the night before. I can honestly say, I don’t think I have ever had such tasty, satisfying food consistently, all under one roof. Faultless. The staff are warm, friendly and nothing is too much trouble. A fabulous stay for two friends, who met half way between Cornwall and Hampshire for a long awaited catchup.

Looking for somewhere to stay for 1 night at short notice in the Chard area and saw the reviews for this small hotel. We found the area to park around the back, bit tight, best to reverse in but not an issue. Greeted warmly by the lady owner who I assume is Karine Jim as mentioned on the website. Shown to our room which whilst not big was suitable for us. Room was super clean as was the ensuite. Note, the toilet is of the Saniflo type, so don't go sticking anything apart from loo paper down there! These units do make a bit of noise though when flushing, so we avoided flushing at night so as not to disturb other guests. View out of the window was into a row of slightly dilapidated and boarded up shop units, so not the best part of town, next door is Sainsbury's. Good night's sleep, double glazing efficient and a/c provided but not needed. Bed and linen were clean and of a high standard. Unfortunately for us, there was a special event that evening for which there was a fixed set menu of Asian food which my partner didn't fancy so we are elsewhere but when we came back the restaurant was full. There was no disturbance to us when we retired to our room. Breakfast, chosen the evening before was fabulous, see my pic. Freshly cooked with quality ingredients, a real treat. We enjoyed our stay here, there's only 6 bedrooms but everything is clean and well maintained. The restaurant was displaying several awards, shame we didn't get to sample the menu but it looks like a great place to eat as well as stay.The owners obviously work very hard to keep this place up to scratch.