City break in Bristol | the mild, mild west

Oozing all the luxury you’d expect from an old bank building, the Bristol Harbour Hotel is a sound investment. Deep down in the vaults of this hotel hides a spa, with hefty safe doors leading to treatment rooms, and an indoor pool laid underneath the vaulted ceiling. Bedrooms are decorated with rich velvet and leather, chunky decanters of sherry and gin evoke those old school banking days, while Italian marble bathrooms complete the opulent experience.

A classic Bristol icon, the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel has history. This listed building once played host to Churchill, and the restaurant once refused entry to the Rolling Stones for not wearing jackets and ties. The atmosphere has relaxed since then, but it still keeps its grand vibe with a refurbished interior that echoes the past with vintage typewriters and an elegant ballroom. Art is brought from Bristol’s streets inside, with local artists lining the corridors and bedrooms. Rooms have high ceilings, inky green walls, colourful furnishings and industrial features such as exposed pipes and cage lampshades. There’s also a pool over the road if you want some chill time.

Head to pretty Clifton village to find the grand Victorian Avon Gorge by Hotel du Vin. This old hotel has been given a total makeover, inside is decorated with Farrow & Ball inky walls, fine art hangs on the walls (although look closely and you might see one of the seemingly ancient subjects holding an iPod or reading a magazine) and rooms are given splashes of colour whether its with a burnt orange chair or a bright blue headboard. Gorge View rooms boast sweeping vistas across the gorge, but you can also take in that landscape from the glass-walled restaurant and terrace. Back in the day, this hotel was a favourite with Hollywoodite Cary Grant, so you couldn’t be in better company.

If you’d rather get a grand pad to call your own for your Bristol stay, the Berkeley Suites is the place to pick. Each apartment is set over a single floor, so there’s plenty of privacy, and they’re decorated with luxury, think mid-century furniture, eye-catching art on the walls, and lots of space with a living area, kitchenette, bedroom and bathroom. There’s even a digital projector in each room should you fancy a night in with a film. Just save me some popcorn…