COLUMN: WHEN it comes to hotels synonymous with class, frankly you would be hard pushed to come up with anywhere better than the Lansdown Grove Hotel, on Lansdown Road, Bath.

What a dignified but pleasant hostelry this is, complete with elevator music humming in the background and a very attractive bar.

Still, for all its finery and elegance, it can sometimes be easy to overlook those essentials which truly make a difference.

So, are its toilets every bit as graceful as the residents' lounge?

Toilet Roll Award: Five out of five.

Number of cubicles: Two, stashed with toilet rolls and housed behind beautiful wooden doors, complete with coat hooks. Clean and bright enough to perform surgery in...

Number of urinals: Three. From the look of them, they may never have been used.

Washing facilities: Two wash basins, large and traditional. Not a speck of dirt or grime anywhere, boasting brass taps to boot. Large enough to bathe in.

Drying: Two warm air hand driers. Very efficient though certainly not top of the range. Plus a single paper towel dispenser whose contents were noticeably soft and silky.

Mirrors: One very large mirror, encased in a quality frame. Doubtless wasted on the loos' usual patrons of wannabe executives attending two-day management courses. Off the rack suits which shine do little justice to this mirror.

Bouquet: Perfect. Not a bowl of potpourri in sight.

Lighting: Bright enough to read the small print on a mortgage application form. Or any letter from a solicitor.

Cleanliness: Swish as hell. You could run a sandwich shop from this premises. All you would need is a chopping board.

Decor: Beautiful blue and white tiles.

Worth a visit? You bet. Go out of your way in fact to catch a glimpse of these.