Bristol alone is a tasty proposition as a 2018 World Cup host city, but its bid will also include historic Bath as a potential team base for the likes of top teams such as Brazil.

The luxurious, five-star, MacDonald Bath Spa hotel and world-class training facilities of the University of Bath have been included within Bristol's 2018 bid as a proposed team base for the duration of the tournament.

Each of the teams which qualify are allocated a base for the month-long tournament from which they will travel to matches. For longer journeys they will stay in city centre hotels and train in local venues before returning to their base after the game.

The Bristol bid team have revealed that Bath will play a key role in its bid with the world heritage site in line to host one of the qualifying teams if Bristol and England are successful in bidding to stage the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.

It is a significant coup for Bristol's West Country neighbour which can expect a deluge of hotel bookings, bar tabs and sightseeing trips from the circus of supporters and media which will follow the team and inject a unique flavour of that country into the local community.

Cllr Francine Haeberling, leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council, said: "If Bristol is successful in its bid to become a World Cup host city, this could bring benefits to the whole of the West of England region.

"Bath is an outstanding World Heritage city and would welcome the opportunity to host international football players at its hotels."

The Bath Spa hotel, with everything from butler service to ice baths was the preferred base for the England rugby team in their preparations for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

And the University of Bath has extensive experience of hosting training camps for major international sports teams at its world-class sports facilities, five minutes up the road from the hotel.

Sunderland, Nottingham Forest, Preston North End, Coventry City, Queen's Park Rangers and Bristol Rovers are among the football teams to have trained at the university which will host preparation camps for the British Paralympic Association in the build-up to the London 2012 Paralympic Games, and has also hosted the South African rugby team.

A University of Bath spokesman said: "We would relish the opportunity to host a team at the 2018 World Cup. If England's 2018 bid is successful, our world-class sports facilities and our experience at hosting training and preparation camps would make us a strong candidate to host a team."

The hotel is certainly fit for the millionaire footballers of the modern game, including hydrotherapy pools to speed their post-match recovery, butlers on hand to draw a morning bath and award-winning restaurant. With 129 rooms ranging in price from £125 to £650 a night, every comfort is catered for.

General manager Martin Club told the Bristol Evening Post: "We're an international, five-star hotel. We're used to VIP and international guests staying and all the requirements of top sports teams."

Bristol's bid is one of 16 from across the country, with Plymouth the only other candidate in the West.

Each host venue must supply the England 2018 team with four suggestions for team bases, as well as four city-centre hotels.

The Bristol bid team have until November 6 to firm up their selections, which are believed to also include Cadbury House hotel in North Somerset and Tortworth Court Four Pillars hotel in South Gloucestershire as team bases, in addition to the MacDonald Bath Spa hotel.

The England 2018 team will decide on 12 venues in December for inclusion in its bid to FIFA to stage the 2018 or 2022 World Cups.