WELSH BOUTIQUE HOTELS AND CASTLE HOTELS

Visitors to the country generally head either to Snowdonia in the north with its national park and mountains or to Pembrokeshire in the south, which has a stunning coastline. The other popular area is the Brecon Beacons which is close to the English border in the eastern part of the country and sits north of the capital Cardiff. Anglesey in far north is also very beautiful and well worth visiting.

There are lovely gardens in Wales and stunning countryside for walking and biking. It’s an outdoorsy kind of place, where guests can enjoy exploring often very old fashioned and unspoilt countryside, eat a lot of good food, drink delicious local beers and enjoy the warmth of the Welsh people. LTR would be delighted to curate a Welsh adventure and help you explore this fascinating country which has a proud history and a lot of interesting characters!

In Pembrokeshire, where the beaches seem to run for ever a lot of guests head to Tenby. Close by is the Grove at Narbeth, a very comfortable 26 bedroom hotel which serves great food and has wonderful views. We enjoyed our night here in one of the cottages which welcomed dogs and found little to criticise. If you want to be in Tenby itself, Pennally Abbey looked rather fun. It’s quirky, built in the Strawberry Gothic style and only 30 minutes walk to the beach or Manorbier with its ruined castle is only a 10 minute drive. Pale Hall on the edge of Snowdonia has gained a bit of a following and offers quite grand old school Victorian accommodation in the tranquil Dee valley. Guests seem to love it. Plas Bodegras was another Snowdonia hotel we tried with lovely bedrooms and very good food, although we found the dinners took forever and by the 3 rd night longed for a burger and an early night. Set in pretty grounds and close to lots of wonderful gardens and the stunning town of Harlech, this is a great base for exploring the area. There’s no bar so you are banished to your bedrooms until your table is ready.

Bodysgallen Hal in North Wales is very famous and its again surrounded by lovely gardens. Elegant old property and the best choice for ‘grandees’ touring in this area with lovely bedrooms and friendly staff. There’s a nice spa and you’ll be well fed here. A stones throw from the Brecon Beacons in the Wye valley is the equally famous Llangoed Hall, built by Clough Williams Ellis and opened as a hotel in 1987 by Sir Bernard Ashely. This property has everything you would expect from a lovely country house hotel and is a super base for exploring the Welsh borders. The Felin Fach Grifin also in the Brecon Beacons was another less grand hotel which we thought well worth a mention with award winning food and simple but perfectly comfortable bedrooms. A great place for those who enjoy a more low-key environment. If you fancy some fishing we also really enjoyed Gliffaes Country House Hotel, which has one of the top restaurants in Brecon and we had a delightful bedroom with wonderful views across the Black mountains. I should also mention back in Pembrokeshire, Slebech Park which is a great venue for weddings and parties. Whatever your needs, LTR is here to advise.