Top 10 best hotels in Wales that will impress with their beauty and amenities
Wales is a place where you can find everything: bays that are as dramatic as the Mediterranean, mountain roads with fantastic landscapes, a large number of creative, progressive towns, as well as interesting attractions and entertainment. You'll likely have to navigate many winding country streets, but the adventure is well worth the time, especially if your destination is one of the beautiful hotels. Surrounded by juniper-covered mountains, valleys, or marshes, you'll find atmospheric places with character for overnight stays and more. Another advantage is the affordable prices for accommodation, especially compared to other popular travel destinations in the UK.
Of course, Wales is also full of charming locations and sights worth seeing. In particular, we recommend walking along the trails and peaks of the Snowdonia National Park and visiting the famous Brecon Beacons. Cardiff, the capital and important cultural center of the region, also attracts a large number of tourists.
From Gothic abbeys and cute cottages on the coast to farmhouses, the following selection contains the most beautiful hotels in Wales that are worth a visit.
FForest Farm Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire
Located near the port city of Cardigan and adjacent to the Teifi Gorge, Fforest Farm in Сilgerrlan, Pembrokeshire, is a rural wonderland that is in great demand among travelers. The hotel was designed by Sian Tucker and Jace Lynch. The complex includes an elegant farmhouse, garden rooms, and eco-friendly pods with wood-burning stoves for maximum comfort and warmth. Also on its territory you will find one of the best pubs in Wales - the atmospheric Y Bwthyn. Both breakfasts and dinners are equally excellent, and on weekends, guests can often listen to interesting ghost stories told by the owner himself while sitting by the fire. The establishment also boasts an impressive collection of natural wines and cocktails, including those made with gin from the neighboring village.
Harbormaster, Aberaeron, Ceredigion
Aberaron in Ceredigion looks like a magical town from the popular mid-20th century children's book Ladybird, thanks to the brightly colored rainbow-colored houses lining the waterfront. One of the best hotels in Wales stands out among all the real estate thanks to its bold blue exterior, and the interiors are filled with handmade Welsh quilts.
The Aberaeron's dining options deserve special attention. Here you can enjoy the freshest seafood (oysters, crabs, and even turtles caught in the Irish Sea) while mingling with the locals who come here for dinner. The hotel also offers excellent breakfasts, including eggs, chorizo beans, house sourdough bread, and more.
Felin Fach Griffin Inn, Powys
If you want to enjoy a traditional English vacation, we recommend choosing one of the most beautiful hotels in Wales, which is located just north of the amazing expanse of the Brecon Beacons. This is not only a place to stay for the night, but also a beautiful village pub run by the Michelin-starred Bib Gourmand team. The Sunday lunches, including dishes based on local venison, are especially popular, attracting both locals and discerning gourmet travelers. Of course, they also offer a large selection of beers, and on holidays they organize parties with loud songs.
Felin Fach Griffin offers cozy, antique-style bedrooms with warm Welsh blankets and Roberts radios.
Penally Abbey, Tenby, Pembrokeshire
"Penally Abbey occupies a former Gothic-style priest's house, retaining a special atmosphere and strong character. The hotel in Pembrokeshire is located opposite the famous Caldy Island, still inhabited by monks. The complex also houses an almost completely ruined chapel dating back to the 12th century. The rooms offered by Penally Abbey are appropriately minimalist and meditative, with all-white walls and pastel colors, with huge soft beds.
The highlight of the hotel is the first-class Rhosyn restaurant, as if from the pages of a Daphne du Maurier novel, with mahogany furniture, large chandeliers, paintings depicting storm scenes, lots of antique details, and old-fashioned ovens. The food, although simple, impresses with its perfect execution and harmonious combinations. We recommend ordering Welsh lamb or one of the traditional local dishes based on Penalli fish.
If you want to take a walk outside Penally Abbey, it is worth visiting the beautiful tourist town of Tenby, located just two miles from the hotel, to be transported back to the 21st century.
Ynyshir, Machynlleth
The Ynyshir in Machynlleth is not just a great hotel in Wales, but also one of the best restaurants in Wales, having secured this title with a Michelin star in 2019 and the prestigious Good Food Guide award. Please note that reservations are required in advance. The main restaurant has only five tables, where you can order a unique tasting menu consisting of 20 dishes. However, dinner at The Kitchen Table or The Pass Bench, in the heart of the kitchen, where you can watch the skillful movements of the talented chef Gareth Ward (the master even cooks accompanied by his favorite records), will be no less special experience.
Guests have the option of booking a room in the main house with wood-burning stoves and windows overlooking the forest or choosing one of the spacious, beautiful rooms in the garden, among fragrant magnolias and majestic eucalyptus trees.
Pale Hall, Bala
Located five miles from Laca Bala, this grand mansion built by engineer and Victorian industrialist Henry Robertson is so majestic that it has its own Edwardian water-powered turbine. This amazing property has been transformed into an extraordinary hotel. At Palé Hall you can stay in luxurious rooms named after the cities of Welsh nobility, and some of the rooms are even located in turrets. The highlight of the hotel is an antique bathtub that was once used by Queen Victoria.
There are three dining rooms on site - Venice, The Library, and the Henry Robertson Dining Room. It serves the famous afternoon tea and offers an ambitious tasting menu, which can include pasta with truffles, Welsh black beef, and more. In addition, this charming Welsh hotel is known for regular art exhibitions and fishing excursions on the River Dee.
Lillis Meddyg, Newport, Pembrokeshire
Newport is a picturesque oasis of beauty located in Pinwheel Pembrokeshire, with eclectic cafes like Pwnc, gorgeous beaches (Parrog and others), and one of the most beautiful hotels in Wales. Llys Meddyg occupies a small Georgian carriage house on the River Nevern, with lovely, bright bedrooms furnished with comfortable beds. The rooms offer beautiful views of the nearby Carningley Mountain.
The hotel is known for its gastronomic scene, and dishes are prepared with the freshest ingredients sourced from the coast - sea purslane, shellfish and other seasonal produce, best enjoyed in the atmospheric Kitchen Garden or Cellar. In addition, Llys Meddyg produces high-quality gin by hand and smokes salmon by hand.
Grove of Narberth, Pembrokeshire
During a short weekend, Zoe and Neil Kedward from London fell in love with an abandoned estate at first sight. Formerly an 18th-century country house located in southwest Wales, they transformed it into a beautiful, small hotel in seven months of tireless productive work. The owners have preserved and restored original elements, such as the centuries-old oak staircase or the marble fireplace in the lounge. In addition, the former stables and pigsty have been successfully transformed into four self-catering cottages, and Zoe and Neil have turned the 16th-century tannery into luxury apartments.
The Grove of Narberth is known for its intricate layout, with plenty of cozy communal spaces and bedrooms, all decorated in a sophisticated style with a harmonious blend of traditional and contemporary elements. In addition, this beautiful hotel in Wales boasts extraordinary views of the bright green landscapes of Pembrokeshire and the picturesque Preseli Mountains in the distance, which are visible on clear days.
If you want to stay in the main house, you can choose from six large and individually decorated rooms in muted colors. The apartments are furnished with antique furniture, decorated with fabrics and wallpapers by Andrew Martin and Zoffany, and paintings.
The Grove of Narberth has two restaurants - The Fernery and Artisan Rooms, lit by candles and covered with oak panels. They offer hearty seasonal dishes such as roasted guinea fowl with olives, rabbit gnocchi, scallops from nearby Milford Highland, and much more.
In addition, guests are always ready to help with the organization of various activities, including:
- fishing
- riding on a coastal vessel;
- horseback riding lessons;
- kayaking
- rock climbing, etc.
We also recommend taking a trip to Skomer Island to meet its local inhabitants - gray seals and puffins.
Bodysgallen Hall, Llandudno
The list of the top 10 most beautiful hotels in Wales includes Bodysgallen Hall. This somewhat old-fashioned country house complex is set in 200 acres of National Trust land, with large, picturesque gardens dating back to Elizabethan times. Among the mulberry trees and hedges, you will find many interesting nooks and crannies, such as a 17th-century sundial. In addition, the hotel is just two miles from the Victorian city of Llandudno, whose ancient streets are well worth a stroll.
Guests have the opportunity to stay in luxurious rooms with old-world charm. There are also many common areas, including cozy rooms decorated with wood paneling and large fireplaces. If you want more privacy, we recommend booking one of the secluded cottages with its cozy garden.
Manor Town House
Although Manor Town House, located in the vicinity of Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, is considered a bed and breakfast, it is much more than just a place to stay. The Grade II listed pale blue townhouse building immediately stands out from the rest of the property in the town, where sleepy harbor life contrasts with the liveliness of the port, which also provides ferries to Rosslare, Ireland.
The rooms are decorated in fresh blue and white shades, with Victorian walnut furniture and Welsh fabrics. The hotel also offers superior suites, which offer extraordinary sea views and unforgettable sunsets over Cardigan Bay.
Manor Town House offers a variety of leisure options. You can enjoy a traditional Pembrokeshire-style afternoon tea sitting on the cozy garden terrace or take a walking tour along the coast. In addition, guests have the opportunity to start their day with an ingenious breakfast, which includes a variety of delicacies such as homemade yogurt with granola, smoked plums with anise flavor, whipped ricotta with roasted peaches and thyme, and more.
