If you're looking for windswept and spectacular then Wales is for you. It doesn't matter if it's a dramatically buffeted coastline, rocky mountain range or lush river valley, Wales offers a myriad of opportunities for getting out into the great outdoors. Of course Wales also has lively cities, charming seaside towns and has had many thousands of years in which to build wonderful castles, historic homes and fascinating structures. Some of these have now been converted into the best places to stay in Wales.

Some of our Welsh Collections:

• Wales’ best pubs-with-rooms
• The best hotels in South Wales
• Dog friendly hotels in Wales
• The best hotels in Mid Wales

If you’re looking for the best places to stay in Wales for an outdoorsy holiday, consider North Wales: As well as access to Snowdonia National Park and the Wales Coastal Path, North Wales has stunning beaches along dramatically rugged coastlines, Llandudno is a good base for the coast, and Conwy, or the Isle of Anglesey, and great for other outdoor adventures.

South and Mid Wales have the main cities, Cardiff and Swansea. It’s also where you’ll find the vast mecca for walkers and cyclists that is the Brecon Beacons which is part of the Powys area, parts of the Wye Valley and the pretty village of Mumbles, gateway to the Gower Peninsula. This is one of the best places to say in Wales for surfers and beach-lovers.

As you get into West Wales you'll notice road signs changing from English above Welsh to Welsh above English. This is the heartland of traditional Wales and Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion really feel a long way, culturally, from the rest of the mainland. The coastline is tamer, with more sandy stretches, dotted with candy-coloured harbour towns, so this is great place for a unique seaside holiday.

The Best Places to Stay in Wales

For Ocean Views

• In a spectacular spot, with the beach as an extension of the front garden, the Hotel Portmeirion & Castell Deudraeth was built to prove a naturally beautiful site could be developed without spoiling it. Just behind the Hotel Portmeirion part of the complex is a wooded hill, and the Castell Deudraeth part of the complex sits above it. Between them, the properties have 55 rooms and suites, with plenty of variety when it comes to size, shape and atmosphere. They have two restaurants, and share the Castell’s luxurious, all-organic spa. Quirky and memorable for all the right reasons, with idyllic views.
• Holm House occupies a tranquil spot on top of Cardiff’s Penarth Cliffs, overlooking the stunning Welsh coastline so you’ll feel a bit seaside-y on your city break. As well as 12 individually designed and decorated rooms, Holm House has a luxurious spa and a fine dining restaurant.
• St David's Hotel & Spa is a large hotel on Cardiff Bay. As well as 146 stylish and well-proportioned rooms and suites, the hotel has a great restaurant with a terrace overlooking the water, and a luxurious spa. There’s a pool, gym, 24 hour room service, and parking. When you look out onto the bay you may feel like you’re a world away from the city, but it’s only about two minutes
• The Harbourmaster Hotel is located in Aberaeron and has a reputation for great food as well as being perfect for the seaside. The rooms are split between three harbour side buildings and many have stunning views out to sea.
• Overlooking the Pembrokeshire coast, the Twr Y Felin Hotel is a chic, contemporary, 21 room hotel cleverly converted from a 19th century-built windmill. The decor is quite sleek and metallic, and the art is modern, making this a stylishly modern coastal retreat.
• Converted from a 19th century vicarage just outside of St. Davids, the Penrhiw Hotel is a luxurious seven room bolthole on the southwest tip of Wales with chic and fashionable accommodation. It's ideally located to head off hiking through the beautiful Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

For a Rural Retreat

• The Bell at Skenfrith is a charming old coaching inn overlooking the River Monnow, in the picturesque Welsh Marshes. This resorted, 17th century coaching house now has 11 light, unfussy, contemporary country-style bedrooms. There are lovely walks that start right from the doorstep, and the promise of a cream tea on your return, - which could then be followed swiftly by something stronger before a superb supper in the restaurant.
• The Grove is a beautifully restored manor farmhouse just outside Narbeth in West Wales. There are twelve bedrooms which are simply perfect, plus extra accommodation in an adjoining cottage and longhouse. Food too is outstanding here and if you book a self catering cottage you're positively encouraged to raid the vegetable garden.

For a Country House Hotel

• Palé Hall is a Victorian manor house, right up against Snowdonia National Park. The sloping lawns, and large windows have always offered incredible views, but now that the manor has been converted into an 18 room manor house hotel, so it’s not only royalty who’re able to enjoy the views and the four-poster beds, and indulgent surrounds. Palé Hall’s cosy library is a pleasure, as is the food served in the restaurant. Definitely one of the most luxurious places to stay in Gwynedd.
• Penmaenuchaf Hall Hotel is an elegant, grey-stone manor house set behind pleasant gardens and scenic views. Inside are 14 guest rooms, and an excellent restaurant. The decor is pleasantly country chintzy, with open fireplaces and wood panelled walls adding a feeling of genteel history. The hall is close to Snowdonia National Park, and the trout and salmon fishing of the nearby River Wnion.

For Snowdonia National Park

• Right under the Snowdon’s nose, the Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel is an historic mountaineers’ base, with 16 rooms in a range of comfortable configurations. Hearty dinners are announced to guests with a gong, and the breakfasts are designed to set you up for a good climb. One of the walls in the bar is made of halved tree trunks, all polished up, and there is home-made lemonade in summer and mulled wine in winter. Popular with self-walkers as well as dog walkers, the hotel is the definition of homely with old-fashioned but spotless rooms.
• Plas Dinas is a charming country house in 15 acres of grounds between Snowdonia and the Irish Sea. Now converted into a hotel, Plas Dinas has ten guest rooms, all rather majestically decorated, with four-poster bed dressed in brocade-style fabrics. Our Gurus appreciated the antiques, original oils and objet d’art. There are also several options when it comes to dining, including self-catering, before you get too snooty!
• Seoint Manor Hotel, set in an 18th century country house amidst 150 acres of grounds, provides stylish and tasteful accommodation. You'll love their 2 AA Rosette awarded Llwyn y Brain dining room! Plus, you're right on the edge of Snowdonia National Park.
• Y Meirionnydd is a cosy, five room restaurant-with-rooms converted from the former country gaol in Dolgellau. Each of the rooms is light and spacious, surprising considering this was a prison! but they’ve all been beautifully renovated to feature spacious bathrooms - some with roll-top baths. The restaurant is loved by walkers for its hearty food and intimate atmosphere, and there’s a cosy bar too. Adults only. Perfect to come back to after a days walking.

For the Brecon Beacons

• Llandeilo’s The Cawdor is a charming Georgian building — painted a deep red — in the centre of the village, surrounded by galleries, and antique and specialist shops. It has 23 rooms and suites, large ones, with well appreciated original features, but simple contemporary furnishings. Each of the rooms is unique, and they’re priced accordingly. Downstairs there’s an informal bar and lounge, and a large restaurant known for its local Welsh recipes. A great base from which to explore the region.

For Foodies

• The Restaurant James Sommerin is a gorgeous, Michelin-starred restaurant with nine boutique-style rooms. The setting is idyllic in Penarth, right on the waterfront, and you’re close to Cardiff.
• Patricks with Rooms is a fantastic seafood restaurant with rooms, with views that look out across Mumbles Bay. There are 16 rooms, all of them individually decorated, in a rainbow of colours - though just one colour to a room, please, and the excellent modern British restaurant, specialising in local seafood. ideal for families, as well as lovers of the ocean. And of golf - you’re just five minutes from the Clyne and Llangland Golf Clubs.
• Manorhaus in Ruthin, is a highly acclaimed restaurant with eight rooms, and an art gallery. The art works are displayed throughout the restaurant and hotel, with different artists featured in each room; the bar and lounge downstairs act as a sort of exhibition space for a changing offering of artists’ work. The restaurant is known for its contemporary take on classic Welsh recipes. There’s also an excellent bar, and if you fancy it, a cinema room, where you’re able to take your pudding and coffee for a screening.

For Romantics

• Close to Snowdonia National Park, the wonderfully Gothic Chateau Rhianfa, inspired by the castles of the Loire Valley, offers bedrooms in a traditional style but with contemporary furnishings - as well as three self-catering cottages. Come back after a long day hiking and enjoy a good book in their elegant sitting rooms.
• Located on the Pembrokeshire coast, St Brides Spa Hotel enjoys a clifftop situation with stunning views. Privately owned, it boasts forty-six contemporary styled bedrooms and top-notch spa offering various marine therapies and an infinity pool with sea views.

For Walkers

• The King Arthur Hotel is a cosy, 19 room hotel, beneath Cefn Bryn, the highest point on the Gower Peninsula. The decor is chic, yet unfussy, and there are a number of open fires, ideal for reading in front of. Our Gurus enjoyed the friendly-old-pub atmosphere of the restaurant.
• The New White Lion is an elegant little B&B in Llandovery, close to both the Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains. We highly recommend it for walkers and cyclists. It’s welcoming and cosy, with log fires in the season and several rooms with large bath tubs. The generous breakfasts will really set you up for the day. Child-friendly and close to a golf course too.
• Glangwili Mansion is a warm and welcoming B&B, this time in a picturesque rural spot outside the village of Llanllawddog. As well as walkers and cyclists, this B&B is ideal for fans of all sorts of outdoor pursuits. There’s a lot to do in the area, starting with walks right out of the front door, and croquet and boules on the front lawn. There are four guest rooms inside the converted mansion, all of them spacious and light, with beautiful garden views.

Best Pubs-with-Rooms

• The West Arms Hotel is a 16th century inn located in the foothills of the Berwyn Mountains. It offers cosy bedrooms with original features and antiques. There are nearby golf clubs and wonderful walking trails to be explored.
• The Saracens Head is a stylish county pub in the picturesque Snowdonian village of Beddgelert. Its 11 rooms are simply decorated, in cosy country style by contemporary neutral colours. Our Gurus like the Welsh wool throws. They also enjoyed the selection of ales and hearty food in the welcoming pub restaurant.

For Lovers of Dylan Thomas

• Browns Hotel was immortalised by Dylan Thomas — he apparently visited twice a day — it was his favoured watering hole in Laugharne. Dating from the 18th century, the hotel today offers smart modern accommodation with a chic boutique vibe. There are 14 rooms and suites, decorated individually to make the most of the exposed stone, huge beams, and other original features. Dexter's Restaurant champions amazing locally grown steaks and the bar is the place to soak up the scene.

Best B&Bs

• Ael y Bryn is a peaceful, nine room B&B, with pastel decor, large windows and views of Cardigan Bay, and the Marine Wildlife Centre. As well as the nine rooms, there’s a conservatory, a library and sprawling gardens. They serve an even meal in a cosy dining room. You’re within Snowdonia, with walking trail abound, and also just a short distance from Royal St. David’s Golf Course.

For Great Value

• Swansea’s Morgans Hotel is a hub, and stylish choice: a collection of 42 individually designed rooms and suites, in an elegant, historic, red-brick building. If you want a four-poster bed and a champagne bar, but it’s also for you of you prefer a spacious, contemporary option, with solid, square furnishings, good lighting, and access to a bacon buttie. Staff are friendly, and the restaurant is reassuringly buzzy.
• Holm House is located outside of Cardiff, atop the cliffs of Penarth, overlooking a stunning stretch of Welsh coastline. The location means it’s something of an escape, and the facilities, which include a luxurious spa and pool, a large garden and an elegant bar, are top notch. The hotel has just 12 rooms and suites, carefully designed, and decorated in pale neutrals. Very reasonably priced luxury with sea views.
• Greenbank Lodge in Llangollen is a period Victorian townhouse turned chic nine room guesthouse, located right in the centre of town. The decor is chic and the suite comes with an indulgent in-room bath tub for two! For those on a longer stay there's also a charming self-catering cottage which can sleep up to four.

Prefer a Private Apartment or Cottage?

• If you'd prefer the privacy of a self-catering option then browse through the wide variety available online with our partner, Booking.com.

Travel Information

• Cardiff Airport is directly linked to around 50 destinations, including all the main airline hubs, but it’s also a fairly short distance from Heathrow - only three hours by road. Alternatively there are good rail links to many Welsh destinations from continental Europe and the rest of the UK, and you can cross to and from Ireland on the ferry, which takes under two hours from Dublin.
• If you want to hire a car we recommend you visit our online partner, Rentalcars.
• Welsh spring is beautiful! If you enjoy a stroll, be it around a castle grounds, up a mountain or along a rocky peninsula, then the mild, dry weather of spring is a good time for it. Plus there are lambs and birdsong. Summer in Wales is also appealing, what with the golden beaches looking almost as good as the Med. under the summer sun. Autumn is great for walkers, with the colours adding to Wales’s dramatic views and welcoming pub lunches to come in for. Plus the castles are at their most moody and dramatic looking too. In winter you might need to walk more briskly, or up higher mountains, to keep you warm, but there’s always a welcoming fire burning somewhere and plenty of colourful Christmasy events to keep you in good cheer.

Still not sure where to stay?

• If you’re travelling for the great outdoors, you could refine your search to the best places to stay in Snowdonia National Park? the Gower Peninsula? the Wye Valley? or the Brecon Beacons?
• Or you could refine your search to a Welsh city? Cardiff? Swansea?
• Or you could refine your search by the type of accommodation you’re looking for? and consider just Wales’ best pubs-with-rooms? or dog friendly hotels in Wales?
• Or you could contact one of our friendly Gurus for personalised advice.