51 Best Hotels in Wales

The place to go for total Victorian country elegance, Lake Country and its 50 acres of sloping lawns contain a trout-filled lake bordered by an impressive spa. Comfortable and quiet, the hotel has first-class service and excellent contemporary cuisine. Three-course dinners may include pan-roasted loin of Welsh venison followed by caramelized rice pudding. Period furniture and fine fabrics decorate the large bedrooms; some have four-poster beds. The hotel is in Llangammarch Wells, 16 miles southwest of Llandrindod Wells.

Awesome views of mountain-ringed Lake Vyrnwy are just one asset of this country mansion on a 24,000-acre estate. For the ultimate sporting vacation you can try fly-fishing, hike or bike on the nearby paths, or rent a sailboat. The less energetic can linger in the superb spa, which offers a range of massage treatments and has a pool overlooking the lake. Leather chairs and log fires add to the feeling of luxury, and the bedrooms are full of pampering touches. The sophisticated contemporary cuisine includes seasonal game and local lamb as well as tapas.

Perhaps the best of the many B&Bs on Cathedral Road—a handsome enclave of Victorian houses—this place close to the city center is a great find. The rooms are reasonably sized; some have antique-style furnishings (one has a four-poster bed), while others have a more contemporary vibe. Breakfasts are good and hearty. You can order light snacks in the bar, or the staff can recommend places to eat nearby.

A Georgian town house in the heart of Ruthin has been converted into a gorgeous boutique hotel. Each room is like a tiny art exhibition, designed and decorated by the artist whose work hangs on the walls. There's also a library, gallery, private cinema, and cocktail bar. The highly regarded restaurant, serving locally sourced food, is currently open to guests only on weekdays; reserve in advance. The popular weekly film club and monthly supper club are open to everyone.

This grand-looking hotel from 1896 is surprisingly contemporary on the inside, with modern furnishings that complement the original architectural flourishes. The service is efficient, and the large bedrooms are equipped with up-to-the-minute gadgets. There's a decent restaurant, and the spa offers reasonably priced treatments (a back massage costs £50).

This historic Georgian mansion, now a luxury hotel which also offers self-catering accommodations, was for many years the home of the Nanteos Cup (alleged to be the Holy Grail and now in the National Library of Wales). The sophisticated, traditionally furnished rooms have all the modern amenities; the suites are particularly grand. The restaurant, Nightingale, is renowned for its creative use of local produce and the bar has a good selection of Welsh beers and spirits. Nanteos is 4 miles southeast of Aberystwyth.

This Georgian country house hotel, a 20-minute drive north of the city center, has wonderful views across Cardiff and over the Bristol Channel to Somerset. Rooms are decorated in classic style and have all modern amenities, including tea and coffee. The food can be described as upmarket gastro-pub grub and a good afternoon tea is also available. There's even a small gym. 

This boutique B&B is a breath of fresh air in such a traditional village, offering guests some real Welsh hospitality in modern, stylish surroundings. You'll find six well-equipped minimalist rooms with Welsh blankets and free Netflix along with Welsh tapas made with local produce on the menu in the shabby-chic restaurant (try one of the grazing boards). The bar has an excellent selection of Welsh craft beers and spirits.

Once Cardiff's head post office and county court in the Victoria era, this building has been turned into the city's smartest hotel. Located next to the Principality Stadium, it's a favorite with well-heeled sports fans. Rooms are chic and individually decorated in classic-meets-contemporary style. The wood-paneled restaurant, The Sorting Room, has a modern British-French menu that uses plenty of regional produce. A rooftop spa, complete with a hydrotherapy pool, is a welcome retreat from sightseeing.

A gem of a B&B next to the River Wye, Parva Farmhouse also offers a great restaurant run by a former chef at the Walnut Tree in Abergavenny. Rooms are individually decorated in a contemporary style; those on the upper floor have nice views. There's a small sitting room for guests, with a log fire in winter. Breakfast is a real treat featuring the likes of smoked haddock with poached egg or spicy baked haricot beans with bacon.  

This refined country house, built in 1741, feels more like a home than a hotel. The eight rooms in the main house are spacious and traditionally furnished with plush fabrics and antiques while the four duplexes in the Stables are more rustic and ideally suited for families. All meals are available, but the afternoon tea is a real treat. There's even a small spa with a jacuzzi, sauna, and beauty treatments. The hotel is 3 miles southeast of Brecon off the A40.

These well-equipped wooden treehouses on a working sheep farm 6 miles from the nearest town offer a wonderful luxury retreat. Cadwollen's, which sleeps two people (and a baby), is the romantic option with a huge copper bathtub while Trawscwm can accommodate two adults and two children over the age of six. The largest, Prince Llywelyn, sleeps up to seven people (if two are prepared to sleep in hammocks). All treehouses have outdoor hot tubs. Muesli, tea, and coffee are provided but a variety of food hampers (from £30 for a breakfast hamper for two people) can be preordered; massage treatments are also available.

Once a coaching inn, this sophisticated lodging on the edge of town retains its sense of history. Rooms are decorated in country-chic style and furnished with antiques; specially commissioned art featuring flowers adorn the walls. The restaurant serves hearty Welsh breakfasts and Modern British food at lunch and dinner. When the weather's nice, the small garden is a lovely spot for an evening drink.

Not only is this five-star campsite in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (aka the Gower Peninsula), it overlooks what has been voted one of Britain's best beaches. There are pitches for tents and motor homes, as well as glamping in heated, well-equipped yurts for up to five people (from £249 for two nights). Breakfast pastries and evening meals from a food truck are available to preorder.

This former Victorian bathhouse at the water's edge in Mumbles, 4 miles west of Swansea, is now a comfortable B&B. The bedrooms are named after local beaches and individually decorated; Caswell Bay can sleep a family of four. After a tasty cooked breakfast, take a walk along the promenade. 

Located in the shadow of Harlech Castle, Y Branwen is a homey restaurant with rooms and a friendly place for an overnight stay. The guest areas are good-size and modern. The smart restaurant has plenty of traditional Welsh flavors on offer, and there are 70 gins and 35 whiskies on the bar menu. Harlech Castle is a short stroll up the hill.

A Victorian Baptist chapel and adjoining stables have successfully been converted into a cozy and comfortable B&B, keeping many original features. The rooms are decorated in a contemporary style, with Welsh textiles and tea and coffeemaking facilities. Breakfast is taken at the owners' other property nearby, the Erskine Arms, which has some equally appealing accommodations and good pub food.

Complete the Welsh countryside idyll at this family-run bed-and-breakfast 8 km (5 miles) south of Holyhead. Spread across 7 hectares (18 acres) against the Irish Sea coast, the farm offers some of the best views on the isle of Anglesey. It's easy to get even closer to the water on several coastal trails or at the nearby public beach. However, the eight individually designed rooms inside are cute and comfortable enough to allow long morning lie-ins, if the birds don't wake you first. Portions of the farm are open to camping and caravans, with showering facilities provided, and they have two vacation homes for rent. Snacks and drinks are sold in the reception.

The significant charm to this small guesthouse on the outskirts of Holyhead comes as much from the quaint, country-style rooms as from the owner and caretaker, Len Williams, whose welcoming and obliging nature earns much praise. Cleanliness is not just a virtue here—it's paramount, and shows throughout the property. There's no restaurant, but room fridges are stocked with breakfast cereal, cookies, milk, and the fixings for hot chocolate, tea, and coffee. The ground-floor room offers a tad more privacy with its private entrance and enclosed patio and garden.

As a major transportation hub between Ireland, Wales, and England, Holyhead welcomes many 24-hour visitors looking for hot meal and bed rather than a Welsh countryside adventure. Catering to them and other budget travelers, the Travelodge also benefits from its portside location. Rooms also tend to excel guests' expectations, with recent renovations adding extra soft "dreamer beds" and a measure of Scandinavian minimalism. There's no restaurant or pub on site but plenty in the surrounding neighborhoods.