Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For a quarter-century, sophisticated foodies have been coming to Plas Bode-
groes , Pwllheli, Gwynedd LL53 5TH ( &   01758/612363; www.bodegroes.
co.uk), an idyllic, 10-room Georgian manor house and gardens that was one of the
country's original restaurants with rooms. A four-course, creative dinner menu costs
£45 per person. Doubles cost between £130 and £180 per night. It's closed on Sun-
day and Monday. Reservations are, of course, essential.
Rhiwafallen (p. 730), outside Caernarfon, could also serve as a base for exploring
the northern Lleyn.
Bron Eifion On 2 hectares (5 acres) of manicured gardens, this wood-pan-
eled baronial mansion is the most elegant place to stay around Criccieth. The tended
gardens evoke the South of France, and the interior looks like a good place to stage
an Agatha Christie mystery. Rooms are spacious and traditionally furnished; some
have four-poster beds. Insider tip: Check the website for off-season dinner, bed, and
breakfast deals.
Dinner in the rarefied surrounds of the Orangery Restaurant is a refined affair,
featuring such dishes as roast loin and confit shoulder of Welsh lamb with minted
dauphinois potatoes. Main courses cost between £16 and £25.
Criccieth, Gwynedd LL52 0SA. www.broneifion.co.uk. &   01766/522385. Fax 01766/523796. 19 units.
£135-£185 double. Rates include Welsh breakfast. AE, MC, V. Free parking. 1 2 mile outside Criccieth beside
A497. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; babysitting; room service. In room: TV/DVD, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).
Gwesty Portmeirion With one of the most idyllic settings in Wales, this
hotel existed as an early Victorian villa before Clough Williams-Ellis converted it into
an evocative resort from 1926 (see above). Writers such as H. G. Wells and George
Bernard Shaw were habitués. The decor inside is exotic: fabrics from Kashmir, paint-
ings from Rajasthan, tiles from Delft, and wallpaper from New York. About a dozen
units are in the main house (the best having sea views), the rest in a cluster of “village
houses.” Insider tip: Check the website for special offers—especially out of season,
which can get very affordable.
Portmeirion, Gwynedd LL48 6ER. www.portmeirion-village.com. &   01766/770000. Fax 01766/
770300. 53 units. £95-£229 double; £189-£297 suite. Rates include Welsh breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Free
parking. Off the A487, 2 miles southeast of Porthmadog. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; babysitting;
outdoor pool; room service; outdoor tennis court. In room: TV (DVD in some), hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).
Venetia If you're seeking a sleek, chic seaside hideaway, there's nowhere
better on the Lleyn than Venetia, in the pretty port-resort of Abersoch. Rooms inside
the modernized Victorian villa are midsize and stylish, decorated in muted tones with
flashes of exuberance, and dressed with Italian furniture and designer accoutre-
ments. The best is Room no. 5, “Cinque,” with a Jacuzzi big enough for two.
The cornerstone of Venetia's growing reputation is its restaurant, where locally
sourced seafood is prepared expertly with a distinctive Italian accent. Try the likes of
Cardigan Bay scallops with prosciutto and Grana Padano shavings, or Aberdaron
crab linguine. Main courses range from £12 to £22. Reservations are essential for
non-guests.
Lon Sarn Bach, Abersoch, Gwynedd LL53 7EB. www.venetiawales.com. &   01758/713354. 5 units.
£80-£148 double. Rates include Welsh breakfast. 2-night minimum stay at weekends. AE, MC, V. Lim-
ited free parking. Closed Jan-mid-Feb, Tues all year, Mon Sept-May, and Sun Nov-Dec. Amenities:
Restaurant; bar. In room: TV/DVD, hair dryer, MP3 docking station (in some), no phone, Wi-Fi (free).
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