NORTH WALES - England 2012 and the Best of Wales - page 741

Empire Hotel Behind a slightly incongruous neoclassical facade is the best
full-service hotel in central Llandudno. Family managed, it is furnished with antiques
and fine paintings in the Victorian tradition, but with a subtle contemporary edge.
Bedrooms are midsize to spacious and luxuriously furnished. A Victorian annex, “No.
72,” contains eight of the establishment's finest rooms, filled with period antiques,
touches of silk, and a bathtub-cum-Jacuzzi. Book way ahead for a weekend stay.
Church Walks, Llandudno LL30 2HE. www.empirehotel.co.uk. & 01492/860555. Fax [phone].
58 units. £99-£125 double. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; 2 heated pools
(1 indoor, 1 outdoor); gym & spa; room service. In room: A/C (in some), TV/DVD, movie library, fridge,
hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).
Space The most peaceful—and the oldest—corner of Llandudno is the set-
ting for this design-savvy “boutique B&B.” The vibe is relaxed and personal. Rooms
are midsize and based subtly on Indian elements, with color schemes and original,
contemporary artwork carefully matched. Furniture in the public areas was designed
by the owners and made in Malaysia.
The intimate on-site restaurant, Jaya (www.jayarestaurant.co.uk), is open for
dinner to non-guests Wednesday through Sunday. It specializes in home-cooked,
authentic Punjabi dishes with an East African twist, like masala murgh (chicken
cooked in a Kenyan style with masala sauce). Main courses cost £15 to £18.
36 Church Walks, Llandudno LL30 2HN. www.spaceboutique.co.uk. & 01492/818198. Fax
01492/550987. 11 units. £85-£95 double. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. Free parking. Ameni-
ties: Restaurant; bar. In room: TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).

19

DENBIGHSHIRE & THE
NORTHEAST BORDERLANDS
Llangollen: 65 miles SW of Manchester, 55 miles SE of Caernarfon; Wrexham: 34 miles S of Liverpool,
13 miles NE of Llangollen
Away from its developed northern coastline, the historic county of Denbighshire is
a terrain of rolling, lush grazing pastures, misty hills, and wooded slopes. It's dotted
with friendly, workaday market towns that are generally little troubled by tourists—
and in sleepy, empty corners like the Ceiriog Valley, not even those. The exception
is Llangollen, whose prime location at a bridge fording the River Dee has attracted
visitors since the Regency era—when a trip to see the “Ladies of Llangollen” at their
house, Plas Newydd, was all the rage. Castles such as the one at Chirk also testify
that these Welsh borderlands haven't always been so far from the action.
Essentials
GETTING THERE & AROUND The closest rail hubs are at Wrexham and
Rhyl, and a network of local buses serves the major market towns. However, the only
practical way to explore the best of the region—particularly the countryside around
the southern Denbighshire town of Llangollen—is by car.
VISITOR INFORMATION The main Denbighshire Tourist Information Cen-
tre is in Llangollen, at Y Capel, Castle Street ( & 01978/860828; www.northwales
borderlands.co.uk). It's open daily 9:30am to 5pm, with a half-hour closure for lunch
between 1 and 1:30pm.