Survival Guide - Wales - page 645

Directory
Accommodation
Wales has been attracting tourists in the modern sense for 350 years, so it's fair to say that the country is well prepared for
visitors. Visit Wales ( www.visitwales.com ) , the national tourist board, operates a grading system based on facilities and
quality of service. Participating establishments usually display their star rating (from one to five), although some excellent
places don't join the scheme, as it costs to do so. Tourist offices rarely mention good nonparticipating places, or may
simply dismiss them as 'not approved'. In practice, there's variability within each classification, and a one-star guesthouse
might be better than the three-star hotel around the block.
BOOK YOUR STAY ONLINE
For more accommodation reviews by Lonely Planet authors, check out http://hotels.lonelyplanet.com . You'll find
independent reviews, as well as recommendations on the best places to stay. Best of all, you can book online.
Bed and breakfast (B&B) accommodation in private homes is plentiful, and is often the only option in smaller towns
and villages. Some of the finest and most family-friendly B&Bs are in rural farmhouses, used to the muddy boots and
large appetites of walkers, cyclists and climbers. Guesthouses, which are often just large converted houses with half a
dozen rooms, are an extension of the B&B idea. In general they're less personal and more like small hotels, but without
the same level of service.
Both B&Bs and guesthouses usually have, as a minimum, central heating, TV, tea and coffee making facilities and a
wash basin in the bedrooms. They range from boutique establishments with chic decor, en suites and every gadget ima-
ginable to basic places with shared-bathroom facilities. Likewise, the standard of breakfast varies enormously, although
the norm is a full Welsh fry-up - bacon and eggs (and often mushrooms, tomatoes and baked beans) on toast - with cer-
eals, yoghurts and fruit also provided.
The term 'hotel' is used with abandon in Wales, and may refer to anything from a pub to a castle. In general, hotels
tend to have a reception desk, room service and other extras such as a licensed bar. The very best hotels are magnificent
places, often with restaurants to match. In rural areas you'll find country-house hotels set in vast grounds, and castles
complete with crenellated battlements, grand staircases, oak panelling and the obligatory rows of stags' heads. A new
breed of boutique hotel has emerged, offering individually styled designer rooms, clublike bars, quality restaurants and a
range of spa treatments.
A variation is the restaurant with rooms, where the main focus is on gourmet cuisine; the attached rooms sometimes
come comparatively cheaply. Such places usually offer dinner, bed and breakfast (DB&B) rates.
Many pubs offer accommodation, though they vary widely in quality. Staying in a pub or inn can be good fun as it
places you at the hub of the community, but they can be noisy and aren't always ideal for solo women travellers. Many of
the better pubs are former coaching inns (places where horse and coach passengers would stop on long journeys).
For longer stays, self-contained weekly rentals are popular. Options include traditional stone farmhouses, tiny quaint
cottages, gracious manor houses and seaside hideaways. For something special, the National Trust Cottages
( www.nationaltrustcottages.co.uk ) has rural properties that are let as holiday cottages. Similarly splendid rentals are