Welsh Wonder: Discover Penmaenuchaf, A Hotel That Embodies The Heart Of Wales

With superb interior design by Nicola Harding, great food and a stunning location, Penmaenuchaf Hotel in Snowdonia is a go-to destination. Margaret Hussey reports.

What It’s Like To Stay At Penmaenuchaf Hotel, Wales

‘You can go off hiking, cycling, wild swimming and then can come back to our hug here,’ says Neil Kedward. ‘We want people to be curious and adventurous.’

Neil and his wife Zoe are the the very proud owners of Penmaenuchaf Hotel, a mountain resort in the Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park in North Wales. 

This historic Victorian country house has just completed a four-year transformation, deeply rooted in its location. And unlike some faceless hotels, where you could be anywhere, here you really feel, see and taste you are in Wales. There’s Welsh language on the door and loo signs, beautiful Welsh blankets and quilts on beds as well as gorgeous Welsh pottery in the room. The food is locally sourced with no detail missed and it’s something Neil and Zoe are very particular about.

©Penmaenuchaf

Neil grew up near Swansea and wanted to make this 14-bedroom hotel a retreat for adventurous spirits. It’s a place where you can go off on a hike and come back to soak in your huge outdoor bath, like I did.

You feel enveloped in cosiness and that’s thanks both to Neil and Zoe’s team as well as the hugely impressive interiors, created by designer Nicola Harding (who featured in Country & Town House’s list of the 50 finest interior designers in the UK.)

Nicola was staying when we visited and, ever the designer, was moving chairs around and plumping cushions while we chatted. She was fully on board with the transformation when she met Neil and Zoe and first saw Penmaenuchaf.

©Penmaenuchaf

‘They wanted to create a soulful place and unlock the magic here, which of course spoke to exactly what I love doing,’ says Nicola. ‘The bones were all there. You can see that you could peel things back and start to reveal the true spirit of the house and connect with nature.’

She has certainly achieved that – every area is packed with charm and character. Rooms are subtly lit with gorgeous lamps and there are no harsh ceiling lights.

There are artworks, curtains with pelmets, loads of cushions and you can pretty much flop down anywhere. Either sip an elderflower and apple Bellini at the Mynydd bar, take a book from the beautiful library, or spin vinyl beside the fire in the Music Room – and the Morning Room is a perfect place to sit, read or just gaze out at the landscape.

©Penmaenuchaf

Neil tells us he wanted the refurbishment to happen gradually, which is why it has taken four years. I stayed in one of the newly-refurbished suites Ogwen, named after a glacial valley in Snowdonia. (Penmaenuchaf sits at the foot of the Cadair Idris mountain, and all room names have a Welsh connection.)

My key was attached to a wooden Welsh lovespoon – a lovely touch. I had a huge (and I mean huge) outdoor copper bath on my balcony – with views to the woodlands. At nighttime with the steam rising, the stillness and the moonlight, it was simply magical.

©Penmaenuchaf

Welsh Good Wash Company refillable products are in the shower inside and everything in the mini bar is included in the price. Local craftspeople were central to this refurbishment and the team drew on a rich network of Welsh makers like weaver Margaret Hansford, rug maker Kathy Williams and Anvil Pottery, whose lovely cups and saucers were in my room. 

The room was so packed with detail and inspiration that I want to incorporate elements at home, which Nicola is delighted to hear. ‘I think when you go somewhere you want to play house a little bit in your own room, to make a nice cup of tea and get properly cosy,’ she says.

Penmaenuchaf’s library was lovingly developed in collaboration with Penrallt Gallery Bookshop in nearby Machynlleth. Neil picks The Mabinogion from the shelves, the earliest collection of prose stories from Medieval Wales and the root of Welsh cultural identity. The hotel also helps organise classes like our art workshop with local artist Elin Crowley. Using scraps of fabric and paints, despite being initially hesitant, I am chuffed with my picture of a jug with the word llaeth, Welsh for milk. That’s mostly thanks to Elin’s gentle encouragement. 

©Penmaenuchaf

Neil and Zoe work closely with local businesses and you feel that huge amount of reciprocal bonhomie. We take a spin to the pretty market town of Dolgellau. It has more listed buildings than any other in Wales – over 200.

We swing by Dylanwad, the town’s independent wine shop, for a tasting with owner Dylan and colleague Osian. They tell us Wales now has over 60 vineyards and Osian has even set up a very handy website sipcymru.co.uk to show the variety. We sample a delicious Montgomery fizz from Powys, a white (Yr Afanc)  from The Dell in Monmouthshire and a red from Vale in Denbigh. Osian tells us it’s an exciting time for Welsh wine and the climate and landscape is throwing up some great varieties. 

Back at the hotel it’s time to kick off our shoes in the Mynydd restaurant and bar. Here you can have afternoon tea, open to non-residents, and I have the most delicious Hafod cheese and truffle toastie, which just oozes flavour. Food led by head chef Dan Andrée, is seasonal, Welsh and full of love. Work is ongoing on their raised kitchen garden beds behind the hotel – the edible flowers on our canapés were delicious.

©Penmaenuchaf

The eight-course tasting menu at the hotel’s Afon restaurant, named after the Welsh for river, brings together the best of the region from Welsh mountain hogget to sea buckthorn and delicious Welsh cheeses. As a veggie, I was more than catered for and can highly recommend the lemon ricotta tortellini. And unlike some tasting menus, which seem to be an endurance test, this was fresh and vibrant, ditto the wine pairings. 

After a hearty two-course breakfast the next morning, we were off on a hike with local guide Kath Goodey on The Precipice Walk, one of the most popular walks in Snowdonia. It gives great views of the Mawddach river below as well as out to Barmouth beach – and we encountered some very friendly sheep. Kath also offers guided mountain biking at ridehighmtb.co.uk.

If you are time-starved, a walk among Penmaenuchaf’s gardens is good for the soul. Head gardener Simone tells us she is taking her time here – not surprising when she has 21 acres to work with  – to preserve its heritage and natural beauty. The Victorian planting is still evident from azaleas to hydrangeas and rhododendrons. 

Both the Kedwards and Nicola wanted to bring the Welsh landscape along with craftsmanship and storytelling into the hotel and they have certainly achieved that. Diolch! 

©Penmaenuchaf

C&TH Key Notes

Push the boat out… and book the Ogwen room. You could nearly fit a small boat in its huge outdoor copper bath, which is big enough for two and on its own roof terrace. Sip bubbles under the stars amid the bubbles of its hydrotherapy jets. 

You must try… The delicious apple and elderflower Bellini at the Mynydd Bar, made with Velfrey Welsh sparkling wine. A fantastic aperitif before the tasting menu at Afon.

Bag a seat… In the beautifully peaceful Morning Room with views over the gardens. It’s a great place to kick off your shoes and curl up with a book from the well-stocked library next door.

The Last Word: For anyone wanting to explore Snowdonia and Wales, Penmaenuchaf is the absolutely perfect retreat. You can go off hiking, cycling and wild swimming, while returning to this huge hug of a hotel with great food, wine and staff.

Stays at Penmaenuchaf start from £260 on a B&B basis. For more information or to book, visit penmaenuchaf.co.uk