Roadtripping through Wales, One Luxury Hotel at a Time

I slept in Queen Victoria’s bed. Sure, England can claim Highclere Castle of Downton Abbey fame, but in Wales, my accommodations rivaled royalty’s.

Wales. A country whose signs I can’t read, in a language I can’t pronounce, spoken in a way I can’t understand. A country located in the western part of the British Isles, where sheep sightings outnumber humans and drivers hug the left side of narrow country roads. A place where timeless myths and legends stretch through centuries, weaving ribbons of magic in forested hills and seascapes.

Roadtripping through Wales, One Luxury Hotel at a Time

Learning the Welsh language word by word, but good luck pronouncing the words correctly. © Nancy Mueller Photos

Fortunately for our small band of travel enthusiasts, christened “lucky sausages” by our affable local host, he handled all the language and road navigation. The rest of us simply enjoyed the vast bucolic vistas along the route and the luxurious stays we were there to experience.

Day One: North Wales

Tracing our road trip through Wales on a map of North Wales. © Nancy Mueller Photos

We begin in North Wales, about an hour’s drive from Manchester, winding past cottage-like brick-fronted townhomes in the city of Wrexham. Two miles south of town, we catch our first up-close glimpse of a grand country house, garden, and estate at Erddig House.

Errdig House © Nancy Mueller Photos

Here is “where fragrance, peace and beauty reign…,” claimed Philip Yorke II, inheritor of his brother’s derelict property. Since 1973, Errdig House has been under the care of the UK’s National Trust. The Trust’s mission is to “look after nature, beauty and history for everyone to enjoy.” The lovingly curated restoration showcases over 30,000 items, including fine furnishings and artworks. Unique portrait collections of the domestic staff prove a respectful relationship with the Yorke family, uncommon for the times.

Between the grandeur of the country house, lavish gardens, and sheer number of furnishings on display, it’s hard to take it all in. Consequently, many families often make an entire day, and more, of a visit to the estate.

Conwy Castle

Our drive continues with a lunch stop at the Old Corn Mill in Llangollen. We follow with a walk around Conwy Castle and the walled town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. From here, it’s a short distance to our first-night luxury hotel stay at Bodysgallen Hall. After all, it’s one thing to witness the lives of the rich, royal, and famous. It’s quite another to experience it ourselves.

Conwy Castle © Nancy Mueller Photos

Bodysgallen Hall – “O’r Môr I’r Mynydd”

Entering the grounds of Bodysgallen Hall is an invitation to slow down and soak up the quiet beauty permeating the estate. The site spans over 200 acres. There’s the magnificent secluded country house itself, of course, rated Wales’ highest level Grade 1 17th-century house.

Bodysgallen Hall © Nancy Mueller Photos

Now an award-winning luxury hotel and spa, its building history stretches back 600 years. Today, the property presents a sumptuous, cozy retreat. Features include an oak-panelled drawing room, fireplaces, and plush-cushioned chairs covered in soft pastel tones. Although the main house is two stories high, the site features a five-story tower. The tower was likely constructed as a watchtower for Conwy Castle.

Accommodations include 31 rooms and suites, with 15 located in the main house and 16 cottages on the grounds. The stone-walled Hall Cottages, including the one I stayed in, are set around a secluded garden for added privacy.

Gardens at Bodysgallen Hall © Nancy Mueller Photos

Stroll Through Formal Gardens

We settle into our surroundings with an evening woodland walk. The sweet sounds of birdsong punctuate the soft air. Sheep graze nearby. The quintessential country scene extends to a stroll through the formal gardens. A rare 18th-century parterre, ornamental box-edged herbal beds designed like the spokes of a wheel, takes center stage. Pre-dinner cocktails on the terrace follow. ,

As one might expect, dining comes with a dress code. As defined at Bodysgallen, this means “Smart please, although jacket is not obligatory; trainers, tracksuits, and shorts are not acceptable.” The menu, or principal Bill of Fare, typically offers four or five choices for each course.

Exceptional Dining

I start with the Bodysgallen wild garlic velouté, poached hen’s egg, and fresh truffle. The truffle’s earthy flavor complements the vibrant colored, creamy egg yolk atop a velvety sauce. The roasted fillet of moist seabass, tasty polenta fritter, roasted courgette (zucchini), and barbequed aubergine (eggplant) in a light tomato butter sauce is delightfully fulfilling. However, a dessert of the yummy Bodysgallen iced rhubarb parfait does not go amiss.

Day Two: The Opulence Continues

Penrhyn Castle

Penrhyn Castle © Nancy Mueller Photos

Elegance and opulence follow wherever we go, now to a slate king’s coastal estate at Penrhyn Castle in the morning. In the afternoon, we’re off to the resplendent waterfront home of one Marquess of Anglesay.

Located in Gwynedd, near the city of Bangor in North West Wales, Penrhyn Castle is a marvel of neo-Norman architecture. The Pennant family built the castle from their immense wealth acquired controversially in the slate and sugar industries. Extravagant holdings highlight a darker colonial past of funding by the work of enslaved people.

Inside Penrhyn Castle

Paintings by artists such as Gainsborough and Rembrandt line the walls of over 300 rooms. Slate craftsmanship dominates the premises. Nevertheless, Queen Victoria refused to sleep in the one-ton slate bed commissioned for her visit in 1859. Her Majesty declared its resemblance to a tombstone. Still ahead on our road trip is the bed the Queen – and I – did agree to sleep in.

Plas Newydd

Capriccio Mural by English painter, Rex Whistler, in the dining room at Plas Newydd
© Nancy Mueller Photos

Next, we’re off to the island of Anglesey (Ynys Mon), separated from the mainland by the Menai Strait. Anglesey is the largest island in Wales and home to the second-highest percentage of Welsh speakers at 57 percent. Plas Newydd is a Grade 1 mansion set on the banks of the Menai Strait.

The property includes 40 acres of garden and 129 acres of woodland and parkland. The house features a combination of military history and the arts. A theatre was converted from a chapel by the 5th Marquess of Anglesey, known for staging lavish productions and cross-dressing in elaborate costumes

A Night at Portmeirion

Portmeirion, location for the popular TV show, The Prisoner, in the 60s

Our home for the night brings us south to a private peninsula at Portmeirion. The colorful and whimsical village is set on the estuary of the River Dwyryd. The site was also the setting for the 1960s TV show The Prisoner.

Fanciful Imagination

At first glance, the eclectic mix of architectural styles gives the impression of a life-size miniature golf course without the golf, Las Vegas without the gaming, or an amusement park without the rides, all in the style of the Italian Riviera. The scene is the playful manifestation of a highly imaginative, dreamlike vision of its architect, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis. The visionary believed that development, when done properly, could enhance the natural beauty of a site, rather than spoil it. He adhered to the motto, ”Cherish the past; adorn the present; build for the future.”

The Village

Portmeirion Village hillside attractions © Nancy Mueller Photos

The luxury property consists of two hotels, self-catering and village cottages, an outdoor pool, shops, restaurants, and cafes set within beautifully landscaped gardens. Though centered around a main plaza, Portmeirion is not truly a village in the sense that people live there. Rather, it’s open to the public by day (for an entrance fee) and then only to overnight guests.

We wandered in wonder over the hilly terrain while strolling through the village, looking for hidden details. One spot reveals a bronze bust of actor Patrick McGoohan of The Prisoner. In another, a reclaimed fireplace too large for the Dome interior, adorns the outside of the building instead.

Luxury Accommodations

Accommodations are each uniquely designed and decorated. My Upper Trinity Village suite featured two modest bedrooms and a common TV room, with elegant furnishings, fine linens, and views of the panoramic groundscape and gardens.

Previous guests include celebrities like Sir Paul McCartney and George Harrison, celebrating his 50th birthday. So, our host offers a top tip for the evening: “Dress to impress as you never know who you’ll meet at the bar!” We rise to the occasion. Our dinner prelude concludes with cocktails on the terrace of the lovely Portmeirion Hotel, overlooking the calming coastal shoreline. On this visit, alas, no celebrities were in sight.

Fine Dining

A dining menu offers selections presented in Welsh and English. A glass of Portmeirion Merlot with notes of blackberry and cherry pairs brilliantly with my tender pressed rabbit terrine. A Caesar salad is followed by an entrée of delectable Welsh lamb saddle, asparagus, nutty-flavored morel mushroom, creamy lamb fat panisse, and wild garlic. Fortunately, I’ve left just enough room for dessert, a Tonka bean set custard with raspberry and pistachio.

Day Three: A Railway Adventure

Today, we experience a first-class ride aboard the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Parkway. The trip is a glorious three-hour, 13.5-mile journey, transporting us past lush, dramatic landscapes of the Welsh countryside. The railway was originally built for moving slate from the Blaenau Ffestiniog quarries down to the port at Porthmadog. Currently, it is the world’s oldest narrow-gauge steam railway in operation.

Mountain Spirit Train

Restored and lovingly maintained by rail enthusiast volunteers, our Mountain Spirit train gleams. The coaches are coated in tones of rich burgundy and yellow. Inside the coach, comfortable, high-backed vintage-style seating and polished brass fittings are a vision of loveliness befitting royalty. Large windows invite views of scenic vistas en route. A lunch of freshly made 3-cheese/Chicken salad wrap arrives. A homemade scone, with clotted cream and jam, polished off with lemon meringue pie, tides us over until tea time.

Penmaenuchaf Hotel

Twenty-one acres of countryside bliss await at our next stop in Dolgellau, located within the spectacular Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park. We’re due for tea, as one must partake when in the UK. Our destination is the newly-opened Penmaenuchaf Hotel, sister property to the Grove, where we will stay later in the week. Delicately sweet and savory treats of Welsh cakes and sandwiches, together with sips of champagne, provide a welcome pause in our day’s activities at the stone-front Victorian hideaway.

At Palé Hall

Concierge and Duty Manager Gareth Jones is waiting curbside for our arrival. Wearing smart, tailored attire, he extends a warm smile and welcome. Our vehicle may not rival the classic luxury cars like the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche in the parking lot. Yet we needn’t worry. Concierge Jones assures us that “Every person who walks through the door is a VIP.” We’re in good company, considering Queen Victoria and Winston Churchill have graced these halls before us.

Casual elegance. Refined splendor. Timeless tranquility. However one defines luxury, among the grand country houses dotting the Welsh landscape, Palé Hall is a standout five-star Relais & Chateaux hotel. Dating from 1871, the property includes 22 uniquely designed rooms and suites of exceptional comfort. Ornate wallpaper, antique furnishings, an elegant oak staircase, and a magnificent fireplace are a few of the defining decor elements of the estate.

Queen Victoria’s Bathroom

Tonight, I channel my inner Queen, having drawn the “lucky sausage” card to overnight in the Queen Victoria suite. The suite was requested and occupied by Her Majesty herself during a ten-day visit in 1889. The suite contains exquisite period details, including what’s believed to be the Queen’s original king-size bed and bathtub. I can sleep and bathe like royalty here. But guests are cautioned that the plumbing from the washing sink has been disconnected. The suite’s sumptuous furnishings and linens provide a scene of queenly serenity and relaxed comfort. It’s an idyllic setting for a night of sweet dreams.

Prize-Worthy Valois Sheep

For fine dining, guests enjoy the Henry Robertson Restaurant, named in honor of the property’s original owner. The restaurant has garnered a Michelin Green Star for sustainability and environmental practices. Three AA Rosettes are indicative of the high-quality ingredients, consistency, and technical skill diners can expect.

Head Chef Ed Marsh

Head Chef Ed Marsh and his culinary team create innovative dishes with flair. The menu features seasonal Welsh ingredients fresh from the kitchen gardens and trusted local vendors. For dinner, we were in for a special treat — an exclusive, private dining experience with Chef Marsh at The Hearth Chef’s Table.

Each course of the carefully curated tasting menu was introduced by Chef Marsh. He shared a bit of the history and background of the dishes served. Beyond the delicious tasting menu, an unexpected highlight of the evening was in store. Our server, Ryan, serenaded us with a song by a Canadian vocalist he loves, Michael Bublé. Priceless.

Thank you to VisitWales for hosting my visit.

If You Go

Our route began with a flight into Manchester and an overnight stay at The Alan Hotel. I recommend a walk around the neighborhood to stretch your legs after a long flight. Stop in at one or two local pubs for the ambiance (and drinks and pub grub). Then make your way to any one of the numerous restaurants in the Chinatown District next to The Alan Hotel.

The next day, we drove about 45 minutes from Manchester in our rental van to cross the border into North Wales. You can also take the train from London to Cardiff in Southeastern Wales.