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Llety Bodfor
- Style
- Boutique bed and breakfast
- Setting
- Hills at the back, sea to the front
This spruce seafront townhouse in Aberdovey (Aberdyfi in Welsh) conceals a world of fresh-linened, sheepskin-cushion-covered beds a stroll from the Welsh coastline.
Need to know
- Rooms
- Eight individually decorated rooms, plus a self-catering apartment.
- Rates
- £115–£145, including breakfast and a newspaper of your choice.
- Check-out
- 11am. Earliest check-in, 2pm. If the hotel is quiet, they can be flexible.
- Facilities
- There’s a free DVD library and a huge vinyl collection to use in the lounge; car-parking permits available; ISDN in the reception area; adjoining gift/interiors shop. In rooms, widescreen TV and DVD player, minibar, Frette bedlinen, roll-top bath.
- Children
- Free use of travel cot and highchair and even a ‘toddler backpack’ for beach walks, as it’s hard to take a pushchair. Under-fives stay free in their parents’ rooms, and an extra bed or cot can be provided; some rooms combine to form family suites.
- Hotel closed
- Llety Bodfor closes for a few days over Christmas, but otherwise is open all year round.
- Also
- The hotel requires a two-night minimum stay at weekends.
In the know
- Our favourite rooms
- Room names are numbers in Welsh: Dau is two; Naw is nine; Deg is 10. The family suites are the most spacious, with their own kitchenette cubby and huge sofas. Naw has a four-poster. All rooms are sea-facing (bar singles), but suckers for a view should go for upper floors: we loved lilac-hued Dau (pronounced ‘Di’) on the second floor.
- Packing tips
- When the sun shines, it’s glorious, but it’s better to play safe and take a windcheater or waterproofs, although if you do get caught out in a downpour, Llety has a drying room, which is in handy in bad weather.
- Also
- Hire the whole house for £1,000 a night; it sleeps up to 21. Llety can tailor individual packages, such as picnics on the beach, or special-occasion drinks parties for up to 40 and organise accommodation in the village for any extra people.
Food & drink
- Hotel restaurant
- Breakfast is a fine spread served on the communal wooden table in the lounge. Specials change daily, with great eggs and smoked salmon on offer, as well as the full Welsh.
- Dress code
- Beach modern (plus woollies, windcheaters and warm socks, just in case).
- Room service
- A Continental breakfast can be served in your bedroom. From 10am to 10pm, snack-friendly soups and sandwiches will be whisked to you in the lounge, to order.
- Hotel bar
- You can fix yourself cocktails at most hours: there’s an honesty bar in the lounge.
Smith card offer A croeso (welcome) room gift from the hotel’s adjoining homewares outlet, Seld Interiors, plus a 10 per cent discount in the shop
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Book this hotel
To book this hotel please click here, or contact our travel team on 0845 034 0700.
Local restaurants
The acclaimed Penhelig Arms (+44 (0)1654 767215) is but a stroll along the coast and praised for its fresh fish. Book a table in the restaurant if you’re in the mood for white tablecloths and flowers on the table, but we loved the cosiness of the adjoining pub, the Fisherman’s Bar – you’ll need reservations here, too, if you want to eat. Prepare to get to know your neighbours, though, as it can be a bit of a squeeze. The Wynnstay on Maengwyn Street in Machynlleth (+44 (0)1654 702941) is half an hour’s drive, but definitely worth the trek. Try to book a table by the vast fireplace, and prepare to feast like kings thanks to Gareth Johns’ incredible cooking, which includes wonderful local produce such as seasonal game, wild mushrooms and trout. We loved the melt-in-the-mouth venison, and were really impressed by the array of wines that will suit all tastes and budgets. Closest to the hotel is the Bistro On The Square on Chapel Square (+44 (0)1654 767448). Beamed ceilings, picture-covered walls, gingham tablecloths – this is a sweet spot to enjoy fresh local produce – the restaurant has long been popular for its seafood, vegetarian and vegan dishes. You’ll have to book in advance if you want dinner here at the weekend.
Local cafes
The best coffee, quiches and home-made cakes can be enjoyed with the morning papers at local deli Bwtri Blasus on short-stroll-away Seaview Terrace (+44 (0)1654 767470).
Worth getting out of bed for
Explore a little Welsh culture, enjoy the rugged beauty of the countryside and track wild mountain birds (including Peregrine falcons, buzzards, kestrels and kites) on a private 4x4 tour with the passionate, knowledgable and charming Elfin Pugh, owner of Red Kite Safaris (+44 (0)1654 703160; www.redkitesafaris.co.uk). Visit the village of Portmeirion on the southern shores of Snowdonia and pick up some of the famous pottery, sometimes at bargain prices (www.portmeirion-village.com). Adrenalin junkies can experience every imaginable extreme sport in these parts, from kitesurfing to horse riding – just ask the folk at Llety to book you in. There’s a great mountain-biking track nearby, at Coed-y-Brenin forest (+44 (0)1341 440666) as well as a championship golf course on Llety's doorstep at Aberdovey Golf Club (www.aberdoveygolf.co.uk).
Recommended rooms
Naw & Deg, and Cant & Mil rooms have their own lobbies, so make ideal suites for families with older children. Children aged five or under stay free in parent's room (£15 a night for older children).
Activities
The hotel sits on Aberdyfi Beach; a four-mile stretch of sand. Ask staff for suggestions and tips on days out when it's rainy – the steam railway and aquarium are highly recommended.
Meals
There's no restaurant, but children are allowed in the reception bar area at all times. Children can request whatever they want at breakfast; beans and sausages is always popular.
Babysitting
The hotel provides a list of recommended babysitters for parents to book direct. It's £9 an hour, and please request when booking to avoid disappointment.
Baby-listening
Monitors work in all rooms (please bring your own).
No need to pack
High chairs are available in the reception bar, plus a loaner 'toddler backpack' for walks on the beach with babies.
Also
When children stay in a room on their own, the tea- and coffee-making facilities and minibar are removed. There are plenty of board games, and toys including train sets and picture books to borrow. Every room has a TV and DVD player, and there's an extensive library of child-friendly DVDs to borrow.
