Snowdonia, United Kingdom

Penmaenuchaf Hotel

Price per night from$324.86

Price information

If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (inclusive of taxes and fees) available in the next 60 days.

Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (GBP242.00), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.

Penmaenuchaf Hotel Photos

Style

Oh sew sweet

Setting

Dashing Dolgellau

Explore

More hotels in Snowdonia More hotels in United Kingdom

Once home to a 19th-century cotton mogul, Penmaenuchaf Hotel threads the line between heritage and hominess with a distinct verve. Wonderfully whimsical patterns and original Victorian features give rooms their individual charm, and downstairs an award-winning restaurant rallies devotees for its right-from-the-river fare and sweeping scenery. Stepping into your views comes just as easy, with Eryri’s storied peaks as your adventure-packed playground, and the cockle-warming crackle of a fire to bring you right back to base. 

Smith Extra

Get this when you book through us:

A seasonal cocktail (or mocktail) each

Facilities

Photos Penmaenuchaf Hotel facilities

Need to know

Rooms

13, including five suites.

Check–Out

11am; check-in is at 3pm. Both are flexible, on request and subject to availability.

More details

Rates include an à la carte breakfast, served daily at Afon Restaurant.

Also

There’s step-free access from the carpark to Mynydd Bar and the hotel’s ground-floor lounges; but unfortunately, none of the rooms at Penmaenuchaf have been specially adapted for guests with limited mobility, and the building’s historic set-up makes it challenging for wheelchair-users.

Hotel closed

Penmaenuchaf is closed annually for the duration of January.

At the hotel

21-acre garden and woodland, walking trails, four fishing permits, library, living areas and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: TV, minibar, tea- and coffee-making kit, free bottled water, bathrobes, slippers and Goodwash bath products.

Our favourite rooms

All have their own charm given interior-designer Nicola Harding’s penchant for finding one-off textiles and locally crafted furnishings. But our hearts are with the duo of Junior Suites — particularly Llywelyn — for their quaint in-the-eaves setting, panelled accents and feature wallpapers.

Packing tips

Bring your licence, waders and rods — Penmaenuchaf has four permits for anglers to make the most of their proximity to Mawddach, Wnion and Llyn Cynwch.

Also

Make sure you sound like a local, the hotel's name is pronounced 'pin-mine-ich-av'.

Pet‐friendly

Dogs are welcome at Penmaenuchaf in either a Junior Suite, a Deluxe or Superior Room, for £25 each. Blankets, beds, bowls and treats are supplied; and pups can join you in Mynydd Bar, where the restaurant’s full menu is available throughout the day. See more pet-friendly hotels in Snowdonia.

Children

Welcome; cots are available on request, and some of the larger rooms or suites can take an extra bed. Afon Restaurant welcomes over-eights only during the evening, so if you’ve younger tots in tow, you’ll need to dine at Mynydd.

Sustainability efforts

Waste is kept to a minimum at Penmaenuchaf, where plans are in place to build an on-site renewable energy source, dining already champions small-scale, local suppliers and an in-the-works garden is set to provide home-grown goodies.

Food and Drink

Photos Penmaenuchaf Hotel food and drink

Top Table

Watch over the water with a window-side seat, or opt for a natural blush and sit fireside at Mynydd.

Dress Code

There’s a somewhat formal atmosphere at Afon during the evenings, but otherwise you’re welcome to come as you are — as long as you stick to neutrals and let the view do the work.

Hotel restaurant

Embraced by glass-fronted walls overlooking the gardens, the view at Afon Restaurant is something to behold — yet that’s not the only thing giving this award-winning eatery its lauded reputation. Head chef Dan Andrée has crafted a refined à la carte menu (as well as a five-course tasting option) that spotlights seasonal, locally sourced produce — some of which comes straight from the hotel’s neighbouring Mawddach River. Weekly Sunday roasts and daily afternoon tea are the restaurant’s nods to tradition. The showcase of regional produce continues at Mynydd, where a bar menu of more casual plates is skewed towards comfort, culminating in indulgent desserts. 

Hotel bar

A home-like atmosphere, dark-wood interiors and hand-crafted textiles make Mynydd’s bar all the more appealing. And that’s before you’ve cast your eyes over its menu, brimming with creative cocktails, carefully selected wines and regional brews (of both varieties).

Last orders

Afon serves breakfast between 8am and 10am; lunch is from noon–2pm (Thursday to Sunday), and dinner is dished 6.30pm–8.30pm (Wednesday to Saturday). Lunch at Mynydd is noon–3pm; afternoon tea is 3pm–5pm; dinner is 5pm–7pm, and drinks are poured till 11pm.

Location

Photos Penmaenuchaf Hotel location
Address
Penmaenuchaf Hotel
Penmaenpool Dolgellau
Gwynedd
LL40 1YB
United Kingdom

Penmaenuchaf Hotel is just outside the Welsh market town of Dolgellau, in a southern pocket of the picturesque Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park.

Planes

The closest international airports are in Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham — all around two and a half hours away by car.

Trains

Morfa Mawddach is a 15-minute drive away and your local station, with routes along the Cambrian Coast Line and a connecting stop at Machynlleth for journeys further afield.

Automobiles

You'll need a car in these rural ends of North Wales; there’s free private parking at the hotel.

Worth getting out of bed for

Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park and its nine ranges, cascading coastlines and miles of trails make up your bucolic backyard. Hiking routes wrap around peaks, and Snowdon Mountain Railway ascends its most famous, should you prefer to enjoy the scenery while seated. There’s mountain biking, canoeing, horse riding, fell-running, paddle boarding, open-water swimming, surfing, canyoning and adrenaline-pumping zipwires to content all sorts of activity-seekers. And the park’s Dark Sky status makes it an enticing spot for stargazing. 

Wander down the hill and along the estuary to reach the historic market town of Dolgellau, where an impressive set of listed buildings and independent shops set a quaint scene. If you’ve come by car, Barmouth and Harlech are worth venturing slightly further out for. 

Local restaurants

Dolgellau has well-loved eateries in abundance; ranging from doughy, wood-fired bases with home-grown toppings and water-watching seats at Mawddach Pizza, to seasonal pub staples and revered Sunday roasts at local haunt, George III.  

Local cafés

We aren’t usually disposed to follow the crowd, but when you see them rallying outside Popty’r Dref Bakery, we’d suggest getting in line — their world-renowned honey buns are worth the wait. If you take your coffee with a splash of whimsy, TH Roberts is set in a former ironmongery, dressed in original decor from the 1880s. 

Local bars

The folks behind independent Dylanwad Wine are experts when it comes to rare bottles, with cosy nooks to settle into for tastings and talks. For a taste of tradition, make for one of Dolgellau’s historic pubs — Royal Ship is particularly adored for its craft ales, brewed by nearby suppliers.  

Reviews

Photos Penmaenuchaf Hotel reviews

Anonymous review

By Mr & Mrs Smith

Every hotel featured is visited personally by members of our team, given the Smith seal of approval, and then anonymously reviewed. As soon as our reviewers have returned from this heritage-proud hotel near Dolgellau and unpacked their waders and wellies, a full account of their bucolic Welsh break will be with you. In the meantime, to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside Penmaenuchaf Hotel in Snowdonia… 

Local folklore has it that fairies flutter around the misty lakes and hidden valleys of this arcadian Welsh corner, emerging at dusk to dance and enchant. And though your belief in these mystical creatures may be long left behind in a childhood copy of Peter Pan, Snowdonia’s Penmaenuchaf Hotel is here to show that ethereal wonder is still very much alive. 

Bordering forests, encompassing mountains and a 19th-century façade give this boutique hotel its natural charm. But interiors-expert Nicola Harding has spun indoor allure, too: perfectly offbeat patterns and locally crafted furnishings characterise individual rooms, set under beamed eaves and along creaking corners. You’ll find staff also have their own magic, with insider tips on making the most of your adventurous locale (some even hold treasured permits for avid anglers) and a spellbinding kitchen team whose provenance-proud plates lure locals and out-of-towners alike. 

Book now

Price per night from $324.86