Welcome to our guide to the best hotels in Snowdonia, the stunning National Park in the north-west corner of Wales.
It’s where you’ll find some of the most beautiful landscapes in Wales, and we’ve compiled this collection of the best places to stay there.
We have visited Snowdonia countless times, and staying somewhere special makes a wonderful experience even better.
Our selection of Snowdonia accommodation is full of character, from grand country houses to a village pub with rooms and a Loire Valley-style chateau with Snowdonia views to superb small seaside hotels.
Our guide to the best Snowdonia hotels isn’t quite confined to the boundaries of the National Park. If we had stuck strictly to this, we’d be missing out on some of the best hotels in North Wales, and the ones we have chosen are within a short drive, bus ride or train journey of the National Park anyway.
We have also suggested places to visit near each Snowdonia hotel.
Let’s dive in.
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Best Hotels In Snowdonia
Plas Dinas Country House
Boutique luxury in the former home of Lord Snowdon
Plas Dinas Country House is a five-star luxury boutique hotel south of Caernarfon with a rich history as the former home of Lord Snowdon, husband of Princess Margaret. The building is over 400 years old, full of old-world charm (like the cosy drawing room with an old fireplace). Yet it also has every contemporary creature comfort you could wish for.
The hotel is located on 15 acres of stunning grounds between the mountains of Snowdonia and the Llyn Peninsula coast. Each room is individually designed with unique decor and family portraits, and the award-winning Gun Room restaurant offers exceptional dining under renowned chef Daniel ap Geraint.
Plas Dinas is one of the best places to stay near Snowdon, only 15 minutes from Llanberis and the mountain itself. While in the area, it’s also worth exploring Llyn Padarn, one of the most picturesque lakes in Snowdonia, Dolbadarn Castle and the National Slate Museum.
Plas Dinas is just off the main road south which leads you towards the spectacular Llŷn Peninsula. This finger of land to the west of Snowdonia is one of our favourite parts of Wales to explore, a mixture of wild mountains, steep cliffs and stunning beaches.
One of the best Llŷn Peninsula beaches, Dinas Dinlle, is just down the road from Plas Dinas, a vast open beach at low tide with unforgettable views south to the jagged peaks of Yr Eifl. If you ascend one of these, you’ll reach Tre’r Ceiri, the Town of Giants, an Iron Age hillfort with breathtaking views over the whole region.
We also recommend visiting the Ty Coch pub on the beach at Porth Dinllaen, voted one of the best beach bars in the world, and the church at Clynnog Fawr, the main stop on one of the most important medieval pilgrimages in Wales, to Bardsey Island.
Bodysgallen Hall & Spa, Llandudno
Bodysgallen Hall & Spa is a spectacular early 17th century manor house, and one of a handful of 5-star hotels in Snowdonia. It’s set in 200 acres of parkland with one of the finest formal gardens in Wales, including a walled rose garden unusual parterre of box hedges.
Bodysgallen is on a hillside just two miles south of Llandudno, commanding views of Conwy and Snowdonia. Expect the best in country house luxury, with a choice of principal suites and bedrooms in the main house, and some gorgeous cottages in the grounds.
The main rooms are all open to guests, including the Drawing Room, which has a magnificent fireplace, and don’t miss the stained-glass windows, some of which are original. The restaurant is one of the best fine dining options in North Wales.
Bodysgallen Hall is ideal for exploring the Conwy Valley and the North Wales Coast. Llandudno is also fine for exploring Snowdonia, provided you have a car, and you can expect 45 minutes to an hour’s drive to the pick of the peaks, including around Snowdon and the Ogwen Valley.
Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel
Mountaineers’ hotel where the first team to conquer Everest stayed while training for The Big One
If you’re fascinated by mountaineering history, look no further. The Pen-y-Gwryd (often abbreviated to Pyg, which sounds the same as the pink farm animal and which has a path up Snowdon named after it) is miles from anywhere except the sheer rock faces of Snowdon and its surrounding peaks. It’s also one of the most famous hotels in Snowdonia National Park.
Pen-y-Gwryd farmhouse was built in 1810 and later converted to a coaching inn. The team led by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay stayed in the Hotel while training in the Alpine conditions on the Snowdon massif and the Glyderau range on the other side of the Llanberis Pass.
You can see a collection of mountaineering memorabilia donated by Hillary’s team, and in many ways the Hotel is much as it was when the party stayed there in the early 1950s. You can still only book by telephone, and dinner is announced with the bang of a gong.
The Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel is a mile down the mountain from Pen-y-Pass, the starting point for the Miners Track (one of the easiest routes) and Pyg Track (one of the toughest). Don’t bother driving up there, it’s nearly always full, as is one side of the road – just walk.
The Hotel is also close to some of the best views in Snowdonia, including the classic view from the far end of Llynnau Mymbyr to the Snowdon Horseshoe, and, just down the A498, the view over Llyn Gwynant, one of the most beautiful lakes in Wales.
Driving in this part of the world makes things much easier, but the Pen-y-Gwryd is conveniently located across the road from a busy bus stop used by the Snowdon Sherpa services.
Phone direct for availability and bookings
Trefeddian Hotel
Family-friendly luxury with sea views at the southern tip of Snowdonia
If you’re looking for a hotel in Snowdonia that’s also by the seaside, the Trefeddian Hotel in Aberdovey is a great option.
The Trefeddian is in the far south of the Snowdonia National Park, overlooking the corner of the Dovey estuary and Aberdovey beach, one of the best Cardigan Bay beaches.
It has been owned by the Cave family for over a century, and the staff I’ve met have been wonderfully welcoming.
There are great views from every room – either of the sea (from the front of the Hotel) or the hill (from the back).
I can also recommend the Restaurant, where I have had afternoon tea and dinner.
Aberdovey is a great base for exploring southern Snowdonia and Mid Wales. You’re closer to the Cambrian Mountains than the peaks of Snowdonia, but Cadair Idris, one of the great mountains of Wales, is a short drive away. You’re also close to Talyllyn Lake, the World Heritage Talyllyn Railway and the unexplored Dysynni Valley.
You could also continue up the A493 to Arthog, turning off for the stunning Llynnau Cregennen lakes, one for your Wales bucket list. You could also take a short cut on the toll bridge at Penmaenpool to Barmouth, one of the best seaside resorts in Wales.
See Also: 21 Wonderful Things To Do In Aberdovey
Chateau Rhianfa, Anglesey
Loire Valley-style chateau with Snowdonia views
Chateau Rhianfa is one of the best castles to stay in Wales, a 19th century building inspired by the 16th century chateaux of the Loire Valley with some wonderful Gothic touches.
It’s one of the top luxury hotels near Snowdonia, an extraordinary building with wonderful gardens and views of the mountains of Snowdonia. Chateau Rhianfa’s interior is also magnificent, with a fine wood-panelled Banqueting Hall and three sumptuous lounges.
Most of the luxury rooms are in the main Chateau building, with some accommodation in lodges and cottages in the grounds. The rooms range from smaller standard doubles to suites in the Chateau and Lodge, and some have views of the sea and Snowdonia. There is also an excellent restaurant, Le Dragon Rouge.
Chateau Rhianfa is a great base for exploring Snowdonia. The sun rises over peaks and ridges of the remote Carneddau range across the Strait, and you’re within a 10- to 15-minute drive of the National Park boundary.
Once on the mainland, the A5 takes you up the Ogwen Valley to some of the most challenging hikes in Snowdonia, and on to Betws-y-Coed in one direction and Beddgelert or Llanberis in the other.
Meifod House Caernarfon
Meifod House is one of two of the best luxury hotels in Snowdonia in the same village, Bontnewydd, just to the south of Caernarfon.
Meifod is an Edwardian villa – completed in 1904 – was a regular haunt of David Lloyd George, the only Welshman to become British Prime Minister.
It’s a 3-star country house hotel in the north of the village, with gorgeous luxury bedrooms, each individually designed. They also serve afternoon teas in the library and sitting room, and fabulous buffet breakfasts.
Bontnewydd is just outside the Snowdonia National Park but much of it is within easy reach. Mighty Caernarfon Castle is only a few minutes away, and Llanberis, the village nearest to Snowdon, is only a 15-minute drive away.
If you stay at Meifod House you’re also ideally placed for exploring the western side of Snowdonia – take the right A4085 turn towards Waunfawr and Rhyd-ddu, and you pass Llyn Cwellyn and Snowdon itself before reaching Beddgelert, one of the loveliest villages in North Wales.
Otherwise you could turn off on the B4478 for the Nantlle Valley, or just head into Caernarfon and catch the wonderful Welsh Highland Railway which follows the road to Beddgelert and, eventually, Porthmadog.
Bontnewydd is also on the road south to the Llŷn Peninsula, as we describe in the section on Plas Dinas earlier in the article.
Hotel Portmeirion
Portmeirion is the ultimate fantasy village, conceived by architect Clough Williams-Ellis as a holiday idyll – inspired by Portofino on the Italian Riviera – on the North Wales coast. We have visited many times and love the place – so much so that we rate it one of the most beautiful villages in Europe.
It’s a diverse collection of buildings, from an Italian-style campanile to a Neoclassical colonnade to an alcove with a Buddha figure. It’s also a pastel paradise, the cottages painted in colourful hues, and the beauty of it is that you can stay in any of them, not to mention the village’s sister hotels, Hotel Portmeirion and Castell Deudraeth.
Hotel Portmeirion is located on the shore of the Dwyryd estuary, a 4-star luxury establishment with sumptuous lounges, fine dining and gorgeous bedrooms including the Peacock Suite. The Hotel has 14 rooms, and if all are occupied, you can stay in suites or cottages in the village, as I did.
Having visited many times, I think that Portmeirion is at its best at night, when the day visitors have left. It’s magical, whether sitting in the Piazza or walking down to the estuary, the moonlight reflected in the tidal trickle.
Portmeirion is one of the best places to stay Snowdonia has to offer, handily located for exploring the mountains, the Llyn Peninsula or Cambrian Coast. And the Ffestiniog Railway station at Minffordd is a 20-minute walk or 2-minute drive from the village, with trains up to Blaenau Ffestiniog for much of the year.
Grapes Hotel, Bar & Restaurant, Maentwrog
The Grapes is a small hotel, pub and restaurant in the Vale of Ffestiniog with a long-standing reputation as one of the best hotels in Snowdonia. Parts of the building are from the original 17th century inn, and it has six en suite rooms, two cottages and a house a few doors away in the village.
I’ve only stopped at The Grapes for food, but can strongly recommend it. It’s a big thing to say, perhaps, but they serve some of the best pub food I’ve had anywhere in the UK.
Maentwrog is a very central location, and if you have a car, Portmeirion, the Ffestiniog Railway, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Zip World, and mountain biking at Coed y Brenin are all within easy reach.
It’s also very close to the coast, with Harlech Castle and beach just a few miles to the south, and some seriously off the beaten track walks in the Rhinog range beckon. The Moelwynion mountains around Blaenau Ffestiniog also warrant far more time than most people give them.
Aberdunant Hall Country Hotel
Aberdunant Hall Country Hotel is a Victorian manor house set within 200-acres of woodland and an upmarket Holiday Home Park at Prenteg, between Beddgelert and Porthmadog. It’s very close to the mountains and the coast, with some of the best North Wales Castles including Caernarfon and Harlech also within easy reach.
The 19th century Manor House offers breathtaking views of the Snowdonia mountain range, while retaining many original features. All rooms feature a flat-screen TV, en-suite bathroom, and complimentary tea/coffee facilities. Rooms options include four-poster, superior and family as well as standard double.
Aberdunant Hall is close to one of the least-known but most fascinating places to visit in Snowdonia, the Ynysypandy Slate Mill. You can either reach it via the backroads above Prenteg or the A487 and Garndolbenmaen. It’s a roofless industrial cathedral, open to the elements for a century, which served the nearby Gorseddau slate quarry. It’s part of the Welsh slate industry UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It’s also close to the Glaslyn Ospreys wildlife reserve, the Welsh Highland Railway and Ffestiniog Railway in Porthmadog and the wonderful Italianate village of Portmeirion.
Sygun Fawr Country House
Sygun Fawr Country House, a former manor house dating back to 1644, is up there with the best accommodation near Snowdon. It’s in a magnificent location, in 22 acres of pristine Snowdonia countryside, close to the lovely village of Beddgelert and, in the other direction, Llyn Dinas, one of the most beautiful Snowdonia lakes.
The Hotel is rich in character, with features including oak-beam ceilings, exposed stone walls and inglenooks. The 12 ensuite rooms are well-appointed with Egyptian cotton bedding, tea and coffee making facilities, and many offer superb views of Snowdonia.
Sygun Fawr is a great location to begin a short Snowdonia road tour – it’s on one of the mountain circuits we mention in our Snowdonia road trip article. From there you can head up Nantgwynant to tackle the Watkin Path up Snowdon, or continue past Llyn Gwynant lake towards the viewpoints at the head of the valley, and on to Llanberis or Capel Curig. All of the main mountains are very close by, as is the Sygun Copper Mine, also just outside Beddgelert.
Another option is heading up the west flank of Snowdon and turning off on the B4478 towards the Nantlle Valley. The Nantlle Ridge walk, along the peaks on the southern side of the Valley, is one of the best hikes in Snowdonia, and even on a perfect summer’s day, you’ll seldom see a soul up there.
Sygun Fawr is also close to either the Cardigan Bay coast (and Portmeirion) to the south or Caernarfon, its Castle, the north coast of the Llyn Peninsula and Anglesey to the north.
Tip: Nearby Llyn Dinas is one of the most beautiful places in Wales in autumn, with stunning fall colours and early morning mists on the lake. Late October and early November are the best times to capture it.
Ty Gwyn Hotel
Atmospheric late medieval coaching inn in Betws-y-Coed
The family-run Ty Gwyn Hotel is a charming 16th century coaching inn overlooking the Conwy River and Betws-y-Coed, the most popular gateway to Snowdonia.
In summer it’s a wonderful sight with flower-decked windows, while in winter it’s a cosy retreat with a log fire to warm you up.
The building is a mixture of styles, with features varying from original stone walls to wooden-beamed ceilings, and four-poster beds to Georgian windows.
We’ve stayed regularly in Betws-y-Coed for over twenty years and the Ty Gwyn has long had a reputation for its excellent food, which includes many locally produced ingredients.
The Ty Gwyn (which means ‘White House’) is located on the A470 road on the edge of Betws-y-Coed, so it’s ideally placed for heading towards the main Snowdon range or exploring the less rugged charms of the Conwy Valley. Zip World Fforest – an exhilarating treetop zip-wire ride – is close by, and Conwy Castle is only half an hour away
Craig Y Dderwen Riverside Hotel, Betws-y-Coed
Quiet idyllic retreat by the River Conwy
Craig Y Dderwen Riverside Hotel is a 4-star country house hotel on the edge of Betws-y-Coed in Snowdonia National Park. Built in 1890, the hotel is set in an amazing location overlooking the River Conwy. It has been a hotel since the 1920s, and it was one of composer Edward Elgar’s favourite places to stay.
It’s an idyllic retreat down a long driveway, a 10-minute walk from the popular tourist village with 16 acres of gardens, locally sourced exceptional food, and pet-friendly accommodation.
Craig y Dderwen – the name means ‘rock of the oak’ – is very close to two of the main roads in Snowdonia, the A5 and A470, so the main mountains are a half hour’s drive away while the Conwy Valley is right on the doorstep. There are also plenty of things to do in Betws-y-Coed to keep you busy for a day or more.
Gazelle Hotel, Menai Bridge
An Anglesey favourite right on the shore of the Menai Strait
The Gazelle is a long-established Anglesey favourite on the Menai Bridge to Beaumaris road, with a view directly across to the Menai Strait to Bangor Pier and the mountains of Snowdonia.
It’s a small, intimate Hotel, with eleven rooms, boat moorings and a private beach. The Gazelle also has a restaurant and pub serving high quality food. If you’re staying in the summer, there are tables where you can dine or drink al fresco while taking in the superb views.
The Gazelle is very close to Beaumaris Castle and many other things to do in Anglesey, and Menai Bridge (and the mainland) are only a few minutes’ drive away. One of the easiest places to reach from there is the dramatic Ogwen Valley, with lovely Llyn Ogwen lake, and climbs to the Devil’s Kitchen or Snowdonia’s toughest mountain, Tryfan.
Alternatively, Caernarfon, its formidable Castle and the A4086 road to Llanberis, Snowdon and the Snowdon Mountain Railway are half an hour’s drive further away.
Plas Weunydd
Brilliant hotel in the heart of the UK’s newest World Heritage Site
Plas Weunydd is one of the best places to stay in Snowdonia, an award-winning (Sunday Times Hotel of the Year for Wales in 2021) hotel in the World Heritage-listed slate quarrying town of Blaenau Ffestiniog.
The Hotel is located at the entrance to the Llechwedd Slate Caverns complex at the northern end of the town. The luxury rooms have super-king-size beds, works by local artists and all the amenities you’ll need. And the restaurant serves pizzas, sharing platters and desserts.
The setting of Plas Weunydd is unlike anywhere else you’ll have ever seen. Blaenau Ffestiniog is located in an amphitheatre of mountains – some natural, others made from vast heaps of slate spoil accumulated over a century or more. It’s a bleak, stark beauty, but one I’ve greatly warmed to over the years.
Blaenau has undergone a massive renaissance since I stayed there to work on the UNESCO World Heritage bid in 2011. That work has now borne fruit – Blaenau is part of the Welsh Slate Landscape World Heritage Site, but that’s only part of the story.
Blaenau Ffestiniog has also been reborn as an adrenaline adventure destination, with hair-raising mountain bike trails (Antur Stiniog), and the Zip World Titan zip wire runs down the mountainside and the zip ride and trampoline nets inside Llechwedd Slate Caverns.
One of the best things to do in Blaenau Ffestiniog is to hike to some of the old quarries. My favourite hike in the area is up to Cwmorthin and then on to Rhosydd, a dramatic landscape of deserted, dilapidated stone cottages and houses abandoned for a century beneath the Moelwyn mountains.
One of the advantages of staying in Blaenau Ffestiniog is that you’re close to such a variety of places. You could drive towards the heart of Snowdonia via Betws-y-Coed, or be at the coast within 15 minutes, looking down on Harlech beach, one of the best beaches in North Wales and, indeed, the whole country.
Escape Boutique B & B, Llandudno
Escape Boutique B&B is a wonderful stylish 5-star bed and breakfast located in a Victorian villa in Llandudno. The hotel offers nine luxurious double bedrooms, each individually designed with a contemporary theme. The rooms are equipped with modern amenities such as flat screen TVs, Blu Ray Disc Players and free wireless internet.
I’ve stayed twice at the Escape B&B while working in the area, and recommend it to anyone. Apart from the great design, host Sam is also a fount of local knowledge, and a chance conversation with him led to me acquiring a ticket for a friend at nearby Venue Cymru. Breakfast was also top-notch.
Llandudno is a few miles outside the Snowdonia National Park, but close to some of its hidden highlights, many of which I discovered holidaying in the area in my teens. Instead of driving down the A470 towards Betws-y-Coed, take the backroads on the other side of the Conwy Valley, to the remote churches and standing stones high above Rowen or, further south, wondrous Llyn Crafnant lake.
There are also plenty of things to do in Conwy, four miles away, including seeing its extraordinary Castle, town walls and Plas Mawr, the splendid 16th century townhouse. Instead of taking the main A55 road along the coast, take the scenic Sychnant Pass instead and savour the gorgeous views over to Anglesey.
The main peaks of Snowdonia are up to an hour’s drive from Llandudno, but it makes a good base, especially if you enjoy the seaside as well as the mountains.
Y Meirionnydd, Dolgellau
‘This is the best small country hotel I have ever stayed in’ – Jan Morris
Y Meirionnydd is a small hotel in Dolgellau, one of the most beautiful towns in Wales between Cadair Idris and the Mawddach river. The fine townhouse has been used as a hotel for 150 years, and centuries ago the building served as the county jail.
The rooms are beautifully designed, cosy and sophisticated with big beds and lovely linen. Enjoy the small bar with armchairs and games, a terrace, and an amazing Welsh breakfast with great choices. Good restaurants and pubs are within walking distance, and there’s storage for bikes. You can request an allergy free room.
Dolgellau is a great base for exploring much of Snowdonia and the Cambrian Coast. I recommend taking the minor road out of town to Llynnau Cregennen, among the most beautiful lakes in Europe, with sublime views over the Mawddach estuary.
Staying in Dolgellau you’re ideally placed for climbing Cadair Idris, one of the great Welsh mountains, or mountain biking on some of the best trails in Wales at Coed y Brenin, a few miles to the north up the A470. If you head along the north side of the Mawddach, you’ll reach the total one-off Victorian seaside resort of Barmouth, then Harlech Castle and the awesome beach below, and eventually Portmeirion.
Otherwise you could head south along the A493, where the delights of the Dysynni Valley, the Talyllyn Railway and Aberdovey await.
Cross Foxes Dolgellau
The 5-star Cross Foxes Inn near Dolgellau offers some of the best accommodation in Snowdonia. Its location is astounding, way out in the wild uplands at the junction of the A470 and A487 roads below the eastern flank of one of the great mountains of Wales, Cadair Idris. It’s also a mile or so from the top of the mountain pass that leads you into Snowdonia from the south, Bwlch yr Oerddrws.
The Cross Foxes has also been voted one of the top 50 country pubs in the UK by readers of The Independent, and it doesn’t take you long to see why.
The whole place was beautifully restored and refurbished around ten years ago, with gorgeous interiors with wooden beams and exposed stonework.
I’ve stopped at the Cross Foxes a few times, either for lunch or coffee, and both were excellent. If you want to wake up and see the wilderness of Wales, then this is one of the best hotels Snowdonia has to offer.
The Cross Foxes is a great base for exploring the southern reaches of the Snowdonia National Park or the Cardigan Bay coast. Talyllyn Lake is a few miles down the A487 in one direction, and Dolgellau is four miles away down the A487. From there you can reach the delights of Barmouth, Llynnau Cregennen, Harlech and Portmeirion, or take the coast road to the beaches at Tywyn and Aberdovey.
Best Hotels In Snowdonia – Final Thoughts
I hope this guide to the best hotels in Snowdonia inspires you to take a trip to this beautiful part of the world soon.
Be sure to check out our other guides to North Wales, one of the most beautiful areas to visit in Britain.
If you’re interested in Welsh history, take a look at my guide to the Best castles in North Wales. You can explore further by reading my articles on Things To Do In Caernarfon and Best things to do in Conwy, both of which are home to World Heritage-listed Castles.
If you’re more inspired by the North Wales scenery, take a look at my Snowdonia road trip itinerary. This includes many of the best places to visit in North Wales, including Betws-y-Coed and the Italianate fantasy village of Portmeirion.
Also check out my guides to the best seaside towns in Wales and Best beaches in North Wales.
Check out more of our North Wales Guides here:
- Llŷn Peninsula beaches – The Llŷn Peninsula beaches are among the best in Wales
- Barmouth Beach – A wonderful Welsh seaside resort
- Welsh Slate Landscape – UNESCO World Heritage Site North West Wales
David Angel is a British photographer, writer and historian. He is a European travel expert with over 30 years’ experience exploring Europe. He has a degree in History from Manchester University, and his work is regularly featured in global media including the BBC, Condé Nast Traveler, The Guardian, The Times, and The Sunday Times. David is fluent in French and Welsh, and can also converse in Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech and Polish.