Y ou’d think that having forked out £1 million on refurbishment, the new(ish) owners Daniel and Annie Perks would brand grade II listed manor Plas Dinas as a boutique hotel. Nope. The 11-room stay is a “country house”, they say: traditionally luxurious, supremely relaxing.
Just as it was, in fact, as the ancestral home of the Armstrong-Joneses, of Lord Snowdon (and Princess Margaret) fame. Family heirlooms remain but you book less to rubberneck at aristocracy than indulge yourself: to sip cocktails after a day in Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, to eat supremely well in the Gunroom restaurant before digestifs around the drawing-room fire. The mood is serene, never stuffy.
Homely, even. A country retreat still, then — just one for us. Overall score 8/10 Become a subscriber and, along with unlimited digital access to The Times and The Sunday Times, you can enjoy a collection of travel offers and competitions curated by our trusted travel partners, especially for Times+ members.