Penmaenuchaf Hall Hotel

This grand, old stone-fronted house sits high above the magical Mawddach estuary valley at the foot of the peak of Cader Idris, one of the highest mountains of southern Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park. New owners bought Penmaenuchaf Hall Hotel in the summer of 2022 and resolved to restore and rejuvenate the building for a new era. We devised a phased implementation to minimise disruption to service. Honouring all that had gone before along with the extraordinary setting of its ancient landscape, we worked hand in glove with the owners to preserve the rich character of the place. Inspired by the whimsy of Welsh folklore, we began by transforming five of the original bedrooms tucked away at the top of the house into four spacious yet cosy, romantic attic suites. Drawing on a warm, rich palette of soft pinks, reds, blues, and greens, our designs took their lead from views of the historic formal gardens and surrounding woodland. By framing ornate pieces of old lace, sourcing traditional local pottery, and pairing antique furniture and fireplaces with double-ended cast iron bathtubs, what had come to feel tired and dour soon became an enchanted place of intrigue. A restorative, timeless mountain hideaway. Work on the remaining bedrooms, bar, restaurant and lounge spaces is evolving over the next 18 months.