I spent a night at the re-opened Swallow Falls Inn in Betws-y-Coed

North Wales Chronicle

a day ago

So, it was lovely to see how the project has come to fruition 15 months later, when I returned for an overnight stay at the newly opened Betws-y-Coed hotel on May 28.
Formerly the Swallow Falls Hotel, which was built in the 19th century, the venue re-opened last month for the first time in three years after being refurbished by its new Newcastle-based owners, The Inn Collection Group.
The Swallow Falls Inn (Image: Newsquest) There are 146 internal covers, with the outdoor terraced area providing a further 56, and also 39 contemporary-styled bedrooms, offering a mixture of twin, double and family rooms.
Each of these are equipped with dressing tables and ensuite bathrooms, alongside flatscreen TVs and complimentary WiFi.
Outside, there are also 30 pitches and three renovated camping 'pods', should you fancy spending a night under the stars.
The Swallow Falls Inn's three camping pods (Image: Newsquest)
It's fair to say The Swallow Falls Inn is in quite a remote location. I made my way by train to the hotel, taking the long, steep walk up the A5, away from the (relative) hustle and bustle of the centre of Betws-y-Coed.
But with the sights and sounds of the Swallow Falls waterfall literally across the road from the venue, it makes for a picturesque, serene setting in one of North Wales' prettiest pockets.
My room, like the entire hotel, was tastefully decorated, with pictures of the waterfall and the old Swallow Falls Hotel adorning the walls, while a back door leading out on to a patioed area was a nice touch.
My room at The Swallow Falls Inn (Image: Newsquest) The patioed area outside my room at The Swallow Falls Inn (Image: Newsquest) You do not need to be staying at the hotel, which is also dog-friendly, to enjoy its pub area – I enjoyed a pre-dinner drink there (Conwy Brewery's Welsh Pride is on draught), before heading into the restaurant area for Welsh rarebit fondue and dough balls as a starter, followed by lamb meatball linguine for my main course.
Both were delicious; my only complaint being there weren't more dough balls to go with the moreish fondue. The lamb was perfectly spiced, and the pomodoro sauce, fresh Parmesan cheese and lentils only added to the flavour.
Welsh rarebit fondue and dough balls (Image: Newsquest) Lamb meatball linguine (Image: Newsquest) There's certainly no shortage of choice, either – mains include a variety of burgers, curries, pastas, pies and more, while there's also a plethora of starters and 'light bites' to try. Drinks-wise, the hotel offers guests 'a taste of North Wales', including Brecon Special Reserve Gin, Pen-y-Spritz, and Welsh coffee.
Staff, meanwhile, were friendly, welcoming and helpful throughout; always quick to clean up after guests, checking if they were enjoying their food and drinks, and greeting or saying goodbye to visitors with a smile.
After one of the better night's sleeps I've had in a long time, I headed down for breakfast to tuck into a small Eggs Royale (poached egg on a toasted English muffin with smoked salmon, topped with hollandaise sauce). It proved the perfect pick-me-up on a drizzly Thursday morning.
Eggs Royale (Image: Newsquest) All in all, The Swallow Falls Inn was well worth the wait. It exceeded all of my expectations, and that it was so busy despite being off the beaten path and newly opened is a testament to how successful the redevelopment has been.
Whether you're planning a trek up Yr Wyddfa, braving the world's fastest zipline at nearby Zip World, or heading further afield, you're in for a cosy treat if you stay here.