Latest news with #CastleofBreconHotel
Powys County Times
3 days ago
- Powys County Times
Brecon Beacons among top destinations for UK staycations
According to new research, 77 per cent of Brits plan to take a staycation this year, with 56 per cent hoping to recreate childhood memories with their own children. Wales is proving especially popular, with 29 per cent of those surveyed choosing it as their top UK holiday destination. Of those, 14 per cent said the Brecon Beacons would be their preferred destination. Adam Charity, chief operating officer at the Coaching Inn Group, said: "It's great to see so many Brits embracing a staycation this year. He added: "Holidaying in Britain isn't just a more convenient option than travelling abroad, it's also the best way to create memories that you'll cherish." Located in the Brecon Beacons is the Castle of Brecon Hotel, built into the remains of the historic Brecon Castle. The hotel has recently revealed an extensive £3 million refurbishment and is owned by the Coaching Inn Group. The survey, commissioned by the Coaching Inn Group, found that 87 per cent of people have fond memories of UK holidays from their childhood. A further 90 per cent believe a staycation is one of the best types of holiday. Multi-generational travel is also on the rise, with 43 per cent planning a trip this summer with both their children and parents. The top joys of a UK holiday include countryside walks (52 per cent), fish and chips (52 per cent), exploring historic landmarks (48 per cent), and relaxing in pub gardens (46 per cent). When it comes to accommodation, 91 per cent would consider staying in a historic coaching inn or a pub with rooms. Value for money is the top priority for 66 per cent of travellers, followed by high-quality food (65 per cent), friendly service (62 per cent), and comfortable, clean rooms (53 per cent). Nearly half (49 per cent) enjoy exploring the British Isles, and 44 per cent say it's cheaper than travelling abroad. Mr Charity said: "We are proud to have a family of beautiful and historic coaching inns across some of the UK's best market towns and villages.
Wales Online
22-04-2025
- Wales Online
'Having an actual castle attached to the hotel was challenging but we got there'
'Having an actual castle attached to the hotel was challenging but we got there' The Castle of Brecon Hotel is back open and although it screams luxury, you won't feel out of place This hotel is unlike any others (Image: The Castle of Brecon Hotel ) Posh hotels can be intimidating, stuffy and anything but relaxing. You can sometimes walk in and immediately feel like you need to change your accent, your job, pretend you have vague relations to a royal family and resist the urge to run. But not at the Castle of Brecon Hotel. Although the hotel has just gone under a whopping £3 million refurbishment and screams luxury, you won't feel out of place. Instead it feels homely, cosy, welcoming and still somehow takes your breath away, which is only helped by the amazing views. The hotel, nestled in Brecon which sits proudly in the Bannau Brycheiniog, is a real jewel in the crown of Brecon. As the oldest hotel in Wales, it is actually built into the walls of Brecon Castle, which was originally built by the Normans in 1093. The walls of the castle enclose the hotel, with one stunning room looking out over the walls and feeling like you are in Rapunzel's tower, and this rich history can be felt across the hotel. Working with organisations like Cadw to preserve the castle wall, working a £3 million refurbishment was tricky at times but not impossible. Deputy general manager Jordan Thomas Davies, explained: "There's not a section of the hotel that hasn't been renovated, it has been a massive project. Being the oldest hotel in Wales and we have a literal castle attached to the side of it, brings its own challenges but everything has been overcome and it's turned out a lot better than I ever would have imagined. The hotel is built onto the castle wall (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Article continues below "You want to just leave it as it is… keep it looking as good as we can while not actually changing anything about it. It is something that comes with its own challenges but it just adds something." Jordan, who is from Ebbw Vale, actually took the job as he always wanted to work at this iconic hotel. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here . He said: "The hotel has always been the jewel in the crown of Brecon, it was actually the reason that I joined the company in the first place because I've always loved the hotel and then the company brought the hotel, I saw that the job come up and I was like I've always wanted to work at that hotel, so that's why I joined the company." Now the refurbishment makes the hotel feel even more like home. The massive ground floor, which really is endless and Jordan even admitted that when everyone first starts working there, including himself, they all get lost, and is split into different sections for different purposes. There are snug sitting rooms full of armchairs you can sink in, roaring fires, wooden tables perfect for a cuppa, cushiony stools, grand framed painting, plump cushions and all this still somehow felt cosy, warm and welcoming. Somewhere you could easily curl up with a good book. It is snug, cosy and welcoming (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) The bar was light, airy and full of life. With impressive cocktails on the menu, like a Squashie sweet one, the bar gives glimpses of the stunning views that await. Lighter paintings of fruit and flowers decorate the bar walls, helping the vibe to feel more casual yet sophisticated, with modern touches like hints of geometric flooring and cubed light shades bringing the hotel gently into 2025. This slightly more modern touch was explained by Jordan: "What we would never want to do is move in and ultra modernise everything… we kept the historic parts of the hotel and all the character features, keeping all those original features that are so important to the history of the building. "New things fit with and complement it and still manage to make it modern with all the historical character you just want in such an iconic building… adding a bit of elegance to it all and just elevating it, bringing it to that next level, which is what the building deserves and the local area deserves." From the bar you flow through into the dining room, which was formerly the ballroom, and this takes your breath away. It is here you have the wide patio doors, accompanied by the stunning original stained glass windows above it, which are flung open to welcome in the insane views. What a view (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Spreading out before you is the Bannau Brycheiniog in all its sprawling and outrageous beauty. Framing the view is Pen y Fan, the highest peak in south Wales, as Brecon, the River Usk and the surrounding scenery trickle away beneath it. You would be hard-pressed to find somewhere better for a summer tipple, as the outside area past the patio doors is scattered with picnic tables and wooden deckchairs, and is somewhere for locals and tourists alike. Jordan explained just how much the guests and locals love this view. He said: "To see them coming into the more rural areas of Wales, their comments on how beautiful it is, I wished I lived around here, it just gives you that thing of aw, actually we are really lucky to live in the area that we live in with all of the scenery. "Just the fact that the guests come and they love it so much, with the area, the hotel is enough on its own but to also be complimented by the views that we have got, which are definitely some of the best views of south Wales in my opinion, potentially the whole of the UK, I'm a little biased, we've got the views, we've got the building and we've got the team. Jordan is very proud to work at the hotel (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) "To have all of the families here, all of the local people and community here, just enjoying, soft drinks, teas, coffees, a pint, whatever it may be, some food, snacks, to walk out and just see the local community and everyone from outside of the community just having a good time and enjoying everything there is." If you can draw yourself away from the view, or perhaps it is the Welsh winter and you are remaining inside, you will not be disappointed with the dining room and restaurant. Hundreds of paintings litter the pale yellow walls, with many of the paintings already originally in the hotel, meaning there is always something to look at. Deep blue booths and comfy seats, line the very impressive room in vertical rows and round tables yet again provide that cosy feel. There will be no leaning here or straining to hear or shouting at someone on the other end of the table as everything feels intimate and snug. This is a seriously impressive room (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) The chairs which also have an embroidered back, the small lamp each table gets, the hanging ornate chandeliers and other delicate touches in the dining room again bring this feeling of being luxury but welcoming. Somewhere to enjoy your meals in beautiful surroundings and not feel out of place. Onto the rooms, which are each individually designed but have the same simple and effective touches. Every room has the lamp on, a Roberts radio playing, a pack of playing cards, a history book and a sweet little rubber duck. Just walking to the rooms your feet sink into plush, deep carpet and some of the floors in the rooms and corridors are wonky, again adding to that rich history feel, as an original feature of the hotel. You can really tell the hotel is built into and surrounded by a castle with the original slanted floor, wooden beams and four poster beds. The Henry VII room is very grand, following a green colour scheme and has some of the oldest features of the hotel. Inside there is a traditional writing desk, you can so easily imagine kings and queens, princes and princesses, lords and ladies calling this place home, and this room also looks out across the stunning views. It is the little touches (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) The Charles II is a room fit for a princess. Following a pink and floral scheme this room has a gentler touch, is more soft and calming, and is the room that looks out directly across the castle wall. A theme that runs through the hotel is small, delicate and well-thought-out touches that you might not even notice but overall creates that luxury yet homely feel. Some of the chandeliers are made from chainmail, another nod to the history, there are original beams, the floors slants, and the castle wall remains untouched as it has been for centuries. They are so slight and so subtle that it is a jolt of joy when you recognise them and so effective that you don't notice they are there. A room fit for a Princess (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) Article continues below The hotel is also not just for tourists and has been designed to provide a standout place for locals too. Jordan explained: "I think for Brecon, having it all done and refurbished, is putting the jewel back in the crown for the locals. It's going to attract a lot of people from outside the area but for the locals as well, it is definitely somewhere they can come for all those big celebrations or even just for somewhere nice to eat in the evening, for your family to stay if they are coming to visit. "It just gives people in Brecon, and I don't live too far out the area, it just gives people something to be proud of in the area and something to recommend. You can make a recommendation and that now means the recommendation you make is a solid one and means something." The Castle of Brecon Hotel is now open for business and you can find out more, here.
