‘Relaxed and comfortable’, this ‘lovely, wacky’ hotel overlooking Cardigan Bay is ‘ideal for rest, fresh air, beach and coastal walks’.

Thick stone walls, beamed ceilings, works by local artists, an inglenook fire and ‘friendly, hospitable hosts’ give this 16th-century country house-turned-hotel heaps of rustic charm.

‘Timeless standards of comfort’ keep guests coming back to this Italianate mansion ‘in a wonderful position’ on the River Usk.

Approached via quiet lanes bordered by hedgerows and dark-limbed trees, Jean-Pierre Mifsud’s Victorian hunting lodge-turned-country house hotel stands in extensive grounds stretching to a lake on the River Irfon.

In a ‘fantastic area to explore’, between the Preseli hills and Pembrokeshire national park, this ‘exceptionally friendly and welcoming’ guest house was first listed in the Guide more than 30 years ago.

Amid stone walls and wooded lanes deep in the Wye valley, Chris and Kirsty Harrod’s Michelin-starred restaurant-with-rooms is liked for its ‘relaxing atmosphere’, ‘excellent, professional staff’ and ‘unpretentious, really super food’.

What first smites the eye is the town’s medieval castle, formidable on its cliff-top. Steps behind it, this restaurant-with-rooms – in two adjoining 16th-century buildings restored and refurbished with contemporary flair – is no less of a surprise.

Guests praise the ‘outstanding attention to detail’ at Gary and Lindsay Ashcroft’s B&B, in an 18th-century rectory at the end of a leafy drive.

Overlooking the Pembrokeshire coast, Melanie and Lucas Boissevain’s chic hotel is ‘clearly on the up’.

‘A wonderful place’, the Inkin brothers’ dining pub-with-rooms combines a ‘relaxed, happy-making atmosphere’ with ‘decently sized, nicely furnished bedrooms’.

‘A congenial atmosphere and a happy buzz’ greeted Guide inspectors arriving at Richard Ireton and Sarah Hudson’s refurbished 17th-century coaching inn, in a ‘postcard-worthy rural setting’ by the stone bridge over the River Monnow.

The harbour wall in front of Glyn and Menna Heulyn’s ‘popular, personally managed’ hotel on the Georgian quayside has been dubbed ‘the longest bar in Europe’ – join the locals soaking in the view, then spend the night in one of the ‘comfortable, colourful’ bedrooms.

‘More than a B&B, this is a home that welcomes you for bed and breakfast.’

Landscaped grounds lead down to Bala Lake from Katrina Le Saux and Peter Cottee’s Victorian house in Snowdonia national park, with a vista of mountains in the blue distance.

Rustic and folksy, Paula and Peter Thompson’s ‘quirky’ 16th-century farmhouse at the base of the Rhinog mountains is a ‘friendly, welcoming’ spot and a fine base for exploring a ‘lovely part of the country’.

In ‘flourishing gardens’ near the coast, Neil and Zoë Kedward’s ‘beautifully quiet’ hotel is ‘a real haven – particularly when you arrive in the dark after a long drive’.

In walkers’ country, within the Snowdonia national park, this handsome Victorian rectory stands in a market town at the foot of Cadair Idris.

In the Tal-y-llyn valley, with Cadair Idris for a backdrop, Alex Yorke and Lorraine Hinkins are the ‘dedicated hosts’ at this 18th-century farmhouse–turned–‘exceptional guest house’.

‘Consummate hosts’ Robert Smith and Arwel Hughes run their peaceful B&B against the ‘superb backdrop’ of the Preseli mountains.

At the end of a mile-long drive through ‘lovely surroundings’ of rolling pastureland, Chris and Lisa Hutton lay on an ‘absolutely perfect’ welcome at their ‘striking Victorian pile’ in ‘handsome’ landscaped gardens.

Bright and bookish, David Gibbon’s urbane B&B embraces the wonky angles and rough-hewn stone of the 16th-century coaching house it occupies.

Gazing over the Mawddach estuary from the foot of a tree-covered hillside, this ‘stunning, ultra-modern B&B’ is owned by Sara and Richard Parry-Jones.

In beautiful grounds near the Dyfi estuary, this chic restaurant-with-rooms occupies a 16th-century manor house once owned by Queen Victoria.

On the edge of Snowdonia national park, this historic mansion, lavishly refurbished, is today a sumptuous country house hotel rich in antiques, plush fabrics, fine wood panelling and painted ceilings.