Plas Dinas Country House Shortlist*

Delve into history at this gentlemanly Georgian house, set between the Snowdonia mountains and the Irish sea. Once the country home of the Armstrong-Jones family, it is today a sumptuous B&B run by ‘hands-on’ owners Neil and Marco Soares-Baines. A mix-and-match of vintage and modern pieces styles the individual bedrooms; the ‘delightful’ hosts ensure ‘all the things you might have forgotten to pack’ are within arm’s reach. Take drinks in front of a log fire in the drawing room brimming with antiques, portraits and memorabilia, or head out to the terrace in warm weather. Most evenings, Marco Soares-Baines’s daily-changing set menus are promptly served at 7 pm in the dining room. ‘Breakfast was great.’ Drawing room, dining room (closed Sun, Mon). Private dining room. Free Wi-Fi, in-room TV (Freeview). Background music. Civil wedding licence. 15-acre grounds. Parking. No children under 14. Small, well-behaved dogs (2 rooms, by arrangement; £10 per night charge) welcomed. Resident dogs, Malta and Blue. 2 miles from Caernarfon. 10 bedrooms (1 on ground floor). Per room B&B £99–£249 (2-night min. stay at weekends). Dinner £35. Closed Christmas.