The Angel Hotel

This handsome Georgian coaching inn, in the centre of Abergavenny, ‘the Gateway to Wales’, has been whisked into a smart town house hotel with convivial bar, interesting menus and cheerful staff. Expect to meet locals chattering in the bar, a fine affair of wood panelling, chesterfield sofas and glossy ferns. Dine here or in the sleek Oak Room from a ‘wide choice of interesting food, well presented and tasty’, such as whole lemon sole, seaweed butter and new potatoes, along with vegetarian and pub staples. Bread and patisserie come from the sister bakery next door. The hotel can arrange a taxi to another sister venture, the Michelin-starred Walnut Tree Inn, ten minutes away. ‘Comfortable’ and ‘neat’ bedrooms are in neutral shades with good-quality fabrics, space for armchairs – ‘a nice place to sit and read after a day out’ – and the ‘best reading lights ever’. Modern bathrooms feature Villeroy & Boch or Fired Earth fittings. Breakfast includes home-made granola, local sausages and eggs Florentine served by ‘very helpful’ staff who ‘gave us lots of useful ideas for trips out’. (Peter and Anne Davies, and others)