Gliffaes

‘We have always loved the house and gardens and river views,’ say Guide regulars of this ‘very friendly’ hotel in the heart of the Brecon Beacons national park. Susie and James Suter are the third generation of her family to run the hotel, where a day’s fishing on the River Usk might be followed by an ample afternoon tea (sandwiches and home-made cakes) on the terrace or perhaps a leisurely game of croquet. Readers value the traditional touches, such as the ‘turn-down service’ and the ‘wonderful old-fashioned lounges’. Period features in the bedrooms are complemented by modern luxuries, such as White Company bedlinen, Vispring beds and Noble Isle toiletries. Some bedrooms have a Delft-tiled fireplace; others a wisteria-clad balcony. In the dining room, chef Karl Cheetham produces ‘imaginative’ cuisine with a local flavour: roasted haunch of wild venison, perhaps, or mushroom, leek and spinach pudding. One reader thought the menu would be improved by some simpler choices. Breakfast includes locally smoked kippers and French toast made from traditional bara brith. ‘A very well-run hotel.’ (F Kuhlmann, and others)