This is a country house hotel offering first-class accommodation and food. I have already recommended a small but stylish guesthouse - Y Goeden Eirin near Caernarfon. Maes-y-Neuadd is on a different scale.

It's a fully-fledged hotel with great tradition, spectacular views, luxury accommodation and fine cuisine. You come here to be pampered, and the atmosphere is formal (but not rigid!), with bespoke service. Maes-y-Neuadd seems to be for elevated people with deep pockets. It's a place to go for a birthday or wedding anniversary celebration.

Eating at the restaurant is a ritual. They have their own kitchen gardens, and raw materials are top-notch. Food is cooked by a team of award-winning chefs. At Y Goeden Eirin, the food cooked on the Aga is not haut cuisine, but it is natural and nourishing.

If you can afford it, spend a weekend in Maes-y-Neuadd, and enjoy the sea and hills of Ardudwy, the joys of the natural world, and some spectacular sites such as Harlech Castle. Go to Y Goeden Eirin for a few relaxing days in a warm, smart family home of great character. Have a look at www.neuadd.com and www.ygoedeneirin.com, the contrast is striking!

Hotel Maes-y-Neuadd, Talsarnau, Harlech LL47 6YA Tel: (01766) 780200 Website: www.neuadd.com To find this fine hotel go along the Maentwrog/Harlech road, and it is clearly signposted on the left near Talsarnau. Drive up the narrow winding road to find it on an elevated position with breathtaking views.

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It's a stone-built guest house of great character and style in the countryside outside Caernarfon, between sea and mountains. I hesitate to call it a guest house, but neither is it a hotel or B&B.

It's a Welsh-speaking home where guests are welcomed like friends or relatives. Rooms have been furnished to a high standard of luxury, yet have a cosy feel, and there is a fusion of traditional and modern here. Great use is made of local slate, traditional oak furniture, modern lighting effects, and there are slate tables outside for al fresco drinks or meals in fine weather.

The atmosphere is fantastic, the tranquillity wonderful. The house is full of books in both Welsh and English, and there are modern Welsh paintings on the walls, and sometimes you can hear classical music being played on the Bechstein grand piano.

Tasty local food is cooked on the Aga, and they have a fully licensed dining room. This is a great base for exploring the Llyn Peninsula, the wild beauty of Snowdonia, and is within easy reach of picturesque towns and villages such as Caernarfon with its castle, the university town of Bangor, the Victorian seaside resort of Llandudno, Beaumaris, Llanberis, Beddgelert, Betws-y-Coed, Porthmadog, Pwllheli, Abersoch and, of course, the Italianate village of Portmeirion.

It's ideal for nature lovers, walkers, climbers, fishermen as well as lovers of history, culture and especially the Welsh language.

Y Goeden Eirin, Dolydd, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL54 7EF Tel: (01286) 830942
Have a look at their bilingual website: www.ygoedeneirin.co.uk
From Caernarfon, take the road south, and at the last roundabout at the south end of the village of Bontnewydd, take the left turning signposted Dolydd. Before reaching Dolydd Garage on the left, take the drive on the right hand side past the white painted farmhouse to the renovated farm buildings behind. These squat and interesting buildings constitute Y Goeden Eirin, but they don't look in any way like a conventional B&B or hotel! The nearest railway stations are Bangor and Porthmadog, and there are good bus services from these which go through the hamlet of Dolydd.
Have a look at their bilingual website: www.ygoedeneirin.co.uk

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