Surrounded by 200 acres of picture postcard parkland with views of Snowdonia and Conwy Castle is Bodysgallen Hall & Spa. Located in Llandudno, the National Trust property has been the recipient of many awards and accolades over the years, including the AA Hotel of the Year for Wales no less in 2013.
Pictures marked ‘NP’ by Miss Nicklin / Nutty Pear
I was invited to stay at Bodysgallen Hall & Spa for the purpose of this review, and my initial impression was that it is indeed a beautiful 17th century property that would be an appealing choice for National Trust members, as well as the older generation with formal service and a peaceful ambience throughout.
The hotel has fifteen bedrooms, many boasting views over the gardens and mountains, as well as sixteen cottage suites including The Smithy that was conveniently located near the spa.
The decor was charming, evoking memories of my great-grandma’s house with a sofa that you just sink into, patterned wallpaper and countless antique lampshades. As a two bedroom property we loved having our own space and en-suite bathrooms, the hotel’s attention to detail was evident with luxury toiletries, bathrobes and slippers.
Our rooms were also prepared for day and nighttime, and all our needs were anticipated with bed side water, milk and even fresh fruit. The only exception was the missing wifi, but this was quickly resolved when prompted.
We enjoyed dinner on both evenings at Bodysgallen Hall, and despite having to wait a couple of hours on the second evening (not realising even staying guests should pre-book a table) we were glad to see lamb was available as that was something I thought was missing off the first evening’s menu.
The dinner service was good, at times a little stiff, but the food was of a great standard – especially the aforementioned lamb and chocolate dessert – delicious!
There’s a dress code for dinner and electronic devices are not favoured in the entrance hall in respect to other guests, though the latter wasn’t obvious to us until pointed out. However, for those wishing to break away from a tech-based 21st century lifestyle, Bodysgallen could be the perfect place having been tastefully resorted back to its Georgian origins.
For breakfast I ordered poached eggs off the menu, unaware this was literally to be interpreted as just poached eggs. Lesson learnt, the next morning I ordered eggs on toast and even strayed off-menu and asked if they had any baked beans (a cooked breakfast staple for me!) and I was pleased they were able to meet my request with no fuss. The freshly brewed breakfast tea is also excellent and fragrant, and going off what I’ve seen online I’m sure their Afternoon Tea would be a real treat.
The on-site spa appears to be popular with locals, particularly after work in the evenings. During my mid-afternoon visit however it was quiet and we almost had the pool to ourselves. I wish I made more time to enjoy the jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and gym as it was such a smart facility.
What I did get to experience however was a 60-minute facial treatment by Mia, who was an absolute delight. I thoroughly enjoyed this luxurious experience that even included a relaxing foot rub with hot towels and an arm massage as the face mask set in. I left the spa feeling refreshed and energised for my long drive home.
I’ve no doubt Bodysgallen Hall & Spa has, and will continue to be, a superb spa break for couples and a dreamy destination for a wedding, and I’d hope to see some evolution on century-old traditions to relax guests that may not be familiar with the hotel formalities, particularly opportunists taking up dinner or Afternoon Tea offers. The potential is there to encourage a younger crowd, but I appreciate this may not be a priority given their success with the older market.
Bodysgallen Hall & Spa, Llandudno, North Wales, LL30 1RS
+44 (0)1492 584466
Disclosure: My stay (including spa treatment and most meals) at Bodysgallen Hall & Spa was complimentary for the purpose of this review, however all opinions are my own.