Hot tub, garden and grounds
Cross the bridge over the babbling brook and chill in half an acre of Welsh woodland neatly pruned to accommodate table and chairs set out for gas and coal barbecues. While the sausages sizzle, watch the kids in the play area and dip in and out of the ten-seat, wood-fired hot tub.
Play cricket, croquet, and rounders on the lawns. Toast yourself in the walled suntrap around the hot tub before staying out late to stare at the stars and get mellow over marshmallows on the firepit.
Living spaces
The fun begins in the garden, where the jauntily pretty summerhouse comes with table and chairs out front for popping the cork on a prosecco. Slide inside to escape the madding crowd over table football, 30-inch TV, and arcade games. Bag a book and bunk off or play board games way past bedtime.
Head indoors to stream Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, and a full package over the superfast Superfast Broadband. You’ve a 50-inch TV in the kitchen and a 46-incher in the communal lounge. Burn some wood, squish out on the sofas or escape to the second living room.
Cooking and dining
Cook on three ovens and the wood-burning stove and fill the American-style fridge-freezer with deliveries from all the major supermarkets, Popty Bakery, Edwards’ Butchers, and Mermaid Seafoods. And be sure to take a night off and book in-house chefs Matt Waldron and Wildings’ Vegan Kitchen.
Seat 12 indoors, or 12 outdoors in the summer sunshine cooking on the gas and coal barbecues, with fuel provided. More nights off? Why not call up the local takeaways. Stock up on wine from Vinomondo in Conwy.
Dog-friendly with an open fire, the Ty Gwyn in the village comes with hearty local fare and a singsong at weekends. Book The Groes Inn, the oldest licensed pub in Wales, serving delicious seasonal dishes such as fried fillet of seabass and slow-braised pork belly. Or get out to Conwy’s Erskine Arms for Sunday roast and good veggie options.
Head to Dylan’s in Conwy for a unique view of the 13th century St Mary’s Church and castle from the first floor terrace, as well as pasta, seafood, salads, and tacos. Treat yourself to a chippy tea from Enoch’s. Or enjoy a pizza night at Johnny Dough’s, with dishes cooked in front of you in wood-fired ovens.
Bedrooms
Rowen Mill Cottage sleeps eleven in five bedrooms, including two children and a toddler in a cot bed. Between the mountains and the sea, this is the essence of a good sleep, with the river rumbling past and a Welsh blanket keeping you cosy.
Bedroom one comes with a vaulted ceiling, fireplace, seating area, and a kingsize four-poster, while kid-friendly bedroom two offers bespoke nautical bunkbeds with portholes and lights in each bunk. These rooms share a bathroom.
Bedroom three gives you a superking bed, a river view, and en-suite bathroom, while the fourth bedroom offers a superking with en-suite and fireplace. Bedroom five is another kingsize with an Indian theme, an en-suite shower, and a balcony overlooking the garden and the mountains.
What people say
Punch and Judy on the prom
Hit 100mph through the air across a disused quarry with Zip World, ride horses through the Welsh countryside with Aberonwy Equestrian Centre, and recover with small-batch beers in the Wild Horse Brewery taproom. Watch Punch and Judy on the prom, ride the Ffestiniog railway, and get lost in the Conwy Valley Maze.
