Colorful, quirky and friendly hotel in the rolling hills of rural Wales

The Royston / Llanbrynmair / Powys / Wales / Great Britain

The ability to disconnect has turned into something of an art form. And God knows how difficult it is to master, at least for me. This thing where you are fully in the moment. I don’t know if it is a consequence of the time we live in or if it has to do with age, but I realize how important it is and how I look for it more and more, especially when hunting for hotels to stay at. This ability to fully disconnect is so reliant on the surroundings and for me it helps it the environment you are in almost forces you to. And this is totally the case at the Royston.

This Victorian townhouse from the 1880s, built to look like the original owners London home, is sitting on a gentle slope, on the outskirts of the village of Llanbrynmair in the heartland of Wales. The closest neighbors are hens, sheep and cows lazily going about their business on the endless pastureland. And this is the thing, here you are far away from everything and I love it! There is nothing to do here (and I am saying this with a positive voice), but to disconnect and be in the moment.

The Royston is run by Clive and Rob. Clive is from Surrey and Rob from Brisbane, Australia. This couple used to live in Brighton and work in London but were looking to escape to the country. They ended up finding this old townhouse in need of a lot of love and attention and started the long process of doing just that. The result is a warm, colorful and friendly boutique hotel with just the right amount of quirk.

There is a total of 7 rooms. Our spacious room was painted in a rich dark grey color resembling the sky during a thunder storm. My favorite feature (next to the most beautiful Welsh bed throw and Rob’s home made cookies) were the huge windows displaying uninterrupted views of the Cambrian mountains. There were two soft chairs perfectly placed in front of them, which was where we spent our afternoons, sipping on a glass of red, just sitting in silence looking out. Sounds like a fun bunch… Actually this is not fully true. If you like to stay active, this is a region with a rich offering to outdoorsy types like us. Hiking, biking and all kinds of outdoorsy stuff is waiting for you. And then you come back to the plush armchairs to continue to work on your disconnection skills again.

The narrow country lane leading up to the Royston, almost invisible behind the trees.

I love the stained glass panels in the hallway and the play with colors.

The cozy and colorful lounge. A perfect place for an afternoon hang. This is where the well stocked honesty bar is waiting for you.

Love these seats. To sit there and letting your mind wonder while aimlessly looking out through the window.

Our spacious room. I love this bed throw. I tried to make Rob & Clive sell it to me (apparently I was not the first to ask this) but it was not possible. I understand why. I also wouldn’t have sold it.

If the favorite seats in the lounge were taken by someone else, we had our own seating area in our room with the same stunning view…

This one! With the Cambrian mountains looming in the distance.

Waiting for us in our room where some freshly baked cookies to have with our tea. So delightfully British. Or Welsh.

If the room was dark and sombre, the bathroom was the direct opposite. Bright and recently redone.

The back of the house and the entrance when coming from the car park.

Love these old, rustic farm buildings on the property.

The garden where a lot of what is served for breakfast and dinner is grown.

The garden in front of the house while the sun is setting.

The food at the Royston is so delicious! They only have dinner service three nights/week so make sure you book your stay so you’re here for that.

The Welsh countryside is so dramatic and wild with a lot of great hiking possibilities.

This is me on my way to the top of Snowdon, the tallest mountain in the country.

I couldn’t escape the feeling that someone was watching me…

On my way to the top (which was covered in fog), so you will have to make do with a photo from just below the peak.

RG inside info

This place is perfect if you…

…are looking for a friendly, cozy, quirky countryside retreat surrounded by lush Welsh nature with unique design and excellent service. If this is something you like, you should really book a stay at the Royston.

My favorite thing about this place…

…is the calm. I know that the term ”off the beaten path” is sometimes over used, but here it really applies. The Royston is located in the middle of Wales and the consequence is a calm that is almost overwhelming - in a good way. A perfect place to enjoy the art of doing nothing.

What not to miss when staying here…

…is to explore the surprisingly (at least to me) wild and rugged nature of Wales. The tallest mountain in the country, Snowdon, is within driving distance and the hike to the top at 1,085 meters above sea level is a hike well worth doing. If hiking isn’t your thing, the Eryri region where Snowdon is located is well worth visiting anyhow for the stunning scenery and the cute little villages.

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