Penally Abbey – Tenby, Pembrokeshire
By
3 years ago
This grand Welsh mansion exudes bonhomie, making you relax instantly and feel at home. Owners Lucas and Melanie Boissevain brought the lovely, late 18th-century Gothic house, with its romantic ogee-headed doors and windows, stunningly back to life in 2014. You enter a spacious hallway with a wood-burning stove; there follows a bar opening onto a pretty conservatory, an elegant yet homely sitting room and a glamorous candlelit dining room filled with locally collected antiques. Here, you’ll dine on delicious, local and homegrown produce, dished up in imaginative ways – try the Welsh lamb with broad beans and crushed Pembrokeshire potatoes. Melanie’s aesthetic – handily, she has a background in interior design – mixes the elegant and the traditional with judiciously stylish touches. The result? All 12 bedrooms are equally restful and comfortable spaces, most with sea views, in which it’s a pleasure to spend time. Each one includes a delightful hand-illustrated guide of things to do in the area, which sums up the charms of this exceptional, friendly hotel and its lovely gardens.
Doubles from £160
+44 (0)1834 843033; penally-abbey.com
