This country hotel is in a beautiful part of the world. Rugged valley overlooking a river in full flow. We arrived after 2130 hrs in the rain and they produced a fabulous meal in our room plus the red wine. Room service was outstanding . We were exhausted after a days travel and they could not be helpful enough. Room overlooked the river and the fields with the expected sheep grazing. Room was beautiful , atmospheric ,clean, tidy and in all working order. The breakfast was traditional and at a high standard. The Christmas tree was like Narnia . Warm cosy and welcoming.

As an American visiting a proper country house hotel in Wales, I came with a head filled with images from every period movie I’d ever viewed. I expected an expansive, lush landscape with swaths of velvety green fields punctuated by fluffy white sheep and old-growth trees. I expected a long, winding drive up to the hotel, culminating in the big reveal—a 19th century home perched just so on a rise. Ideally, pheasants would greet us before we even opened the car door.

As glorified as my expectations were, Gliffaes did not disappoint:

THE COMMON AREAS
I am someone who cares as much about my room as I do about the common areas. At Gliffaes, I felt differently. The common rooms—the living room, dining room, conservatory, and bar in particular—were conducive to lingering. All were beautifully appointed in true “English Country Manor” style, complete with roaring fire, a ready supply of books, and multiple issues of “Field,” “Country Life,” and other country sport focused magazines.

We made a point to be back at the hotel by not much after four o’clock each day, both to avoid driving on the winding roads in the pitch black, and to be sure to make it back in time for the sumptuous afternoon tea served in the sumptuous living room.

THE MEALS
If you think Welsh cooking is all about smoked salmon, lamb, sausages, and Scotch eggs, you would be only partly right. Those were all constants on the menus, but we also enjoyed the breads baked fresh daily, the local cheeses, and the local beef was some of the best we’ve ever had. It was lovely to preface each meal with a glass of wine at the bar—cozy, convivial, and conducive to striking up conversation with those around you.

One silly note: If you are a fan of croissants, get to breakfast on the early side. They ran out of them two of the three mornings we were there.

THE GROUNDS
Gliffaes sits on a rise above the Usk River, renowned for its fishing. If you’re visiting outside of fishing season, as we were, you can still enjoy a beautiful, circular walk that will take you through the local farmer’s field, past several skittish sheep, and down to the trail along the Usk. Expect mud. If you’ve forgotten your Wellies, Gliffaes has plenty available for loan.

THE ROOMS
We booked our two rooms last minute, at the height of the holiday season, and frankly were grateful that they had any room for us at all. Given that, it is no surprise that the rooms we did get were not likely the best of what Gliffaes has to offer. The cozy country chic that appears so effortless in the common rooms does not extend to the bedrooms. This is not to say the rooms weren’t charming--they were, and the beds were hugely comfortable. But none of the four rooms in which we ultimately stayed over our three day visit felt as pulled together as they could be. I mention this not so much as a complaint as a potential area for improvement.

NOTES AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
By all means, go to Gliffaes. It is ideally situated for easy day trips to charming towns and the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Plan to have both breakfast and dinner at Gliffaes.

Bring Wellingtons and rain gear!

Take a day trip to Hay-on-Wye and explore the numerous antique map and bookstores.

Take a day trip to Brecon Beacons National Park.

Getting to Gliffaes is an easy train ride from London’s Paddington Station. We arrived at Newport, Wales in under two hours, and then drove another 50 minutes to Gliffaes.

In my opinion the website totally overvalues the experience.

Website: "You are looking for a small luxury Country House hotel in a stunning location, which offers good food and service with neither exorbitant prices nor a lot of pretension; you may well have found what you are looking for."

Its not good value and I would question whether or not the prices are infact exorbitant. This hotel should be exceptional but it really is average. It's not awful - just not what you expect after looking at the website! Who gave it 4 stars? I would have thought it 2 stars at best.

Won't be returning.

We have stayed in this hotel after Christmas this year 2011, we really enjoyed. We hope to be back in summer time, sure it will be nice. Hotel has very good view to the river and mountains. Recomend to my friends.