History
The Castle Hotel, an old coaching inn, stands on the site of a
Cistercian abbey and used to consist of two famous hostelries, The
Castle and the 15th Century King's Head. The Castle was by far the
larger and in Victorian times has had an attractive face lift of
local granite and Ruabon brick and is now one of Conwy's most
photographed buildings.
The Hotel has had a fascinating past and has made an important
contribution to Conwy's history, playing host to many famous
people, such as Telford, Stephenson, Wordsworth and the Queen of
Romania who lunched in the restaurant whilst visiting Llandudno. In
the 20th Century, the ownership of the Hotel was almost exclusively
by London based companies and it's fitting that in the new century,
this wonderful old hotel has reverted back to private
ownership.
The interior of the Hotel has many interesting features and
antiques. John Dawson-Watson, a distinguished victorian artist and
illustrator spent his last days in Conwy, much of the time in the
hotel.
Some say he painted for his lodgings, others say he was
commissioned to paint a variety of canvasses and panels depicting
scenes from Shakespearean plays for the then owners. Either way,
there is a significant collection of his work hanging in the hotel
and especially in Dawson's Bar and Cuisine, the hotel's very
popular restaurant.
The hotel has 28 bedrooms and suites, including a very grand,
ornately carved four poster bed, dated 1570 in the Wynn Suite. So
named because the bed once belonged to the Wynn family who were
major land owners in North Wales in Elizabethan times. Their 'town
house' called 'Plas Mawr' is just a few doors from the hotel up the
High Street and is now open to the public after a £2.5 million
renovation! It is mooted that Charles I slept in the bed when he
stayed with the Wynn's during the Civil War.
All of the hotel's bedrooms have been upgraded and now offer
contemporary style and facilities, including wireless broadband;
but with the same emphasis on comfort and tradition.
All the bedrooms have private bathrooms and the two room Caer
Rhun Suite has a two person jacuzzi bath!
The hotel's location in the centre of Conwy, close to the quay
and the ancient castle makes it the perfect place to rest when
visiting the numerous places of interest within the Medieval walled
town. You can be sure you will not be alone as visitors and locals
alike find sanctuary in Dawsons Bar Cuisine and in inclement
weather, in front of the warm fire.
The Hotel also makes an interesting and unusual location for
business functions offering excellent conference, meeting and
corporate entertaining for up to 50 people. A range of activities
such as sailing, horse riding, cycling, walking and golf can be
arranged and built into a company's event or individual leisure
break package.
The historic port with its castle built by Edward I and well
preserved walls, lies on the coastal side of the Snowdonia National
Park. The area is breathtakingly beautiful, both rugged and pretty
and a planned short break holiday can soon develop into longer to
truly appreciate what the area has to offer.
