Wales' best luxury destinations with spas, golf courses and upmarket restaurants

For years Wales has been trying to shrug off its bucket-and-spade image in the hope of attracting wealthier holidaymakers and extending the tourism season. A new study suggests the country is slowly making headway in the battle to be considered a “luxury staycation destination”.

For getaway visitors seeking relative solitude, “remoteness” was factored into the study by considering local population data. By this measure, four Welsh counties – Anglesey, Pembrokeshire, Gwynedd and Ceredigion – were placed within the top 14 UK of Britain’s staycation areas. While they were behind big hitters such as the Lake District and Cotswolds, all four came out ahead of key players like Devon and Edinburgh.

Luxury is, of course, subjective and the criteria used to assess it can be arbitrary. A survey by Defender, a Land Rover brand with its own premium cachet, based its assessment on things like golf courses, five-star hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants. The resulting list will inform recommendations for the company's customers.

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These are places with reputations that can be enhanced through investment and patronage. Other criteria, such as National Trust properties, are historical legacies, while “excellent hiking trails” can be quirks of geography – though their appeal can be maximised through careful management. Invariably, remoter tourism hotspots with “upmarket” appeal, on a headage basis, tend to be those with smaller year-round populations and big summer invasions.

Topping the Wales list was Pembrokeshire. The county and its dramatic coastline leads the way in terms of five-star hotels – it has more than twice as many as Cardiff – and it has more National Trust properties than elsewhere in Wales. It also fares well for luxury spas (14).

For “excellent” walking trails, Gwynedd comfortably tops the Welsh list (14), as you might expect. These are routes rated 4 star-plus on Tripadvisor. Gwynedd also fares pretty well for National Trust sites (11).

In UK terms, the county is blown away by Cornwall (58 trails and 47 NT properties), another place renowned for dramatic landscapes and stunning beaches. As Cornwall’s population is five times bigger, its heritage can be offset by bustle and this is reflected in the overall rankings. The North Wales Live Whatsapp community for top stories and breaking news is live now - here’s how to sign up

According to another study, coinciding with Chelsea Flower Show, Gwynedd is an attractive destination if wildflowers are the reason for visiting. Along with foxgloves and hardy plants like knapweed and gorse, there are rarities such as the Snowdon Lily.

Most of all, Gwynedd is one of the best in the UK for seeing spring bluebells, especially while walking the Cefndeuddwr Trail at Coed-y-Brenin. For this reason, the county ranks behind only Simonside Hills in Northumberland, and Mayfield Lavender Farm near London, for flora lovers, said Humes Outfitters.

Anglesey is placed well by virtue of having five luxury hotels despite a relatively small population. The island, said Defender, is not only part-protected as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it is “rich with Welsh speakers and five-star hotels to unwind at”.

Ranking second in Wales was Ceredigion, partly due to its vast open spaces that well-heeled visitors prefer. Powys is fifth, hamstrung by a lack of golf clubs, while Denbighshire is down in 10th, principally for the sin of having no five-star hotels or National Trust sites. Other counties in North Wales lie outside the top 10.

Top “Defender destinations”, said the company, will provide an “exceptional weekend getaway with a hint of adventure and luxury”. The firm added: “With these recommendations, you can rest assured that your getaway will be nothing short of extraordinary.”

Replacing daytrippers, who often spend little locally, with overnighters, a boon to the hospitality sector, makes sense. But it also carries risks.

Unexpected consequences include the kind of housing impacts seen in many of Britain’s main staycation hotspots. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox

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