FIVE OF THE BEST HOTELS

THE BEAR AT CRICKHOWELL

With its traditional oak beams and long-standing reputation for hospitality at the heart of the Beacons landscape, The Bear positively heaves with history and is a good base for walkers scaling Pen y Fan or visiting for the annual Crickhowell

Walking Festival. This gloriously unpretentious pub with rooms offers 35 romantic and characterful digs, rambling nooks and crannies for a pint of

Brecon Gold, and traditional pub food with a local twist, including matured Welsh steaks from the local butcher and fresh Usk

Valley fish.

Doubles from £129 (01873 810408; bearhotel.co.uk)

GLIFFAES COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL

This grand, family-run, country retreat near Crickhowell is a superb base for rural pursuits. It’s familyfriendly, too, with early suppers for children, leaving parents to enjoy locally sourced cuisine from head chef Karl Cheetham at dinner. Equally appetising is the landscape, with both a fly-fishing stretch of the River Usk and an expanding 19th-century arboretum.

Rooms (pictured) are country house-chic, featuring a collection of contemporary Welsh art, while afternoon tea, served on the terrace or in the conservatory, is the cherry on top.

Doubles from £159 (01874 730371; gliffaeshotel.com)

THE SWAN AT HAY-ON-WYE

Bibliophiles love this reimagined historic coaching inn, located on the fringe of the original book town, and it’s ideal for those going to Hay Festival. Expect lots of touches that give a sense of place – from botanic works by a local artist in the 19 rooms, to tempting regional produce for dinner or Sunday lunch. The Garden Room is a tasteful, light-filled dining room, but the real favourite is the Garden, a tranquil terrace for a pint of Butty Bach and casual dining amid the fruit trees and views of the twinkling River Wye. Doubles from £120 (01497 821188; swanathay.co.uk)

THE ANGEL HOTEL, ABERGAVENNY

The Angel is the taste-budtickling hub of the Abergavenny Food Festival and a gateway to the national park from the Welsh border. There are 35 elegant rooms, plus a couple of cottages, and plenty of foodie options, including the Foxhunter Bar for local ales and the Wedgewood Room for afternoon tea. For a hands-on Beacons experience, try a day-course collaboration with the nearby Nant y Bedd garden in the Black Mountains. Doubles from £145 (01873 857121; angelabergavenny. com)

THE WALNUT TREE INN

This is the region’s ultimate foodie escape, run by the same family as the Angel Hotel. The wonderfully rural and understated inn remains the long-standing home of chef Shaun Hill, who continues to work his Michelin-starred magic with a creative take in a bistro setting. Accommodation is found in the two adjoining cottages (sleeping four), part of Caradog Cottages, with a third in a nearby village. Expect views of Skirrid, homely Welsh textile throws, and kitchens that are well stocked with breakfast goodies. Look out for visiting exhibitions from the sister-business art shop in nearby Abergavenny. From £210 per night (01873 852797; thewalnuttreeinn. com)

All room rates include breakfast.

David Atkinson