Discover Wales’s funkiest country house hotel: Hammet House

A common, pre-conceived idea about country house hotels, is that they are stuffy, full of antiques, tired looking and in need of a makeover; not in the case of Hammet House near Cardigan in West Wales.

The 15-bedroomed Georgian hotel, which was built in 1795 and was once the family home of England cricketer David Gower’s ancestors, is being lovingly refurbished by its young owners, Owen & Philippa Gale.

Whilst maintaining the elegance of the original, Georgian building (some parts actually date back to 1450), the Gales have tastefully added quirky, modern touches resulting in a fascinating fusion of country house meets modern day funk!

Comments Owen Gale: “We wanted to give Hammet House a distinct identity to make it stand out from what one would normally expect to find in a country house hotel, and to make it appealing to a sophisticated and discerning modern-day clientele.”

Bedrooms – which feature comfortable beds and mattresses, dressed with Egyptian cotton bedlinen – range from cute and quirky ’Tiny’ and ‘Cosy’ doubles, to luxurious ‘Fabulous’ & ‘Outstanding’ feature rooms, with handmade super-king beds, contemporary décor, luxurious REN toiletries in the en-suites, and indulgent in-room trays with whole leaf teas, fresh coffee & hand-baked biscuits.

The ‘Fabulous’ room commands lovely views, has generous space and a glamourous gold sofa. For a romantic getaway, the ‘Outstanding’ room features a contemporary four-poster bed, funky cow hide rug and other quirky touches.

Families are well looked after with the ‘Family Duplex’ room with a spacious super-king bedroom for the grown-ups, and adjoining brightly furnished children’s bedroom with two single beds.

Dining is taken just as seriously as the décor at Hammet House, with fine dining meals served in the main restaurant with an option of a more casual eating experience in the library/bar.

The menus are created by head chef Ashley Chapman using the finest ingredients – sourced locally wherever possible – and accompanied by a wine list which boasts more organic options than any other wine menu in the UK.

Hammet House has a number of special packages currently on offer including the ‘Escape Lux 2 Night Break’ which is available from Sunday to Thursday and costs from £240 pp (two sharing).

This includes a three course fine dining dinner on one night, relaxed two course dinner from the house menu on the other night, chilled organic Prosecco in the room on arrival, plus pre-dinner cocktails each evening & full breakfast both mornings.

Upgraded packages from £265 pp (weekends cost from £250 pp).

For more information, visit hammethouse.co.uk.