TWO hotels in North Wales have been named as some of the best the UK has to offer by a national newspaper.

The Times announced on Thursday its Top 100 hotels in the UK, which reveals the top 100 hotels, the best in each region and a hotel of the year.

In Gwynedd, Plas Weunydd was named the best hotel in Wales.

The new hotel opened in May at the old Llechwedd mine on the edge of Blaenau Ffestiniog to complement the on-site adventure offerings of Zip World.

The hotel's success mirrors a resurgence in the fortunes of the area.

As The Times said: "Following its heyday in the late 19th century as the capital of Welsh slate mining, the Gwynedd town of Blaenau Ffestiniog hit the buffers when demand for slate slumped. Recently, however, the wheel of fortune has begun to turn, due largely to two factors: first, the birth of north Wales as the heart of adventure tourism in the UK; second, the announcement in July this year that the dour slate landscape of northwest Wales had been granted Unesco world heritage status."

The Bodysgallen, Conwy, was the other North Wales venue to make it onto the list.

The former medieval watchtower – strategically sited on a hill so sentries could scour the landscape for approaching enemies - has morphed into a country-house hotel, strategically positioned for marches to the pier at neighbouring Llandudno, Anglesey’s beaches, or Snowdonia.

See the full list at https://www.thetimes.co.uk/best-places-to-stay