Metropole Hotel & Spa

Generations together, not apart, in a pleasing blend of old and new influences. Versatile accommodation and ambience that appeals to a wide audience. Modern bedrooms, superb spa and a great touring location in mid-Wales.

What goes around comes around. The Metropole, in its Victorian pomp and circumstance, was the place to stay when spa towns were all the rage. Fashions and fortunes changed, but it’s now back where it belongs as a top-notch hotel, refreshed and spruced up for a 21st-century clientele. There’s more than one circle revolving here.

Those spa breaks of old are also back – but again with a big difference (out go the sulphurous waters and masochistic medical practices, in come sybaritic saunas and jacuzzis, cocooning indoor pools and soothing treatments). The Metropole’s makeover is a class (and clever) act. You’ll see what we mean as soon as you walk through the door. To your left is an elegant, spacious lounge and lobby, still true to its 19th-century roots.

Opposite is Spencer’s, a bar and brasserie straight out of a hip city joint.  This contrast – which isn’t at all jarring – is typical of the Metropole. One minute it’s all high ceilings, old portraits, cosy corners, formal dining and Victorian gentility, the next clean, contemporary spaces, modern art, bistro food, chic furnishings and comfy, completely refurbished bedrooms. The Metropole’s size – it’s a big canvas – enables it to mix and match like this. It also allows the largest Welsh Rarebit to cater effortlessly for many needs – intimate weekends away or big family reunions – without having to compromise. And it keeps spanning those generations.

Water is a recurring theme too – Mid Wales’s scenic lakelands are close by (in fact, the hotel’s enviable central location means  you’re handily placed for much of Wales).