Borth Cottage

A lavishly fitted but still cosy house for 12, tucked just above the sandy sweep of Abersoch Bay in northwest Wales

If money was no object, where in the British Isles would you choose for your holiday home? The answer for Simon Nixon, millionaire founder of moneysupermarket.com, is the perhaps unlikely setting of Abersoch bay on the tip of the Llyn peninsula. After a long weekend there, we can see why: windswept coastal scenery punctuated by pastel and slate towns, crumbling castles, sweeps of highly surfable swell and the greenest of rolling fields. It's a real breath of fresh air, sleepy out of season, popular in summer with a well heeled Chester set - though not quite the Welsh Cote d'Azur, as Nixon dubs it. Not yet, anyway.

The property with which he hopes to put it on the map is a rambling house cleverly crafted out of 2 cream-washed cottages. But don't be fooled by the modest exterior. Inside, it's stuffed with bespoke designer furniture and top notch gadgetry, from underfloor heating and power showers to a surround-sound home cinema in both sitting rooms (there are 2: one for you, one for the kids - with an X-box for rainy days).

In the sleek dining room there's a quirky fishing-net light from a Barcelona designer, and a ribbon fire which leaps into flame at the touch of a button. Upstairs, tucked under the eaves, are 6 bedrooms, 2 of them in a separate part (great for the kids), all of them cosy and faultlessly comfy. Step outside, past the garuppa decking and the hot tub, and you're on the wide sandy beach, golf course to your left, bobbing dinghies to your right. For anyone who fancies a small group get together in style, and is happy driving (or helicoptering) to the very tip of Wales, there can be no better.

Highs

• The master bedroom is glorious - you can soak in a vast half-egg tub while gazing out over the sea to Snowdonia (it's worth organising the booking just so you can nab it!)
• We loved having breakfast in the sleek glass conservatory, filled with light on even the cloudiest Welsh day
• All 6 bedrooms are ensuite, with additional loo downstairs, so no queuing for bathrooms
• The all-Welsh hamper (supplied for i-escape guests) puts other welcomes to shame, with its delicious oatcakes, chillied Caerphilly, cranberry jam...
• Golfers can be teeing off within 10 minutes of breakfast; surfers and sailors likewise

Lows

• With so much hi-tech gadgetry, there's a chance that something may be beyond your ken (or out of operation)
• Being under the eaves, headspace in the bedrooms is limited, especially around the edges
• The kitchen is a little cramped for serious chefs
• No pool - but a hot tub outside, and a sauna indoors
• It does take a long time to get there, so really needs at least 3-4 nights to warrant the trip (unless you're starting from Manchester / Birmingham area, or flying in)