The Grove

Boutique country house hotel with a restaurant, rooms and cottages, close to vibrant Narberth, rolling hills and stunning coastline

Here's a boutique hotel with a big heart and a little stream. Owners Neil and partner Zöe took a gamble in renovating this 18th-century country house. Once derelict and overgrown, today a 20 bedroom gem with 4 stone cottages. It's only 15 minutes drive from the pretty seaside town of Tenby and a good base to explore the stunning Pembrokeshire coast. Once here, you can look out across fields and forests to the rugged Preseli hills. In spring the driveway's a dazzle of bluebells and daffodils.

Calm interior design rules the main house but Neil's taste for collecting art adds colour - expect pictures from Vietnam to Brazil - and none of it jars. Candles and crackling fires light up the oak panelled dining room at night, and the food is sublime. During the day make sure you pop into Narberth. Out in the wilds, who would have thought you'd find this small market town with its cafe culture, boutique shops and tasty Spanish deli. You can see why the owners had to take this place on. It's enchanting.

Highs

• Beautiful period house meticulously restored and extended with good proportions and lovely views
• Stylish comfortable bedrooms: not over-designed or chintzified
• Cottages offer great value and the flexibility to self-cater or dine in the hotel restaurant - a bonus for families
• Not far from award-winning sandy beaches
• Outstanding food and won from the AA and Visit Wales their "Best in Wales Awards 2010"
• Easy drive from the M4 (Bristol in just under 2 hours)

Lows

• Since our visit, 2 outbuildings have been converted and the main house has been extended. We haven't seen these rooms first-hand, but they sound every bit as fabulous as the original spaces
• If you want to go out for dinner one night, you'll need to drive or take a taxi
• The gardens, whilst beautiful, are still maturing
• No minibar in rooms