Hotels in Porthmadog

Porthmadog's hotels and guesthouses make the most of its unusual position, wedged between the peaks of Eryri National Park and the wide sands of Tremadog Bay, so it is easy to find a room with a view of one or the other, and sometimes both. The town centre has a handful of traditional coaching inns and pubs with rooms, ideal for visitors who want to be within walking distance of the harbour station where the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways depart. These tend to be simple, good-value options rather than boutique stays, with a proper local-pub atmosphere downstairs.

For something quieter, the nearby village of Borth-y-Gest offers guesthouses overlooking its small, sheltered harbour, a short walk or drive from Porthmadog itself, while the countryside inland and towards Criccieth has a good choice of farmhouse B&Bs and small country hotels set among the hills. Families and walkers heading into the mountains often prefer to base themselves slightly further out, towards Beddgelert or Tremadog, where hotels sit closer to the trailheads for Snowdon and the Moelwyn range but remain within easy reach of Porthmadog for a day trip to the shops, railways and harbour.

For a genuinely distinctive stay, the village of Portmeirion itself, a short drive around the estuary, offers hotel rooms in its main building overlooking the Dwyryd estuary as well as self-catering cottages scattered through its Italianate gardens, though these are popular and worth booking well ahead, particularly for summer weekends. Whichever option is chosen, Porthmadog's compact size means most hotels are within a few minutes of the harbour, the railway stations and the town's restaurants.