A beautiful hotel in a market town that doesn't get the hype

RECENTLY stayed in a rather lovely Georgian hotel that’s right in the centre of a lively Welsh market town.

- Portia Jones

The Cawdor, dating from 1765, has been welcoming visitors through its doors for many years and is a landmark hotel in colourful Llandelio.

Here 18th and 19th-century buildings bring history while the bubblegum-pink, mint-green, and lemon-yellow facades add pleasing splashes of colour and personality to one of Wales’ most vibrant and community-spirited towns.

It's also bursting with independent boutique shops, cafés and a few proper pubs. While it might not get the same hype as Welsh hotspots like Tenby or Narberth don’t let that fool you; Llandeilo punches well above its weight for a small town and is absolutely worth the detour.

Walk over the 19th-century stone bridge (built 1848) and up the aptly-named Bridge Street and you'll spot a strip of pastel-coloured properties that date back to around the 1780s. Some served as businesses years ago but these days they’re mostly homes with a few Airbnbs.

The Cawdor is a standout property in town. Its distinctive cherry-red exterior contrasts against the town’s rainbow strip of buildings and it is the first thing I notice as I roll up on a balmy afternoon with my obliging husband in tow.

According to The Sunday Times Travel, this four-star hotel is officially one of the top 100 hotels in the UK. And it’s easy to see why as you step inside and you're instantly wrapped in lovely Georgian charm.