Refurbished Inn delivers a first-class stay without the price tag

Martin Hesp stays at the luxurious Royal George in the heart of the Wye Valley

- Martin Hesp

Oh sylvan Wye! thou wanderer thro’ the woods, how often has my spirit turned to thee!” So wrote William Wordsworth 227 years ago in his poem Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey. And I am repeating them here because I happen to be in Tintern looking across at the River Wye.

Like a great many Westcountry folk, I have visited this most beautiful of valleys on several occasions and never failed to be impressed by the green and glorious ebb and flow of its waters reflecting the stately forests that divide England and Wales.

That is what the Wye Valley does. On one bank of the river you're on home-turf in England’s Westcountry, on the other you've gone abroad to Gwalia, to give Wales is archaic, poetic name. And I am abroad as I write, looking across the river to England, sitting in a luxurious suite of an ancient coaching inn that has recently been completely refurbished.

The Royal George is a fantastic find. Having stayed the night and consumed a fantastic dinner and breakfast, I am more than happy to report that as a fact. Original Welsh flagstones and timber beams have been lovingly revealed, preserving architectural details and the spirit of the hotel. An earthy colour palette, tactile soft furnishings, rough-hewn surfaces, reclaimed Welsh Slate, traditional panelling, and lime-washed paints provide a contemporary, rustic look and feel.

But the words “ancient coaching inn” and “completely refurbished” might be translated into a single word by experienced travellers. Expensive. However, the Royal George manages to offer a first-class product for a lot less than you might expect. Rooms start from £165 per night. A main course in the upmarket Upper Deck restaurant might range somewhere between £20 and £30.