Fairy tale castle named the best at tourism awards

‘A GRAND hotel on Anglesey and a celebrated holiday park restaurant were among those named the best in North Wales at the region's tourism awards.

- By OWEN HUGHES Chief Reporter owen.hughes@dallypst couk

‘The annual event at Venue Cymru was organised by North Wales Tourism to celebrate the dedication, skill and achievements of the region’s tourism and hospitality industry.

It was hosted by former BBC journalist Sian Lloyd and the headline sponsor were Harlech Foodservices.

‘The event saw a teenager who fled the war in Ukraine crowned as the rising star of the tourism industry in North Wales. Yuliia Batrak, 19, a student at Coleg Llandrillo, won Young Person in Tourism and Hospitality prize at the prestigious Go North Wales Tourism Awards.

‘At the other end of the age spectrum, the blue riband Service to Tourism Award went to Geoff Lofthouse, 70, who retired recently after more than 40 years as manager of the four star Imperial Hotel in Llandudno.

Among the other big winners on the night was fairytale 19th century hotel Chateau Rhianfa, spectacularly located overlooking the Menai Strait and across to breathtaking views of Eryri (Snowdonia).

‘The 26-bedroom, Grade II-listed chateau on the outskirts of Menai Bridge was named Hotel of the Year, having built a reputation as one of the most iconic places to stay in Wales.

‘A very different business, located nearby on the shoreline in Menai Bridge, also came out on top.

RibRide, which offers high-speed boat trips around the Anglesey coastline, was named as Activity or Experience of the Year, 20 years after they launched their first rib into the Menai Strait.

‘The business has also been recognised on Trip Advisor as the best boat tour operator in the UK and carries over 20,000 passengers a year.

Back on dry land, Gimblet Rock in Pwllheli was named as Holiday Park of the Year after investing in ecofriendly initiatives, including electric buggies, energy efficient upgrades and planting Marram Grass to stabilise dunes and protect habitats.