StuartI went with my partner to Llanerch Vineyard and Hotel last weekend for the night. My friend gave it to me as a gift who thought, as I like wine, I’d like to stay here!
About Llanerch Vineyard and Hotel
Llanerch Vineyard and hotel is located in the picturesque countryside of South Wales, in the charming village of Hensol, near Cardiff. This beautiful destination is nestled amidst lush vineyards and rolling hills. This makes it a perfect getaway for those looking to enjoy both relaxation and the scenic beauty of the area. You can easily access the vineyard and hotel, which offers a unique blend of luxury accommodation and the delightful experience of wine tasting right on-site.
Wine Tasting at the Vineyard
We couldn’t check in until 3pm, so we decided to go to the wine tasting beforehand which was included in our package. The day we went, they carried out these sessions every hour.
On our tasting session there were 4 people taking part including us. Jo, an experienced and knowledgeable guide, led the session. She also made the session very entertaining and interesting and she kept our attention throughout.
We tasted 3 wines altogether – a white, rose and red. All these wines we tasted came from the vineyard itself and they were very enjoyable. We tried our first wine in their amazing, state of the art tasting room. Following that, we tasted the rose and red whilst we were walking around the vineyard with our expert guide. This is where we learned about grape varieties and differences between them.
The session lasted about one hour and this was just the right amount of time. I would highly recommend this for corporate events or for friends who want to get together. We even got to keep the souvenir wine glass.
Our Room at the Llanerch Vineyard and Hotel
After the wine tasting, we were able to check in. Reception kept our bags in storage until our room was ready.
Llanerch Vineyard and Hotel has four major room types:
- Double Room
- Courtyard Room
- Countryside Superior
- Countryside Suite
They also have family, accessible and pet friendly versions of some of these rooms.
We stayed in room 205 which was a Countryside Superior. This room was in a separate building to the main hotel, accessed by a covered walkway. This means it has great views of the countryside as it’s name suggests and has a large balcony with furniture. The weather smiled on us during our break as we had lovely sunshine throughout our whole stay. So, we could use the balcony to its full extent.
We also had bathrobes, Nespresso coffee and kettle, minifridge and a smart TV in our room. We had a welcome bottle of Bacchus wine in our minifridge which was included in our package. This was absolutely delicious, especially when we drank it out on the balcony after learning how to taste the wine.
The bed was amazingly comfortable. Like the bed, the room was huge. I don’t think I have ever stayed in a room that large that wasn’t a suite. Also, the bathroom had a bath with a shower over it with a range of lovely smelling toiletries. We had plenty of hot water and the shower was very easy to operate. It also had a towel radiator which meant we had dry towels throughout our stay.
The Surrounding Areas
Being in the middle of the countryside, it meant we could take lovely walks around the area. As there are dog friendly rooms, it is the perfect place to take your furry friends.
We took an afternoon walk past the marquee which they use for events and weddings, through the woods to two small lakes which was a lovely way to spend the afternoon.
Bar and Restaurant
The Bar
Llanerch Vineyard and Hotel has one restaurant and a small bar. The bar is very comfortable with a pool table that is used for the continental breakfast set up in the morning. You can get the vineyard wines in the bar and restaurant together with a number of other wines from around the world.
The Llanerch Vineyard Restaurant
We booked a table for 7:45pm and when we got there is was busy so I advise you to book. We were shown to our seats immediately, but it wasn’t the table we had asked for. It turns out that this was a miscommunication and, after a short wait, we were shown to our preferred table.
We found the staff were very friendly and welcoming. They gave us the wine list and menus as soon as we sat down. After a few minutes we ordered a bottle of Bacchus wine and some water. They then took our order. I had a question about the starter as I didn’t want truffle oil in it. The waiter went to check and quickly came back to confirm this could be done.
I had a pasta starter and my husband had duck pate. We found the pasta starter and pate was delicious, but my husband said the pate was a little too rich.
For the main course we both had fillet steak with pressed potatoes. They cooked the steak wonderfully and it was very tender. The chef expertly cooked pressed potatoes and vegetables that came with the main course.
As the meal was very filling, we did not have room for dessert. So we retired to our room.
Breakfast
We had to let the hotel know at check in what time we wanted breakfast. This is a good idea as it is a small hotel and it ensures that the service is consistent. Again, they seated us straight away and provided us with much needed coffee after all the wine the day before! There was a selection of continental breakfast items including meats, cheese, pastries and cereals to start with.
Next, they took our order for hot breakfast. I had the full Welsh breakfast and my husband had eggs benedict. We both found the dishes unusually hot for breakfast, and my husband declared it the nicest eggs benedict he had ever had.
Checking Out
Check out was 11am. This meant we could have a relax after breakfast before we left and enjoy the last of the views. We had such a nice stay that the staff almost had to peel our fingers off the door frame to get us to leave!
