Cymraeg

News

• We have been nominated for the Karen Brown website. She and her team produce numerous guides for tourists worldwide. See www.karenbrown.com
• As you can see on the ‘Welcome!’ page, Visit Wales have upgraded us from four to five stars. In his summary, the inspector commented: ‘Y Goeden Eirin has been furnished in an unique manner which reflects the culture and the arts in Wales as well as the local and national heritage.’
• We have been approved by the prestigious website, Food Lovers' Britain (www.foodloversbritain.com).
• We are pleased to announce that we have invested in a Toyota Prius recently. It is a hybrid car running on electricity and petrol, so we hope that our carbon footprint will be reduced.
• Our self-catering cottage on the beach in Pontllyfni is now featured on Alastair Sawday’s website: www.special-escapes.co.uk  Type ‘Carmel’ or ‘Gwynedd’ in the ‘Search’ box.
• We have been notified that we are on the Long List of the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2009, in the Small Hotel category (50 rooms or less). These awards are organised by responsibletravel.com and supported by The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, BBC World News and Virgin Holidays. It was a pleasant surprise to be included on such a prestigious list, and we do not expect to go any further, as these awards are worldwide.
• There is an entry on us in The Rough Guide to Wales (2009) and also in Lonely Planet Great Britain (2009). (See ‘Reviews’.)
• The new guidebook, Alastair Sawday’s Green Europe (2009) has now appeared. (See ‘Reviews’.)
• There is an entry on us on the www.organicholidays.co.uk website and we will be featured in their printed volume soon. The same is true of www.charmingsmallhotels.co.uk
• It is now possible to see a video of Y Goeden Eirin. Go to the following website: www.tourismtv.co.uk and search for Y Goeden Eirin in the North Wales section. Remember to click on ‘English’ if you want to hear the commentary in that language.
• There is now an entry on us on Eco Hotels of the World’s website: www.ecohotelsoftheworld.com We have been awarded the top five star rating, and they have promised to include us in the next printed edition of their guide.
• There is an article on Y Goeden Eirin in the second issue of Visit Wales’s magazine Quality Wales, together with some striking pictures. The article (including the pictures) can be seen in full on the following website: www.wales.gov.uk/tourism Short excerpts are reproduced in the ‘Reviews’section on our website.
  
• We have heard that we are to be included in a forthcoming volume edited by David Hutter and published by Quarto, London in 2009. The title is 1001 Escapes You Must Experience Before You Die, and it will have a global scope, and will not be exclusively devoted to places which offer accommodation and food.
• The famous red book has included us in its 2009 edition, but we are not allowed to mention this book ‘that dares not speak its name’ on our website!
• It was a pleasure and a privilege recently to be awarded one of the Green Snowdonia Tourism Awards. The award ceremony was held in Plas Tan-y-bwlch in May 2008.
• We have now joined the Slow Food movement as we share their principles.
• Alastair Sawday has also awarded us two of their ethical banners.
  
• We were pleased to be invited to join the prestigious 'Wales in Style' website. It is an honour to be featured amongst the luxurious and exclusive establishments which are showcased on that site. The printed version of Wales in Style (ed. Simon Wright) has now appeared from Designate, and can be purchased in the shops for £14.99.
• We have been awarded the Green Dragon Environmental Standard (Level
  2) after a rigorous accreditation by Arena Network.
• Recently we had the privilege of welcoming the Albanian novelist, Fatos Kongoli, at Y Goeden Eirin. A lecture tour had been arranged for him to launch the English translation of his novel The Loser (published by Seren), and he addressed audiences in London, Oxford and Bangor. He was the guest of the School of Welsh at Bangor, and he introduced his novel to a packed audience, with the help of his two Canadian translators. The School of Welsh arranged a dinner for him at Y Goeden Eirin, and he and Mrs Kongoli and the two translators stayed here.
• The Good Hotel Guide has awarded us a César Award. We regard this as a real privilege. Only ten of these are awarded annually throughout the whole of Britain and Ireland, and they are regarded as ‘the Oscars of the hospitality industry’. The awards were presented at a party in London at the beginning of October.
  
• We are featured in The Good Hotel Guide 2008 which was launched in London at the beginning of October. This was a pleasant surprise, as Y Goeden Eirin is hardly a hotel in the conventional sense. All the Guide inspections are carried out anonymously, so we have no idea which of our guests came here to do detective work! The Good Hotel Guide is one of the few independent and impartial guidebooks left. It is edited by Desmond Balmer and Adam Raphael.
• We were on four short lists in 2007: the Welsh Business and Sustainability Awards (organised by Arena Network), the National Tourism Awards (Visit Wales), Gwynedd Business Awards and the ‘Menter a Busnes’ Awards. Although we were not outright winners, it was a privilege to come this far.
• Amongst our most distinguished visitors in 2007 was the world-renowned writer and critic, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o. He gave a lecture under the auspices of the Welsh Department at the University of Wales Bangor, and he and the staff of the Department came to Y Goeden Eirin for dinner. Ngugi stayed overnight, and was fascinated by the shelves of Welsh-language books which surrounded him in his room. He is a native of Kenya, and is famous for his plays, novels and post-colonial criticism. He was a political activist who suffered imprisonment, and he is now an exile in the USA, and a Professor at the University of California.
• Amongst the societies who have been here for a literary dinner is the Caernarfon Readers Group. We had the privilege of welcoming Professor Gwyn Thomas as a guest speaker. He is this year’s National Poet of Wales, and spoke about his recently published autobiography, Bywyd Bach.

More quotes from our Guestbook:

‘We had a terrific time over here! We felt very welcome. The breakfast was lovely…Thank you very much and hopefully we’ll meet again!’ Raymond & Marjo, The Netherlands

‘A delightful find, welcoming and perfect – every room with a view and every mouthful of food enjoyable. A place to which we would return.’ Jean and Melvin, Bury St Edmunds

‘Most enjoyable stay. I have, as a diplomat, represented UK for 32 years, but never before got to one of the most beautiful parts of the country. Excellent hospitality and will recommend strongly to others.’ DH, London

‘After two weeks’ holiday a perfect last stop and we were so grateful to have a dinner so professionally presented. The house and rooms were a delight with so many interesting pieces of art.’ Michael and Tessa, Gillian and Nigel, Woodbridge, Suffolk.

‘What a gem of a place you have here! Your hospitality is second to none. You made us feel so instantly welcome and nothing has been too much trouble. We thoroughly enjoyed every mouthful of food we had. A very special ambience can be found here.’ Michelle, Julie, Julie and Sandy, West Midlands

‘Your home has been a perfect location for us and our bikes! Rooms excellent, food fresh, tasty and homemade. We will be back!’ Monica and Clare

‘A birthday treat to remember! Wonderful food, excellent hospitality, stunning views – a real delight.’ Iain Wright & Judith Alfrey

‘Thank you so much for the warm welcome and the interesting conversations about Wales and the world.’ B & R, Germany

‘What a delight to stay in your home. Thank you so much for your hospitality. I hope to be back again!’ Samantha, Eve & Arthur, Trinidad