New Hotel Group fforest hotels Opens First Boutique Hotel in Cardiganshire, Wales – The Albion
Main Photo: The newly opened Albion Hotel…Farm…and Camp
Date: August 2022
Name: The Albion
Location: Aberteifi, on the waterfront of River Teifi, Cardinganshire, Wales
Number of Keys: 12 now with a further 11 to open 2023
Seller: The site was a granary warehouse
Buyer: James Lynch, founder of fforest
The Albion, the first hotel from the fforest group, is open now in Aberteifi, Wales.
The hotel is set across two Grade-II listed former warehouses and is billed as a tribute to the town’s maritime history, namely the Albion ship, which is said to have sailed 180 passengers from Cardigan to Canada in 1819.
The Albion sits directly on the River Teifi waterfront. In the first phase of opening, there will be 12 double bedrooms (en-suites, no family rooms) in the ‘Bridge’ warehouse with 11 further rooms and family suites available in the second Granary warehouse building from spring 2023.
The 12 rooms are inspired by ship cabins and have been designed around the existing historic features of the building, all restored to full heritage standards with views over the river from all rooms.
Uniforms for the staff have been designed in collaboration with Neem London, a climate conscious sustainable menswear brand founded by former Charles Tyrwhitt Director, Nick Reed.
The brand produces workwear shirts made from recycled shirts and is actively looking for other low waste and sustainable hotels to partner with on recycled menswear.
Albion’s reception welcomes guests with a lounge area featuring relaxed seating and ‘The Galley’ cocktail bar, which is open to the public and boasts a large slate flagged riverside courtyard.
The first floor has a guests only lounge/workroom which serves breakfasts, prior to the restaurant opening later in the year.
Yr Odyn restaurant (The Kiln in English), named after the remnants of the Lime Kilns forming part of the wharf complex, will open in the autumn and will serve local and seasonal cuisine, including meat from animals reared at fforest farm, with an emphasis on cooking over fire and influences from Scandinavia and Japan.
In December, the hotel will open an outdoor sauna and onsen (Japanese inspired bathing facility which fforest farm is known for) in a private elevated woodland glade housed discreetly behind the property.
James Lynch, Founder of fforest and Chief Designer for The Albion commented: “This has been a real passion project of mine over the pandemic. With funding from the Development Bank of Wales, the ambition was to restore the existing building; to emphasise its heritage qualities, its original and unique features, then design and craft spaces within the open floors that would embrace and complement those qualities. To fold rooms into the shell created, that deliver on comfort and beauty as standard, but make every stay a special experience of its own.
“Contemporary services, comfort and style with the particular qualities of these heritage buildings: historic, high quality, unique; the essence of place, and of history, embedded in the fabric. We have a mantra at fforest for the accommodation and experience we provide: ‘Warmth, Craft and Comfort’. To the Albion we can add ‘Heritage’.”
Steffan Walker, General Manager of The Albion, added: “As a local to Cardiganshire, I am thrilled to be opening a world-class venue on my doorstep and to encourage more visitors to beautiful West Wales. I look forward to welcoming our guests from near and afar this summer.”
Preceding the new hotel is The Farm – fforest farm which has been created as a place to enjoy the simplicity, pleasures and beauty of outdoor living in an outstanding natural environment. fforest farm is 200 acres by the river Teifi gorge, next to the Teifi marshes nature reserve, minutes from the town of Cardigan and from the beautiful undiscovered beaches and coves of the West Wales coast.
On arrival guests are greeted at the Lodge, this is the Hub of fforest farm and where they serve breakfast and fforest suppers during the main holiday season & for special events. Just up from the Lodge is the Bwthyn, their own little pub! It is the oldest building on the farm. On site one will also find the cedar barrel sauna tucked into the woods. This is the perfect après-sea treatment, after a session of coasteering or kayaking.
Their smaller, coastal camp is a short walk to the beach & guests can be completely self-sufficient. With a stunning coastline and the magnificent Penbryn beach close by, at Manorafon they offer log cabins, 3 geodesic domes and a beautifully restored Georgian farmhouse, Ty Manorafon, which sleeps 8 guests.
Manorafon camp is a self-catering stay, with no breakfasts.
Manorafon is a converted dairy farm, with some of the rustic buildings still in place. The cedar barrel sauna and firepit are fforest additions and they sit nicely within the rural environment.
fforest celebrates the outdoors and all that is special about West Wales. The combination of stunning locations, great food and unique accommodation underpins everything they do, from family holidays and the fforest gather festivals to weddings and corporate events.
They have our own beers brewed and our own gin distilled. Our outdoor restaurant the ‘Pizzatipi’, where they serve more than 500 handmade woodfired pizzas per day in the summer season, has become a destination in its own right and sits as the best restaurant in Cardigan by Tripadviser rankings.
fforest holds its own specialised events each year:
- fforest gather, a two week family festival for 200 showcasing local makers and producers and
celebrating creativity in all its forms. - fforest glow, a twice yearly retreat of warmth, craft and wellness for women.
- fforest feasts: 8 course dinners for 80, celebrating seasons and the best of local.
These events make fforest a business that is a catalyst in promoting the global image of Wales as a destination of beauty, vibrancy and culture. fforest was voted one of the 3 best glamping destinations in the world by National Geographic in 2017 and The Albion was tipped to be one of the best hotels in the world by Vogue UK 2021.
Almost all of our turnover is returned to the local economy through employment and locally sourced products and services. We are a major employer in the area, with a large proportion of our workforce made up of young locals aged 18 – 25.
Price: Undisclosed
THPT Comment: This family has worked hard to provide various accommodation opportunites in this fab part of Wales
First Seen: Boutique Hotelier
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