The Erskine Arms Coaching Inn

A Georgian Coaching Inn in the Heart of Conwy

Some places you have to drive to. This one you can walk out of and be under the castle walls in four minutes. The Erskine Arms is a handsome white-fronted Georgian coaching inn on Church Street, right inside Conwy’s medieval town walls, with hanging baskets along the front and the town’s rooftops falling away behind it. It has been given a careful going-over — deep green walls, panelled bedheads, old prints and mirrors, open fires — without being turned into something it isn’t. It is still, first and foremost, a proper inn: a bar you want to sit in, food worth staying in for, and ten comfortable bedrooms upstairs.

The Rooms

There are ten en-suite bedrooms spread across three floors of the old inn, and no two are quite the same — the shape of a Georgian building sees to that. Some are generous doubles with panelled headboards and antique chests of drawers; others tuck up under the eaves with a beam overhead; there are twins too. Rooms come with a flat-screen television, tea and coffee making facilities, free toiletries, a hairdryer, and linen and towels provided. From the upper floors, the sash windows look out over the slate roofs of the town towards the hills. Daily housekeeping is included, and express check-in and check-out are available if you are on the move.

The Bar and the Food

The bar is the heart of the place: a big stone inglenook with a wood burner and logs stacked beside it, long refectory tables and benches, and a quieter snug next door with leather armchairs, a fireplace and pictures crowding the walls. The kitchen serves homemade, locally sourced British food daily, with roast dinners on Sundays, and there is a proper selection of Welsh ales alongside the wine list. Breakfast is well thought of by guests. It means you can spend the day on the walls and the quay and not have to go looking for somewhere to eat in the evening.

At a Glance

• Georgian coaching inn inside the walls of Conwy, on Church Street
• Ten en-suite bedrooms across three floors — doubles, twins and eaves rooms
• Bar with an open fire and wood burner; snug lounge
• Restaurant serving homemade, locally sourced British food; Sunday roasts
• Local Welsh ales and a wine list
• Conwy Castle 300 metres away; the railway station a minute’s walk
• Free WiFi throughout; all bedrooms non-smoking
• Officially 4-star, and rated 9.1 out of 10 by over 900 Booking.com guests

Conwy on the Doorstep

Very few hotels in Conwy put you this close to everything. Conwy Castle, Edward I’s great fortress and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is 300 metres up the street, and the complete circuit of the town walls starts from more or less outside the door — walk them for the view down over the harbour and the estuary. On the quay you will find the Smallest House in Great Britain, the fishing boats and the mussel men, and Plas Mawr, the finest surviving Elizabethan townhouse in Britain, is a couple of minutes away on the High Street. The railway station is a one-minute walk and there is a bus stop opposite the inn, so you can leave the car behind entirely.

Beyond the Walls

Bodnant Garden lies about four miles up the Conwy Valley and is worth a full morning in any season. The mountains of Eryri (Snowdonia) begin almost immediately behind the town, with Betws-y-Coed and the Ogwen Valley within half an hour, and Surf Snowdonia’s inland lagoon at Dolgarrog is closer still. Northwards it is a short hop to Llandudno, the Great Orme and the Victorian pier, and across the Menai Strait to Anglesey and Beaumaris. The Erskine is the sort of base you can walk home to after a long day out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of place is it? A Georgian coaching inn in the centre of Conwy, with ten en-suite bedrooms, a bar with open fires and a restaurant.

How far is Conwy Castle? About 300 metres — a few minutes on foot.

Is there food in the evening? Yes — the kitchen serves homemade, locally sourced British food daily, with roasts on Sundays.

Do all the rooms have their own bathroom? Yes — all ten bedrooms are en-suite.

Can I get there by train? Yes — Conwy station is a one-minute walk, and there is a bus stop opposite.

Is there a star rating? Yes — it holds an official 4-star grade.

Book Your Stay in Conwy

If what you want from Conwy is to step out of the door and straight into the old town — castle, walls, quay, all of it — and then come back to an open fire, a good dinner and a comfortable bed above the bar, this is the address. Check availability and book using the options shown on this page.