West House Country Hotel is a charming 16th Century hotel in Llantwit Major. Once the home of the Sheriff of Glamorgan, it is now a beautifully appointed family run hotel.

WEST LIFE

Asked what he likes best about the West House Country Hotel, proprietor Andrew Christopher stated that there were too many positive aspects to choose one in particular.

However, weddings at West House are always terrific events and the continued gratitude and compliments received always makes their efforts worthwhile.

Christmas Day with Santa and gifts for everyone through to New Year’s Eve come next on the list of special events, and already bookings are well advanced as people wish to return for these very special days.

West House’s New Year’s Eve parties have always been nights to remember with a seven course evening dinner of the highest quality, dancing and cabaret entertainment right through into the New Year. The event is strictly black tie and has proved very popular, with many guests returning each year.

The hotel has undergone an amazing transformation in the last four years from the time Richard, Joy and Andrew took ownership. The new patio in the front gardens has been a tremendous bonus and is proving popular with more and more guests choosing to eat and drink alfresco.

The support of the local community has been absolutely fabulous and has been a major factor in the success of the hotel, gaining a remarkable increase in the number of business functions, weddings, parties and many other special events. The lounge bar has an ambience of times past, and is the perfect place to relax with a pre-dinner drink while you consider the menu and extensive wine selection.

What brought you to the West House Country Hotel?
As a family, we had spent many years overseas and on our return to the UK we decided to look for a hotel that we could run together. Eventually, after viewing countless properties we all agreed that The West House Country Hotel was something special. It had a happy feel about it - it felt right!

What do you think makes West House so special?
Our staff are our best asset. The longest serving employee is our breakfast chef Jill, who has been at the hotel for over twenty years. She is very proud of her breakfasts, believing it to be the most important meal, as it is usually the last meal our clients’ have before they leave and it’s the one they will remember.

The friendliness and willingness of our staff to go out of their way to assist guests typifies the way we have chosen to develop our business. We want guests to feel welcome and to take away the memories of a pleasant and enjoyable experience. We have had many letters of appreciation from guests thanking us for a wonderful stay, excellent food and in almost every case, compliments on our friendly and helpful staff.

What are your roles in the Hotel?
We are all multi-faceted when it comes to managing and running the hotel. Primarily Joy is responsible for the accounting and interior design, Richard handles marketing and Andrew is the general manager.

Would you say you are passionate about the business?
We are very passionate about our food. We want our guests to know that our chefs have gone that extra step. We source the majority of our produce locally, supporting our local farmers wherever possible. One of our most popular dishes has been Welsh beef fillet in a Penderyn malt whisky sauce.

Even at weddings and functions when there are large numbers of guests dining at the same time, they are amazed at the high standard of presentation and quality. All meals are freshly prepared and we refuse to compromise our standards even with high volumes of guests.

Can you tell us your business philosophy?
To provide the finest dining, function and accommodation experience. When we adhere to this ethos, everything else falls into place. We continually strive to provide a service that exceeds our customers’ expectations.

We aim to support local businesses and community markets, developing relationships and opportunities.



Do you attract customers from overseas?
The hotel has a growing number of tourists coming to stay from abroad and they show a keen interest in our hotel packages. One of our special breaks ‘Walking with the Saints’ offers walking maps to explore the history and surrounding area as Llantwit Major is the first recognised centre of Christian learning from which many saints set out to teach Christianity.

What are the plans for the future?
Our dream and objective is not that far away. We continue to invest extensively to ensure the hotel attains four star grading. Rosette accreditation is also one of our key objectives.