A HOTEL in the heart of Eryri with historic links has been sold.

The Royal Goat Hotel, a Grade II listed property, was originally built in 1802. It features 32 bedrooms, a dining room, restaurant, bar and function room.

The business has been owned and operated by David and Valerie Cattrall for the last five years.

Christie & Co successfully looked after the sale.

In a statement, David and Valerie said: "The Royal Goat is a beautiful building, and we wish the new owner all the best with his plans of renovation - it will make a stunning hotel.”

The accommodation has been purchased by Grant Kangley and family of Your Travel Stop Ltd, who have exciting renovation plans for the hotel.

They said: “The Royal Goat is a stunning hotel in the heart of Snowdonia and perfectly located for guests to enjoy everything that North Wales has to offer. It is a fantastic addition to our portfolio of hotels throughout North Wales. 

"Many thanks to Tom O’Malley from the Christie & Co, who we have worked with before, and hope to work with again soon.”

Tom, associate director at Christie & Co who handled the sale, said: "We are delighted to announce the sale of The Royal Goat after a sales process that generated significant buyer interest and competitive offers from a number or parties."

The hotel was created in 1802 to cater for the growing number of tourists visiting Eryri. It was known first as the Beddgelert Hotel, then the Goat Hotel and became the Royal and Goat Hotel in 1863, when Queen Victoria’s son Arthur stayed at the property. 

For much of the 19th century the hotel’s managers came from the Pritchard family. The first of them, David Pritchard, erected a monument in a nearby field as an additional attraction for tourists. This was declared the burial site of a legendary dog called Gelert. The village’s ancient name originally denoted the grave of a person called Celert (bedd = grave) but by the 16th century the second element of the place-name had been applied (as Gelert) to a prince’s faithful hound in an old folk tale.