Palé Hall in Llandderfel, near Bala, has been awarded a Michelin Key.

The luxury country house hotel on the edge of Eryri (Snowdonia) is one of the first hotels in the UK to receive this new Michelin recognition.

The keys are a three-tiered award, similar to Michelin stars, designed to highlight the best places to stay across the globe.

Palé Hall, the only five red star hotel in Wales with a green Michelin star and a three AA fine dining restaurant, has received one key.

This means the hotel is a "special place to stay" according to Michelin.

This recognition follows the hotel being ranked 18th in the Condé Nast Traveller 2024 Readers' Choice Awards.

The awards, voted for by readers, recognise the best hotels and resorts in Europe.

The Henry Robertson fine dining restaurant.  (Image: Supplied)

Palé Hall is one of only two Welsh hotels to make the list.

The hotel's managing director, Calum Milne, said: "We are of course delighted for our double win.

"Not only has Palé Hall been ranked highly by readers of Condé Nast Traveller, but we are delighted to have been awarded one of the first prestigious Michelin Keys.

"It’s a fantastic result and motivates us to continue to delight our guests and offer an exemplary stay in beautiful North Wales."

The hotel, independently owned by Anthony and Donna Cooper-Barney, has plans to add a spa, a second restaurant, and potentially expand the number of bedrooms.

They have also invested £200,000 in creating a gallery of Welsh art.

Palé Hall has 18 individually styled bedrooms and four garden suites, two of which have hot tubs, as well as a three AA Rosette fine dining restaurant.

It is one of the greenest hotels in the UK, with a green Michelin star since 2021 for its commitment to sustainable practices, including having its own clean, completely carbon-neutral source of electricity.

The hotel has a fascinating history and past guests include Queen Victoria and Winston Churchill.

Guests can enjoy many surrounding walking routes and explore villages such as Portmeirion and Betws-y-Coed.

Nearby is Wales’ highest point at Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon), historic steam railways and canals, and the Slate Trail, which recently became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.