I stayed in UK’s ‘best’ seaside town — my accommodation was best I’ve ever seen | UK | Travel

It’s one of the UK’s most popular seaside towns and has even been named the “best” of the lot. And I found such a hidden gem to stay in that is so breathtaking in its location and luxury that I really did not want to leave.

When you think about spending a night away in Pembrokeshire, you may well visualise a pretty little cottage or character-packed hotel — but our place to spend a night was neither of these and, in my opinion, it was better.

Our apartment in Tenby, famed for its painted Georgian houses that line the clifftop roads, has gone from dated and drab to the most luxurious apartment I have ever experienced with incredible views from all the main windows, a range of tech to keep the teenagers happy and clever, inspiring, and beautiful interiors to keep me enthralled. 

Well, of course, every frontline property in Tenby has a magnificent view but at Min Y Mor the owners who spent years creating this wonderful apartment have maximised its position above South Beach with window seats, a Juliet balcony, and a designer chair nestled within the bay of one of the two bedrooms that has a direct and uninterrupted view of St Catherine’s Island and fort.

The apartment was on the second floor of the Victorian Grade II-listed Gunfort Mansion. Once inside, a climb to the second floor was totally worth it and Min Y Mor was waiting to mesmerise us.

The stunning interior design used texture and a range of natural materials to ensure the spaces are visually inviting yet keeping the décor neutral to perfectly frame the multiple views out of the bay windows and French doors of the stunning blue ocean and wispy clouds dancing across the huge sky.

We opened the French doors and the sound of the waves became the backdrop of our stay, with the window seats all utilised for gazing out across this landmark coastal landscape.

We were a five-minute walk from the centre of Tenby and the steps down to South Beach are literally opposite the front door. But being this high up from the throng of people below and so connected to the views at each window made us feel like we are in the view, in the water, floating through the sky.

There are many clever features to discover in this amazing apartment – the copper bath lit from below, the circular bookshelf embedded into the wall, the bunkbeds also hiding within a wall that includes a secret door up to a mezzanine. But it was the cinema screen and access to multiple streaming channels including Disney+ and Amazon Prime that mesmerised the younger generation (and, yes, me too). There was good free wifi too which made everyone happy.

Cleverly hidden behind a piece of wall art that slowly slides open, the TV screen impressed everyone and Peaky Blinders and The Mandalorian looked even more incredible in this mini home cinema while relaxing on the oversized curved sofa.

At some point I wandered off to the second bedroom with a glass of wine and sat in the designer ‘saddle’ chair with footstool in the bay window and watched the tide slowly meander up the beach and people strolling around St Catherine’s Island. The welcome basket of local produce left by the owners came with me and was a delightful companion.

When I surfaced from my surprise kip in the chair, the result of an afternoon glass of wine, the surround sound system had been discovered and Dua Lipa was serenading us from every angle while we made plans to go out to get a fish and chip takeaway dinner.

The kitchen is well-equipped but with only 24 hours to enjoy our trip to Tenby it felt almost like the law that we had to try out the town’s fish and chips, eating it at the dining table.

The kitchen diner area is another thoughtful use of space and design. The kitchen is bespoke and handmade and not sleek and shiny but more in keeping with the apartment’s location. It’s made from wood that has been whitewashed to give it a slightly sun-kissed and weathered look it blends into the overall design and yet stands its ground as a point of interest.

It’s hard to describe just how relaxing and memorable it was eating as a family with the French doors open and the sound of the waves and the view of the ocean a welcome extra guest at the table.

More genius ideas to make a smaller space work well was found in the shower room: with space tight in the room that used to be a corridor the shower was a Jack and Jill shower in the middle of the room, with extra light brought into the space by high-level slatted internal windows in the dividing wall with the principal bedroom.

Maybe the feature, other than the magnificent dual-aspect views and the mega TV, that impressed the most was the copper bath, lit from below and the main statement piece in the principal bedroom en suite. 

Both bathroom facilities were fascinatingly-designed spaces – dark colours, a mix of functional and also mood lighting, and key tactile features such as exposed brick walls, which was such a visual contrast to the white and contemporary living and sleeping areas.

Lighting is always key to a successful interior design and as the evening crept in it was obvious that the family had thought about the ambience of the apartment during the dark hours when renovating this property.

Hidden LED lighting and spots highlighted artwork and sculptures and statement ceiling pendants in the kitchen and bedrooms added pools of soft light. The statement overhead light in the living room was a thing of beauty – like a cloud floating below the ceiling in the day, concealing bulbs within its fluffy folds, and glowing like a dusky sunset in the night.

One inventive design idea that I am definitely pinching and taking home with me is placing a mirrored coffee table under an expensive statement light – you get then two statement lights and don’t have to look up to admire it.

So bedtime was upon us and the very comfortable beds, crisp white sheets, and soft pillows made drifting off to sleep an absolute dream.

The apartment hasn’t always looked like this slice of luxury – although much-loved when the owners inherited it the flat was a maze of smaller rooms with dated décor. The kitchen and living room have been connected via the open archway to create the broken-plan kitchen lounge diner which also means both spaces can enjoy a triple view of the sea, sky, and beach.

The bedrooms and bathrooms are unrecognisable and the clever use of space has added the extra shower room and an extra bedroom with bunkbeds – find out the renovation story and see the before and after renovation transformation photos here.

The family had a vision of how they wanted to do a high-end, carefully considered full renovation of the flat, with the sea views at the core of the plan, to produce the designer apartment of their dreams and I would say they have definitely achieved that.

It is so obvious that this makeover into a luxury apartment has taken time, thought, and a significant budget but to create a contemporary space (and one that is mainly white which was a worry at the beginning of our stay because I am so clumsy) and make it welcoming too is a talent and Min Y Mor is a masterclass of remodelling and interior ideas that can inspire anyone who comes to stay – if they can ever take their eyes of the amazing sea views.

Outside Gunfort Mansion looks drab next to its colourful neighbours having not been lavished with a standout shade that Tenby has become known for – it still wears its coat of grey rendering. However the owners of Min Y Mor say the building, of which the family’s flat is leasehold, is soon to get an upgrade on its external and community areas such as stairs and corridors.

Min Y Mor can be booked via Puffin Cottage Holidays so you can try it out yourself and one thing is for sure – I will be going back to stay again and will count the days until I do.