Browns

Flanked by the more popular areas of Pembrokeshire and Swansea, you might be forgiven for overlooking Laugharne.  But to do so would be to miss one of Wales's most appealing small towns, and one of its finest and most historic hotels – Browns. Known for being one of Dylan Thomas's favourite watering holes – allegedly he used to give the pub's phone number as his own! – it closed down in 1959, and although the pub stayed open for another 47 years, it too closed in 2008.  However, both the hotel and pub re-opened a few years ago and are once again under new management, and back in their rightful place at the centre of village life.

Each of Browns' boutiquey bedrooms is different, varying from cosy doubles to luxury suites, but they are all stylish, characterful and comfortable, decorated with contemporary artworks in a cool palette of greys and blues. Named after a local historic feature or location, each has a sturdy king- or super-king-size bed furnished with high quality linen and premium Welsh woollens,  air-conditioning, flatscreen Freeview TVs and digital radios.  Each room also has a mini fridge filled with filtered bottled water and homemade treats, and tea- and coffee-making facilities including Nespresso-style machines. Bathrooms vary but come with eco-friendly toiletries, and some with double roll top baths. All but 3 rooms are dog-friendly, and for groups of up to 7 people there's also a self-catering unit, Dylan’s Den. There is good wifi throughout the pub and hotel and they also have parking with two electric car-charging points.

The bar is an inviting place to have a drink, with a few Dylan Thomas volumes to browse and a pleasant beer garden for sunny days. The restaurant – Dexters – is a destination in itself, specialising in superb Dexter steaks from nearby Llyn Farm, served simply with triple-cooked chips and a secret sauce, but also with a small handful of other dishes to choose from.

Perhaps the best thing about Browns, however, is its location. Laugharne is a mesmerising village and easily explored on foot.  Cool things to see include Dylan Thomas's boathouse and writing shed, Laugharne Castle and the stunning surrounding Teifi estuary which inspired so much of Thomas's finest work and is home to a variety of birdlife. Thomas is buried in the churchyard of the medieval church of St Martin's, which is itself worth a look, while other writers associated with Laugharne include Kingsley Amis, who wrote 'The Old Devils' while staying here, and Mary Wollstonecraft, who spent time here as a child. The annual Laugharne Weekend makes the most of the village's literary leanings and is a great time to visit, but really Laugharne – and specifically Browns – is a terrific venue at any time of year.