Siabod - Hot Tub Cottage with Snowdon Views

Siabod is a beautifully renovated stone cottage in Capel Curig, right in the heart of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park. Tucked in its own enclosed garden is a handmade cedar hot tub, set beside a tumbling stream. Inside there's a log burner for the evenings, and a view down the valley to Snowdon from the door. It's a traditional Welsh miner's cottage, and a comfortable, characterful base for up to four guests. The space There aren't many better places to base yourself in North Wales. Capel Curig sits right in the middle of the national park, with some of the country's best walking, climbing and mountain biking starting more or less at your front door. Siabod is a charming cottage with a cosy, easy-going feel. A real home from home. INSIDE The whole of the downstairs is one open, sociable space, with the lounge, dining area and kitchen flowing together, so whoever's cooking is never shut away from the conversation. It's full of the character you'd hope for in a cottage like this: exposed stonework, original beams, slate floors, and a log burner that becomes the heart of the room once it's lit. The furniture is the sink-in, stay-put kind, we leave logs for you so your evenings don't start with a hunt for fuel, and the kitchen is properly equipped if you fancy channelling your inner chef. Completing the downstairs is the recently renovated shower room, with a large walk-in shower, proper water pressure and plenty of hot water. Upstairs there are two bedrooms, both with lovely wooden floors and deep windowsills. The double at the front catches the morning sunlight and the twin at the back looks up to craggy Clogwyn Mawr. Comfy beds, good storage, and all the linen and towels you need. Up to two well behaved dogs are welcome. OUTSIDE Siabod's hot tub has a spot all of its own. A slate path leads down through the enclosed back garden to where the cedar tub sits on its own stone patio, beside a tumbling mountain stream. You can't quite see the water from the tub, but you can enjoy the sound of flowing water the whole time you're in there. In summer the trees close overhead into a green canopy; in winter they're bare and stars replace the leaves. It's a quiet, sheltered corner, and a lovely place to be at the end of a day on the hills. The front of the cottage is where the view is. Look down Dyffryn Mymbyr from the door and Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) stands at the end of the valley, with the ridge of Moel Siabod rising above the forest opposite. There's seating out front to take it in, with a coffee in the morning sun or a glass of something as the sun sets behind the mountains. Guest access The whole cottage is yours, along with the front seating, the enclosed back garden, and your own private hot tub. There's parking for one car on a gravelled area at the front, shared with the cottage next door. Other things to note The hot tub: The hot tub is handmade from sustainable cedar by the craftspeople at Rustic Tubs, and it's a beautiful thing to sink into after a day on the hills. It's not a typical plastic tub, though, so here's how it works. It's electrically heated by an air-source heat pump, which means it's always on and always up to temperature. No building a fire, no waiting around, no faff or fuss. It sits at a constant 38°C which is the optimum temperature (and not adjustable). Consequently the hot tub heats faster, holds the heat better and uses less energy than a conventional tub. You'll also notice there are no jets or bubbles, just a gentle flow of water. There's a reason for that. The bubbles in an ordinary hot tub are full of cold air, so they actually cool the water down, and the jets are noisy and need a lot of cleaning and chemicals. Leave them out and the water stays warmer, cleaner and quieter. More time in the tub, and more enjoyment. Even guests unsure about a hot tub without bubbles are converted the second they climb in. A word on the weather: This is Snowdonia, and the views come with the weather that makes them. Some days the mountains are crisp and clear, some days the cloud comes down to say hello. It's all part of being here.