A FOUR-star hotel which has been used to house asylum seekers reopened to guests today (February 6).

Since November last year, the Hilton Garden Inn at Adventure Parc Snowdonia in Dolgarrog had been used as an asylum centre. The men had come from Manston in Kent and were said to have travelled from locations such as Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Egypt. 

The Wave Garden Spa, next door to the Hilton Garden Inn, is also accepting bookings. 

Conwy County Borough Council were notified over the weekend that the Hilton was to re-open. 

Cllr Charlie McCoubrey, Leader of Conwy Council, said: “The Home Office contractor has confirmed that the emergency accommodation at Dolgarrog has been decommissioned and the premises will now return to its former use as a hotel.

“Local services including health, council and police have been working closely over the last few months to ensure the young men were safe and well.

“We wish them all the best as their applications for asylum status progress.”

Concerns were voiced when it was first publicised that the luxury venue was being used to house asylum seekers. 

Conwy County Borough Council were not given advance notice that the Home Office intended to accommodate people at the Hilton.

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Robin Millar, MP for Aberconwy, who has been vocal on the situation since it came to light in November, commented in January 2023: "The Hilton Garden Inn Hotel is a wholly unsuitable location for accommodating asylum seekers, even on a temporary basis.

"The village of Dolgarrog lacks the basic public services and public transport connections have had to be supplemented so that asylum seekers could get to Conwy and Llandudno safely to carry out daily tasks like shopping."

The 106-bedroom hotel, a first for the Hilton Garden Inn brand in Wales, opened in May 2021. 

A twin room with a 'Woodland View' is currently priced from £90 on the Hilton website while a King Suite with Lagoon View is priced from £128.