With its romantic bedrooms and views across the Menai Strait, the former country residence of the Armstrong-Jones family offers 'exceptional yet relaxed service and great food', writes a reader this year. 'Steeped in history', it is 'so much more than a country house'. Annie and Daniel Perks have preserved the romance of this Victorian home (with 17th-century origins), where Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon used to spend weekends, while also introducing modern comforts. Antiques, family portraits, memorabilia and signed photographs by Lord Snowdon decorate the rooms. Bedrooms are furnished with bold wallpapers, swagged curtains and a mix of antique and bespoke furniture. Some have four-posters or carved beds, others a fireplace or window seat. Readers staying in Lady Buckley were pleased to find luxurious styling and two full-size armchairs. Bathrooms vary from compact to opulent with gold fittings. Guests gather in the welcoming drawing room with its open fire and plump sofas before an 'excellent dinner'. The monthly changing menu from chef Daniel Ap Geraint might include herb-crusted lamb loin with Anglesey feta, Welsh beef or tandoori spiced carrot. 'Breakfast is top notch.' 'An outstanding example of hospitality.' (Catherine Hearne, TL, SH )