The ULTIMATE fixer-upper! Husband and wife are to plough £20MILLION into renovating a semi-derelict mansion with 102 rooms to turn it into a luxury five-star hotel
- Paul and Rowena Williams bought the 102-bed property near Caernarfon in Gwynedd, Wales, two years ago
- Hotelier couple plan to have the building open to the public for business in 2020 - one year ahead of schedule
- Photos from before the renovation show the building with damaged floors, dirty walls and rundown interior
- But recent images show halls covered in luxurious red carpet, bathrooms lined with shiny tiles and walls adorned with beautiful antique ornaments and decorations
A husband and wife are to plough £20 million into renovating a semi-derelict mansion with over 100 rooms to turn it into a luxury five-star hotel.
Paul and Rowena Williams bought the 102-room property in Wales two years ago and have already restored the south wing.
Photos before the renovation show the entrance hall with damaged floors and dirty walls. But recent 'after' shots show the grand staircase covered in a luxurious red carpet, shiny tiles and beautiful antique ornaments.
A husband and wife are ploughing £20 million into renovating this semi-derelict, 102-bedded mansion to turn it into a luxury five-star hotel
Paul and Rowena Williams bought Plas Glynllifon, near Caernarfon in Gwynedd, two years ago and have already restored the south wing
Before and after: This master suite has had a complete makeover. The couple want to keep a 19th century theme running throughout the mansion
The stunning mansion was once home to Lord Newborough and was recently opened to the public to show off the latest renovations.
Mr Williams, 54, hopes to eventually turn Plas Glynllifon, near Caernarfon in Gwynedd, into a five-star luxury hotel.
The semi-derelict structure was bought as a wedding venue venture in 2013 but the plans fell through.
The stunning property (pictured with scaffolding around it while being renovated) was once home to Lord Newborough and was recently opened to the public to show off the work that had been done
Photos before the renovation show the entrance hall with damaged floors and dirty walls (left). But recent shots show the hallway with a luxurious red carpet and beautiful antique ornaments (right)
The huge building has its own church. Each room takes on a different theme, with antiques and artworks sourced across the world - imitating the mansion in its 19th Century heyday
A workman fixes up one of the property's many rooms before installing a magnificent chandelier on its ceiling (right)
Mr Williams said: 'There was a smell of damp and mould and must was all around. Severe water ingress everywhere. The stench itself was a little bit off-putting, to be honest.
'Before we purchased it, we spent four days surveying it, so we knew what we were letting ourselves in for.'
The couple hope the restoration will be complete by 2020 - a year ahead of schedule.
They recently opened the doors to the public and 2,000 people flocked in to see it.
The couple hope the restoration will be complete by 2020 - a year ahead of schedule. They recently opened the doors to the public and 2,000 people flocked in to see it
A team of construction workers install a chandelier in the property's grand hallway. The semi-derelict structure was bought as a wedding venue venture in 2013 but the plans fell through
A beautifully tiled, spacious bathroom. The couple hope the restoration will be complete by 2020 - a year ahead of schedule
Mr Williams said: 'We're investing a significant amount of money in this property at our risk, and we just want the restoration to extend to the ground, as it really should do'
Each room takes on a different theme, with antiques and artworks sourced across the world - imitating the mansion in its 19th Century heyday.
The couple have also put forward plans to gain the pleasure gardens - which span 30 hectares from the mansion.
The grounds include miles of paths through woodland, with a slate amphitheatre, a deserted fort, a mausoleum, hidden memorials, fountains and artwork. There is even an old militia fort - Fort Williamsburg - dating to 1761.
In 1999 the mansion was bought by German rock star Ulrich John Roth of the band Scorpions for £500,000
Plas Glynllifon was originally built by Spencer Bulkeley Wynn, the third Lord Newborough, with the main house completed in 1848. Pictured: The mansion was in a dilapidated state when the Williams’s bought it in 2016
Although it currently has 102 bedrooms, the hotel will have between 35-42 bedrooms when completed
Under the proposals from the Williams' would take ownership of these areas and then establish a 999-year lease.
Mr Williams said: 'We're investing a significant amount of money in this property at our risk, and we just want the restoration to extend to the ground, as it really should do.'
Many of the features are owned by the agriculture college - Coleg Glynllifon. The park itself is owned and maintained by Gwynedd council.
The couple are in talks with the college and council about their proposal. A new not-for-profit firm would run the park. Pictured: A very rundown en-suite
Mr Williams added: 'If we can obtain more land, we can really have a proper visitor destination here, with a wider experience'
The hotelier couple own several properties across Wales and have been in the hotel business since 1999
The couple are in talks with the college and council about their proposal. A new not-for-profit firm would run the park.
Mr Williams added: 'If we can obtain more land, we can really have a proper visitor destination here, with a wider experience.
'We've got the expertise - we've been in the hotel industry now since 1999.
'I wanted to do something that was really stunning - and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to restore something that is almost lost.'
In 1999 the mansion was bought by German rock star Ulrich John Roth of the band Scorpions for £500,000.
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