The video will start in 8 Cancel
Sign up to FREE email alerts from Wales Online - daily Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email
A woman has died after being rescued from a fire at a former luxury hotel in Snowdonia National Park.
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service was called to a fire at the historic Bontddu Hall in Gwynedd shortly after 9am on Friday, June 5.
Firefighters rescued a woman from the building but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
(Image: Keith Williams)
A spokeswoman for the service said: "A woman has died following a fire in a property in Bontddu.
"North Wales Fire and Rescue Service was called to a report of the fire at a property on the A496 in Bontddu at 9.09am this morning.
"Fire appliances from Dolgellau, Harlech, Barmouth, Bala and Blaenau Ffestiniog, an aerial ladder platform, high volume pump and the incident command unit were mobilised to the incident.
"The cause of the fire will be the subject of a joint investigation by North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and North Wales Police."
Bontddu Hall Hotel was built in 1873 as a 20-room mansion that overlooked Mawddach estuary before being turned into a hotel.
It was once considered the jewel of North Wales and attracted wealthy clients including former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and Richard Burton, who stayed there while filming The Last Days of Dolwyn.
In 2004 an application was made to turn the 23-bedroom hotel into a private residence.
A fire broke out yesterday at  Hall near  in , Wales. The historic mansion is a former hotel with high-profile guests. A rescued woman died at the scene.
Bontddu Hall, pictured in 2007.
 were called to the building, located off the  overlooking the  Estuary in , at 09:09am local time. Resources sent included  from Dolgellau, , , , and  according to a fire service statement, as well as an , high volume pump, and the service's . 

Police, the ambulance service, and an  also attended. Photos and video from the blaze showed thick smoke with flames visible at windows. The fire service indicated an investigation working alongside  was underway. Bontddu Hall recently underwent building work and scaffolding was still erected at the time of the fire.
File photo of Bontddu with the Mawddach Estuary in the background.
Bontddu Hall dates to 1873, originally a 20-room mansion, and was a country retreat for the Mayor of Birmingham called Bryn Tirion before becoming a hotel. Guests include regular visitor ex-UK Prime Minister  and actor  who stayed at Bontddu Hall while filming his 1949 movie debut ''''.

The hotel closed around fifteen years ago, with local press reporting in 2004 then-new owner Tong Yung-soo, who had purchased Bontddu Hall in 2001, and his wife applied to make it a residence once more. The move was met with what WalesOnline called "fury" from local tourism chiefs. The then-manager of Barmouth Publicity and Director of Mid Wales Tourism Partnership, David Clay, called it "a retrograde step" and said "an area like this cannot afford to lose such a quality hotel."

The Tongs indicated issues staffing the hotel, something Clay recognised, and Mr Tong had said they intended to "restore the hall to its former glory." Following the hotel's closure it has remained a private home.