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A FAVOURITE hotel of film legend Richard Burton is facing closure - with the prospect of being turned it into a dream home for a millionaire businessman.
Tourism chiefs are furious that picturesque Bontddu Hall Hotel in Snowdonia National Park could be converted into a family house after a 100 years of welcoming guests.
Burton stayed at the luxury three-star hotel, near Dolgellau, when he made his 1949 film debut The Last Days of Dolwyn.
The 20-room mansion overlooking Mawddach estuary became the jewel of North Wales attracting wealthy clients including former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.
But now the new owner, London-based businessman Tong Yung-soo, has applied to the Snowdonia National Park Authority to turn it into a home.
Tourism chiefs slammed the proposed conversion of the hotel saying it would be a "sad loss" for an area which has already suffered hundreds of tourism job losses.
Mid Wales Tourism Partnership director David Clay said, "Bontddu Hall once attracted high-calibre, high- spending guests from overseas.
"Closing it down is definitely a retrograde step".
The hall was built originally in 1873 for a wealthy English family.
Later the hall passed into the ownership of the Hall family who also owned other hotels in the region.
Mr Tong, who bought the hotel three years ago, said, "We want to restore the hall to its former glory.
"We think it will take us some time and if anyone can help us with information or drawings of how the house used to look, we would like to hear from them."
A spokesman for the park authority said the application for change of use would be considered within the next couple of months.
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.