Guests say
Arwel cottage in Llanrwst, North Wales, is highly praised for its peaceful location, stunning views, and comfortable, well-equipped accommodation. Guests appreciate the effective communication from the owner and the thoughtful touches, such as a welcome gift. The property's garden and log fire are particular highlights, offering relaxation after exploring Snowdonia. Despite a single negative experience regarding cleanliness and maintenance, the majority of reviews reflect a delightful stay, making Arwel a recommended choice for a tranquil retreat.
The cottage generally receives high marks for cleanliness, with guests describing it as 'immaculately clean' and 'very clean'. However, one review mentioned an issue with flies and a dispute with cleaners, which seems to be an isolated incident rather than a common experience.
The location is consistently lauded for its tranquillity, beautiful views, and proximity to local attractions such as Betws y Coed and Snowdon. The peaceful village setting and easy access to walking trails contribute to its high rating.
Guests find the cottage comfortable, with special mentions of comfortable beds, a cosy log fire, and spacious living areas. The property is described as a 'home from home', indicating a high level of comfort for visitors.
The cottage is praised for being well-equipped, especially the kitchen, and for having good bathroom facilities. However, there are some concerns about heating and a lack of up-to-date information in the welcome booklet, which suggests room for improvement in maintenance.
Several reviews mention thoughtful gestures such as a welcome gift of milk, butter, and cakes, which guests appreciated. It is important to note that such gifts are a kind gesture and may not be guaranteed for every stay.
About this property
Betws-y-Coed 2.5 miles. This pretty, detached cottage is located in the peaceful village of Capel Garmon, less than three miles from Betws-y-Coed, in the Snowdonia National Park. Converted from an 1850s village shop, this traditional cottage near Betws-y-Coed sits in a quiet position and boasts four comfortable bedrooms, one with an en-suite bathroom, making it an ideal cottage for any group. This Betws-y-Coed cottage has been furnished to a good standard, is warm and welcoming, and exudes charm with a combination of original beams, high ceilings and a woodburner that sits neatly in an inglenook stone fireplace. There is a well-equipped farmhouse kitchen with a dining area, a cosy sitting room plus a second sitting room that offers additional space for larger groups and a single sofa bed for flexibility. The rear garden, with its stunning views across Snowdonia, is a wonderful spot for sitting in the summerhouse, alfresco dining on warm, summer evenings. With its central location, this Capel Garmon cottage is the ideal base for outdoor enthusiasts, offering walks from the doorstep, Betws-y-Coed is within easy reach and has a good number of pubs and restaurants for guests to enjoy. The peaks of Snowdonia offer adventure parks, mountain biking, climbing and watersports, all within a beautiful setting, just a short drive away. This charming Betws-y-Coed cottage is a lovely, traditional cottage for guests to enjoy at any time of the year.
Betws-y-Coed, known as the Gateway to Snowdonia, is North Wales' most popular inland resort. Surrounded by dense woodland and magnificent mountain country, this is a haven for walkers and outdoor enthusiasts alike. At Betws-y-Coed the River Conwy meets its three tributaries flowing from the west, and the beauty of the area is enhanced by cascading waterfalls, river pools and ancient bridges. Most famous of all are the magnificent Swallow Falls, situated where the Llugwy River hurls itself into a spectacular chasm. The village has shops, pubs, places to eat, miniature railway, a riverside golf course and the Woodland High Rope Activity Centre, and is home to The Snowdonia National Park Visitor Centre, as well as being the start of the beautiful Conwy Valley which leads to the coast and the lovely towns of Llandudno and Conwy.
Accommodation
Four bedrooms: 1 x super king-size double, 1 x double with en-suite bath, shower over, basin and WC, 1 x twin, 1 x single.
Shower room with large free-standing cubicle waterfall shower, basin and WC.
Kitchen with dining area.
Sitting room (seats 5) with woodburner.
Second sitting room (seats 5) with single sofa bed.
Oil central heating with woodburner.
Electric Rangemaster oven and hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, washing machine, dishwasher, TV with Freeview, DVD, CD/radio, selection of books, games and DVDs.
WiFi.
Fuel, power and starter pack for woodburner included in rent.
Bed linen and hand towels included in rent.
Cot, highchair and stairgate on request.
On street parking.
Garden with furniture and summerhouse.
One well-behaved dog welcome.
Sorry, no smoking.
Shops 2.5 miles.
Local pub Tafarn Penllan pub is 20 yards away - details of opening times can be found on the pubs Facebook page.
There are also pubs 2 miles away.
Note: Step on landing outside single room.
Note: Low doorways, care to be taken.
Note: Limited mobile signal.
Note: Terraced garden with steep drops, children to be supervised.
Note: Dogs are not allowed upstairs in the property.
Note: No fireworks are allowed at the property.
Please note: This property only accepts bookings on either Friday or Monday (other days may be accepted but only with prior approval from owner, please contact sykes to arrange)
Reviews (48)
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Christine
G. towels in matching colours to the bed linen), helpful information, good travel guides (including on Welsh place names), books and DVDs, small welcome pack, ... In short: a cosy house where you immediately feel at home. Friendly telephone contact (including information on finding the house), nice pub just opposite (only open at weekends), good starting point for walks. The best thing: Stepping out of the house in the morning, walking into the marvellous cemetery and enjoying the view of the entire mountain range of the Welsh peaks. The epitome of Wales!
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Melanie
Comfortable in every way. We loved sitting at the top of the garden in the evening, the view was stunning. Peaceful location. Perfect base for exploring the local area. Would definitely recommend.
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Jane
Disappointingly, woken early by building machinery noise opposite going back & forth. Issue with flies in the cottage which made it very uncomfortable then finally unliveable. The fly issue got progressively worse it was really anxiety provoking & felt so unclean, no one was sleeping so we had to leave a day early, it ruined what should have been a relaxing lovely holiday for us all. The Owner was contacted & responded to reports, by sending the housekeepers to review the problem. They agreed it was awful and it ended up being a fly infestation in the space around the window frame. Unfortunately due to the age of the cottage all of the window frames have gaps so it was a ticking time bomb & we were the unlucky ones. The owners were kind enough to understand the distress it had caused & offered a 50% refund or a return stay booked directly with themselves. We had to decline a re-stay as the trauma of that stay still remains anxiety provoking nearly a month after our stay. However, during what was a very stressful time, following our stay (which was highlighted to the owners due to health issues) they decided to disengage communication & renege on their offer without clear communication to us. When approached about this I was informed â I was right it was less than a third of our cost due to the additional booking fees & insuranceâ this wasnât the full truth and was never mentioned. Also that âthe Sykes representative thought it was a more than generous offer in the circumstances as it wasnât a problem of their making and they acted quicklyâ. They had no choice but to act quickly due to the severity of the problem which no doubt jeopardised existing bookings. It is also poor customer service that despite knowing these issues no representative from Sykes bothered to contact us to ask if we were ok in light of the situation. I was truly taken aback itâs taken me over a week to even attempt to respond but I feel that itâs anything but fair. It also wasnât our fault we had a truly terrible stay, we tried our hardest to stay & make the best of it until it was impossible. We couldnât leave any windows or doors open from the time we arrived as we initially thought the flies were entering that way. We subsequently, incurred increased costs due to the food wastage from preparing/trying eat meals in the property that flies had contact with ending up being thrown away/wasted. This meant although we were tired from forced early morning wake ups we then had to go out if we wanted to eat & not bring it back because of the circumstances. Both the emotional & physical upset plus exhaustion of our stay affected all the family negatively. In providing an honest review of this property other issues we feel need bringing to the attention of anyone wishing to book are the steps leading up to the garden. They are dangerous even for anyone without any mobility issues especially lone children, as plants have been left growing over part of the top steps so you have to side step to get to the top which is awkward & a hazard especially in wet weather. The kitchen table needs attention/ revarnishing/ table cloth itâs stays really sticky even when cleaned we didnât know this & put magazines down that got stuck & ripped. Itâs was brought to the attention of the housekeepers but theyâre already aware. Evening times the smell of smoke is very strong on the stairs & in the hallway, it obviously comes from outside despite no windows or doors being open. This is obviously beyond the owners control, but it wasnât comfortable for 2 members of the family who have bronchial related health issues. Needless to say we wouldnât return or recommend this property.