Royal Goat Hotel

The staff were kind and tried to help throughout, and the coffee and biscuits were well stocked. They even opened breakfast early for us at 7:30 on the first morning. But the stay felt like the hotel was running on low power, and for more than £300 that was disappointing, if a little amusing in retrospect. Getting checked in was confusing. We were directed first to a cold, dark office with the lights off, then to an equally chilly, empty bar. Luna, a lovely dog, was the most enthusiastic greeter. It made sense later when we found out the central heating was off and rooms had individual electric heaters instead. Reception was a woman at a tiny table for two with a laptop, looking like a student studying in a cafe beside a heater. The bar was deserted, and though other drinks were available, the fridge had only two cans of lager. We had also received an email saying the balance would be taken in advance, but it hadn't been, and nobody had told us. The staff sorted out the confusion helpfully. The three people we met all seemed genuinely willing to help. Breakfast had its own odd details. The bar was so cold we could see our breath, and even though we were the only two guests, there was only one cup of coffee each in the pot. On day two, a gentleman offered a refill once we'd finished. There were three mismatched cereal spoons, milk kept 'fresh' under a drinks mat, an abandoned dog treat bowl, and an OPEN sign that showed only 'O EN'. The shower had three labelled bottles, conditioner, shampoo, and a mystery unlabelled liquid that was presumably body wash. On the second day, a friendly staff member asked about our day, but the bar stayed cold. We were told Saturday breakfast wouldn't start until 9:00. The place gave the impression of a team still finding its feet, perhaps in its first season. We asked, and found out it was actually their third. On Friday evening the bar felt so isolated that we went elsewhere for dinner, to the Prince Llewelyn pub. It was busy and lively, a complete contrast, and we both wished we'd booked there instead. We got back at about 9:15pm to a hotel that was shut and deserted. At 8:00 the next morning there was still no sign of life. When breakfast came at 9:00, we were once again the only guests. The same loaf of bread from the day before was still in its plastic bag, so you had to reach inside, which didn't feel hygienic. We both felt distinctly queasy after the breakfast salmon, which made us wonder about its freshness. With so few guests, it seemed possible food wasn't being used quickly and older items might not have been discarded promptly. Both mornings, the cooked breakfast came with strikingly pale, almost anaemic eggs. They were edible, but faintly dispiriting.

I felt so welcome here that I decided to stay three extra days. The staff were wonderful, and nothing was too much trouble. The hotel is charming and brilliantly located. My room was large, with a big wardrobe, a TV and a very comfortable bed. The bathroom was lovely and big, and both rooms had huge windows. The food was yummy and breakfast was good. The staff are a credit to the hotel. Thank you for everything, I can't wait to come back.

The staff were lovely, especially the evening waiter who also served breakfast, very friendly and helpful. We had a good dinner at the hotel, with vegetarian options, and the WiFi in our room was OK. The building is charmingly old, the sort of place you either love or hate, and our room had its own character. The bed was absolutely fine. Just don't expect spacious, modern rooms. We couldn't work out how to keep the window open, so used a discarded cardboard wrapper to prop it up. The bathroom fan seemed decorative, so we held the door open with the bin. The cold water tap came off, though luckily we managed to screw it back on. The TV was fairly small, but that didn't matter to us as we didn't use it.

The rooms were good and prices were about average for the village. Breakfast was average too. Our shower leaked and the head wouldn't stay in place. It looks overdue for a refurb.