Carreg Bran Hotel

The views around the hotel are unreal, which makes the state of the car park a shame. Reception is modern and fantastic, and the staff were very welcoming, but the rooms are where the good impression ends. I was working nearby and stayed one night. The room was horribly dated, with wallpaper coming away, marks on the walls, curtains hanging off, holes, rusty pipes, old lights and furniture that looked decades out of date. The shower had mould, rust and who knows what else, so I decided to wait until I got home the next day rather than use it. The place needs a massive investment in the rooms. I’ve got a video, but I won’t scare people with it.

The staff were a mixed bag, some helpful, others passive aggressive or abrupt. When we arrived, we were told to “wait a minute” instead of being greeted and told someone would be with us shortly. At check-in, another staff member interrupted to say we had to book a dinner table, even though we’d already been told and declined. I’m not sure why he seemed so angry about it. We could hear people singing along to the party music from our room, as if we were on the dance floor. The hotel’s terms do say that it holds evening functions, and the music stopped at midnight. My husband and I thought the entrance looked pretty good at first, but the corridors and rooms were a different story. The carpets were threadbare, the stairs felt like they collapsed underfoot, and everything looked worn out. The room had dated furniture that belonged in the 1980s and a Corby trouser press from the 1970s. The shower didn’t work, which wasn’t a surprise given how old it looked. At least the bedding was clean and fresh. This place badly needs a refurbishment beyond just the entrance and bar. For a similar price, I’d choose the more modern Travel Lodge in Bangor. I’d avoid this hotel.

The staff were delightful and helpful, doing their best with what they’ve been given. I’d trust them to put on a good function, though I wouldn’t stay overnight again. The bedrooms are below standard, even if the ground floor is fine. Fixtures and fittings are very old, the bath fittings were rusty, and the bathroom tiles were dirty. I looked up the shower make and found it stopped being made in 1990. The bedding was freshly laundered, but the pillows felt like breeze blocks. Carpets in both rooms and public areas are threadbare, and some bedroom doors don’t fit properly. The hotel itself feels very tired.

The food we had was lovely, and the price does reflect how tired and run down the hotel is. The bar staff seemed just as tired: on our second night the bar shut at 9.30, then at 10.00 on our last night. They did come over to ask if we wanted another drink, but with a full pint in front of me, how was I supposed to know whether I’d want one, two or three more? We were away for a few days to enjoy ourselves, not to sit in our room wishing we’d ordered more than the one drink.