Oldwalls Gower

The wedding itself was lovely, and as a guest from the groom’s family I had a great day and a half. We were there on Saturday from about noon until 1am, with around 80 people attending the day and a few more joining in the evening. My wife and I stayed the night, had breakfast, then drove about an hour home to the valleys. The venue is beautiful, the ceremony was lovely, the food was fantastic, and the staff were friendly and professional. Reception was helpful, parking was easy, and there were plenty of photo spots, with views, a big viking chair, a love swing and an outdoor area. We had lovely weather and a nice sunset. The couple watched the fireworks from a wooden bandstand type structure, while some guests watched outside and others stayed in the glass conservatory/dining area to avoid the wind. Our room was clean and close to the rest of the venue. It had a lovely big glass back looking out over the river and fields, a TV, kettle with hot drinks, bottled water and a nice wardrobe. The bed was really comfortable, and there was plenty of room for me and my wife. The dance floor was spacious, the lights and smoke made for a good jam, the bar was well stocked, and they had cigars too. Breakfast was great. I had everything apart from the bacon, sausage and black pudding, and there was a nice selection, though I didn’t have anything cold like cereal. There were a few little issues. We arrived at 11am but couldn’t get into the rooms until 2pm, so people should plan ahead. Some of us changed in the car park, which didn’t bother me, and I think a couple of the girls got into one or two rooms that were ready to do makeup. The bathroom windows in many rooms need maintenance. The blinds were messed up, handles didn’t work, and ours came right off in my hand. Some rooms were boiling and others freezing. Ours was warm, but the bathroom window wouldn’t shut, which cooled the room enough overnight for us to sleep well. The shower took about 15 minutes to figure out, and the knob just kept turning. We think it was broken. My wife managed to get a warm shower, but mine was bloody freezing. The coffee at dinner and breakfast was like dishwater, though I didn’t try any from the bar and I may have been the only one who noticed. A few people complained about the night, with dogs barking in rooms and lots of squeaking and rustling. The bride said there was scratching outside her room all night in the strong wind. Luckily, our room was peaceful. I’ve since heard the wedding planning didn’t go smoothly. Apparently there were lots of issues, and the groom was stressed and felt there was no help from the venue or planner. With Covid, issues can happen, but the wine list was lost at the last minute and there were seating plan problems. The family said the planner they paid for wasn’t on the ball or very professional, and a rescheduled wedding had saved them a lot of money due to some date or time change, but the family weren’t told. That’s a big one. I don’t know much about the place’s general reputation, and I was only there for a day and a half, but it was a lovely wedding. I’m sure you’ll have a great time if you hold yours there. For a venue costing 30k, I can think of a few small areas to improve.