The Bear hotel

Layla made our birthday dinner a great night. She was thoughtful, joined in with the craic, and looked after all our needs so well. Her shift finished near the end of our meal, and I hope she gets to share the tip. The other staff were fantastic too, though I didn't catch their names. We’d recommend it and would come back.

The food was very good, and our waiter was lovely. He was genuinely apologetic and did his best to improve things, which really saved the evening. But we'd booked months ahead for a Christmas meal for six adults and two children, specifically asking for the festive menu, and even called the week before to confirm. When we arrived, we were told that menu was no longer available. We had to choose from the standard menu, which cost more, and several dishes weren't available. Some of our party had travelled over three hours, so finding out at the last minute was really disappointing. We also had to check the bill because it included drinks we hadn't had. A very mixed experience, with a fantastic waiter but poor organisation and communication.

We enjoyed our last minute night away so much that we booked another stay for two weeks later. Everyone, from maintenance to management, greeted us with a warm smile, and the service was exceptional. Nothing felt like too much trouble. The room was well appointed, though it could've used a hairdryer and a few more coffee sachets.

We came from Yorkshire for our anniversary and booked lunch for three at 12.30 pm on 10th Feb, after hearing good things about The Bear Hotel in Cowbridge. The food was lovely, but we waited and waited after the waitress took our drinks order. Three parties who arrived after us had their orders taken and food brought out first. When we asked another waiter about ordering, he said he thought our order had already been taken. We could see orders were entered electronically, so he only needed to check. By then I was extremely annoyed, and the long wait spoiled what was meant to be a special visit. Even after we ordered tea and coffee, another table that ordered after us was served first. I won't be going back to The Bear. The management never responded, which says it all.