Llangoed Hall Hotel — Hotel in Great Britain

I would have given this 5 stars, but would encourage you to read my review in full to see why this is not the case. First, the positives: This really is a beautiful hotel in one of the most stunning settings in Britain and really has the 'wow factor.' We arrived early from the Brecons but were very impressed that we were able to access the room at 12:45 (we arrived more than happy to sit in the lounge or walk the grounds). Upon being shown to our room (5 - state deluxe) we actually decided to cancel the next leg of our trip and stay at Llangoed another night; it really is that stunning. The room had a stunning view over Powys and felt incredibly luxurious. Loved the array of antique furniture and it was easily large enough to be a junior suite in any other hotel. The grounds are also really well tended to, there's a maze and hives/ducks/chickens/vegetable patches onsite; so you can see where some of your food comes from. I'm vegetarian and intolerant to dairy, this was noted on my booking from when I had called 6 weeks prior. The restaurant is stunning and I felt well catered for at both dinner and breakfast. It didn't blow me away, but it was good traditional food. After dinner, people seem to decant into the main lounge and it is about as close to an Agatha Christie novel as you can get. Now for the not so good bits: We booked through Secret Escapes and the hotel agreed to match the price on there for the extra night. When the bill came, it was an inflated figure and not the one that was discussed. There was also a mystery £10 charge which we were told on check out is a glitch with Secret Escapes bookings. (Why it was presented at all is a mystery). When I challenged the bill, it came back without the £10 charge and the room rate was adjusted. However, alarmingly, the price of both our Shiraz from the night before and our brandy had been increased by £5 compared with the other bill we received. This was not a glitch and when highlighting the errors on the bill (3 times) the receptionist took this into the elusive general manager's office (which is next to the check in desk). Now, if there was an issue with a bill in an establishment I was managing, I would come out of my office and deal with it personally; no such courtesy was offered here. I genuinely believe that they tried to extort some extra money out of us in the hope I wouldn't notice. Had the stay not been so enjoyable, I would have taken this much further and I am absolutely shocked that an individual would try this with a bill. In addition to this, there is no atmosphere in the communal areas. There is a Sonos system and some background jazz/classical would be appropriate. On check in, we also weren't told where breakfast/dinner were served or the fact that there is a maze, kitchen garden or games room - all of these were found by chance or through speaking to other guests. Given how special this hotel is, it needs more presence! Overall, I would actually stay at Llangoed again. It's charming, the rooms are amazing and there are increasingly few places that offer actual stately grandeur; I just could not believe the fiasco with the bill and couldn't justify 5 stars. I hope the owners of the property take the time to read this and make some (relatively...

Where do I start to review this hidden gem?

From the moment we turned off the main road between two flagpoles, both flying flags in good order, I had a feeling this would be good. I didn’t, however, think it would be this good. The drive reveals the front of the hotel, which is reminiscent of a National Trust property. The solid stone building has a grand, but not too imposing façade set on a small plain, highlighted with mature and well-maintained hedges, climbers and borders.

We were greeted in the car park by an efficient and friendly member of staff who guided us to reception. Through the entrance doors the hallway is warm and welcoming with period paintings and furniture. We were shown to our room by the receptionist taking in the various public areas on the way, all presented beautifully. Our room was luxurious with a modern bathroom in a period style. Could not fault anything, even the door closed quietly! Everywhere in the hotel is clean, tidy and ordered, not easy given the sheer volume of furniture, soft furnishings, books and ornamental items.

The hotel does not have a spa, gym or pool. Is this an issue? No. Nature’s playground is right outside. To the rear of the hotel, around 400yds across a field is the River Wye. The hotel has a walking guide that takes you up river to a suspension bridge and beyond. As the weather had been so wet we returned from a stroll with our leggings spotted with mud. Although we had clean footwear, we thought the hotel would ask us to change, but we sat and had a drink in the lounge untroubled. Service was prompt, formal but friendly.

We dressed for dinner, which was included in our stay. This consisted of a ‘Choice Menu’ from four starters, mains and deserts. These were all executed to a very high standard, beginning with ‘Snacks’. These curious items turned out to be a trio of amuse-bouches which showcased the skills within the kitchen. The wine list is extensive and caters for all budgets, and I mean ALL budgets. Service again was excellent and I struggled to remember a better dining experience.

We were asked if we wanted to reserve a table for the following night. To be honest we do not eat to this level regularly and another formal dining experience, so soon would have diminished the first. As the ‘Choice Menu’ has a few small daily changes, we opted for the lounge menu instead. Whilst this was mainly sandwiches, the ‘In-Room’ dining menu was also offered which has further selections. Again the service and food was excellent. For those more adventurous than us, there is 6 and 9 course tasting menu options available.

In summary the hotel is ordered, formal, professional yet very friendly and warm. It is comfortable, quiet and very,...

Low point of our holiday We had booked a State Double room for three nights at Llangoed Hall, which was supposed to be the highlight of our holiday. However, on arrival, we were put in a Petit North Wing Double room. At first, we didn't realise that. However, we did not understand why we had to pay so much money for this small, stuffy and not at all clean room. The long list of imperfections included: stained and torn curtains and glass curtains, very small bed with a mattress where stiff duck feathers poked through the ticking, dirty carpets, rickety sanitary facilities, filthy ventilation grid in the bathroom, poor paintwork and a loose soap rack. After two nights, we discovered the confusion ourselves and were upgraded to a State Double room. That room was nice. Breakfast is a separate issue. For the price you have to pay for bed and breakfast, you expect at least a breakfast cooked to order. Unfortunately, it is buffet-style only where the chafing dishes provided dried-up bacon, greasy sausages, soggy mushrooms and a compact chunk of scrambled eggs. There was only one member of staff walking around who worked very hard. It wasn't at all her fault. (On the whole, it was hard to find staff when you needed them.) At check-out, they initially only wanted to compensate us for one night for the price difference. We had to talk like crazy and then they finally waived the two nights in the too small, way overpriced room in its entirety. That was a nice gesture but Llangoed Hall doesn't realise that this experience had more impact. After all, it is not about the money. We have now been left with a very negative experience from our holiday. Upon returning home, we sent an extensive email expressing our displeasure and asking questions about how this could have happened. Llangoed Hall unfortunately does not respond at all. It seems they cannot handle criticism constructively. They choose short-term damage control rather than long-term learning from mistakes. What a shame. Llangoed Hall has a lot of charm and potential and it is beautifully situated. Unfortunately, from our experience we can only advise one thing: spend your money elsewhere. Llangoed Hall is simply...