The Clochfaen

The hotel / B&B is picturesque, maybe slightly imposing. We arrived late evening on a business trip, having booked two rooms. We were greeted outside by the manager (?) who was quite formal. Upon entering the building we were asked to don slippers and leave our shoes in the hall. There were two shoe racks full of white disposable slippers in cellophane wrapping. A little unusual but no big deal. We were then shown to our rooms. Mine was a small double but it looked comfortable enough. There was access to a bathroom from the room, however, the bathroom was accessible to anyone staying in the hotel. No big deal really until I realised that I could not lock the door to the bathroom from inside my room! So, anyone staying in the hotel had free access to my bedroom, via the ‘public’ bathroom. I spoke to the manager about this and he was dismissive and defensive bordering on the aggressive. He informed me that he’d not had any complains in 20 years - during which time I don’t think the room had been decorated. The main entrance to my room had a mock-Tudor thumb latch with a locking pin and a small brass bolt. So, whilst I could lock my door when I was in the room, there was no way of locking it when I was away from the room - allowing yet another way for anyone to access my room. This is the first time I have stayed in an hotel, anywhere in the world, where I could neither secure my room when I was in it, nor when I left it. So, effectively, my room was open 24 h a day. This, seemingly, according to the manager, was perfectly acceptable as he was sure that Mr R, who had the room apposite and shared the bathroom, would not come into my room at night. Maybe true, but not exactly the point. I had no option but to stay as it was late so I went to bed. The bed linen was damp, all rather unpleasant. An uncomfortable night in a strange hotel run by a someone who appeared to have anger issues. I’ll not be going back but at least there might be a germ of a comedy series or even a horror story.

At the time of writing this review, there are 30 reviews on the site all of which have rated the Clochfaen as excellent. We too had a thoroughly enjoyable stay but for the sake of balance we have chosen to rate it as very good. Clochfaen is an Arts and Craft’s house from 1915. It is in the hills above Llangurig and surrounded by fields and mountains. It is a lovely spot with lots of walks and wildlife on the doorstep. Previously owned by the Lloyd-Verney family who were closely associated with Royalty, the future King George VI stayed here for several weeks in the early 20th Century. Unlike other visitors to Clochfaen, the owner, Kevin, didn’t offer to show us around the property. The B&B rooms are in the previous servant’s quarters. Parking is at the front of the house, and our initial impressions were not as positive as they might have been as the main entrance, the forecourt and the view through the windows, suggested an air of neglect. Broken pots, weeds, untended and overgrown climbing shrubs and a stack of books and papers on the inside window sill were somewhat off putting. As someone else has commented there are no signs indicating where to park and as the property seems to have about four doors on the ground floor, it is not immediately apparent where to find reception. Fortunately our ringing of the bell outside one of the doors prompted the arrival of our host at another door. He appeared a little distracted and ignoring the usual welcome and pleasantries directed us straight away to our room. We had apparently been upgraded to the Wye Suite which apparently ‘worked better from the bathroom front.’ It should be noted that rooms are not ensuite and some sharing of bathrooms across rooms is required. The Wye Suite comprises the bedroom with TV and dressing table, a double bed, one bedside table only and a number of hooks for hanging things. It is a small room, find for our one night stay, but we would have struggled if staying for any longer. There is also a lounge with another TV and Sky Box, two sofas and a Rayburn (not in use) The room was comfortable but the very feeble main light and low wattage bulb in the lamp made it seem very dim and somewhat depressing. The bathroom is large, with separate shower and walk-in bath tub and was perfectly acceptable. The large supply of different toiletries was a tad excessive. The House appears to be furnished in keeping with its period. Think flowery wallpapers, velour sofas etc. It is definitely not fashionable. Importantly everywhere was very clean and tidy. Kevin redeemed himself for his less than effusive welcome by offering tea and coffee. A large cafetiere and teapot arrived along with Eccles cakes and flapjacks. A nice touch after a long journey. Breakfast was the highlight of this stay, and because of this our overall rating has gone up from average to very good. Several juices were on offer, a range of about 8 cereals, a bowl of mixed fresh fruit salad, which