Last Minute Cottages in Dolgellau

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Susan - Verified booking

  This lovely cottage is tiny.

  It is not suitable for large people or those with any sort of mobility issues. It is situated on the main road between Barmouth and Dolgellu and the traffic is fast and frequent. Parking is a shallow bay that has spaces for the cottage and the adjacent cottage. The key safe is all the way to the right of the cottage currently under a bush so a torch or phone light needs to be used to see the numbers. There is a step up into the accommodation, coat hooks to the left but no where to put wellies or muddy boots so bring something to put down. The windows are double glazed so that noise is at a minimum. There is a low sofa, a small tv with sky box which (as has been mentioned in previous reviews) is fairly useless because of it's positioning. The small kitchen is basically but adequately equipped. There is a small table and two chairs and a welsh dresser which houses the plates and cooking casserole dishes. The bathroom has a heated towel rail, a fan heater and a small wash basin. There is an 8 inch step up into the shower. The shower is electric and we found it difficult to regulate. The water drains slowly and fills the shower tray quickly so long hot showers are not advised. The toilet is a saniflo system which is noisy and makes the cottage lights flicker. The stairs to the upper floor are steep. The upstairs room is spacious and delightful. The tv is small and has freeview. There are two chairs and a coffee table at the window with room around them that doesn't obstruct the very comfortable double bed. Towels, four pillows and a duvet are provided but there are additional textiles in the blanketbox. A small waist high hanging rail has 7 hangers, and there is a chest of drawers for storage as well. Velux windows for ventilation and a fire escape door. Outside the terrace is very nice but reached by steep stairs which have no hand rail. It is warm, dry and clean and we enjoyed our stay despite the inclement weather.

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• Ann - Verified booking

  This is a very unusual holiday property.

  On arrival we were met by Peter who was just finishing off mowing the grass in the church yard. He was extremely welcoming and very proud to show us around this beautifully preserved church. You are staying in a former church which has been tastefully converted into a beautiful holiday cottage but still retains the original church interior including beautiful stained glass windows, church pews, font and a working church organ. The answer to the first question we were asked on our return " No the church is no longer in use so you don't have to lead the congregation on Sunday. The main living area is in the vestry and comprises of a small but functional kitchen and a comfortable open living and dining area. The two spacious and comfortable bedrooms both have TV's in them as well as additional seating areas. There is WiFi and a landline telephone which is useful as there is no mobile phone signal. Due to planning constrictions there are no clear glass windows to see out of but just step outside as the landscape is magnificent, there are many seating areas in and around the church ideal for viewing the scenery, the lake and the mountains. The area is remote the nearest well stocked shop is approx. 9 miles away in a small seaside town called Tywyn which also has a small cinema called the Magic Lantern. If you like walking there are many places to go and Peter has provided lots of info on the area and maps to help you find your way. We aren't walkers but the area is perfect for both walkers and cyclists. This was a fantastic break after we had had a busy year and I have to say I came home feeling well relaxed. This is a beautiful property and Peter should be congratulated for all of his hard work in keeping this property alive and allowing people the chance to stay in a unique holiday rental in a truly stunning location.

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• Russell - Verified booking

  Sadly...

  .The kitchen was dirty on our arrival, crumbs on worktops & floor..toaster full inside and underneath, mould inside the microwave on rotary plate,dirty oven,very dirty & greasy sink, splash back & bowl. All the utensils were dubious & this caused us to have to eat out instead of self catering, hence adding extra costs to our stay. We had to hoover around the living quarters on arrival & half filled the vac! The accommodation lounge furniture was old & dirty between seat pads, cushions again flat & tired...the room was at times uncomfortable, due to heating not suitable to reach acceptable level... even with the extra heaters. The mezzanine bedroom was FREEZING...despite a convector fire & heater supplied. We tried the Pod bedroom but the bed was far too uncomfortable. The bed covers & pillows were tired, washed out & flat and not of a standard that we would expect when paying the price we paid for this property. The upstairs bed and the duvet inside the bedding were in contrast of good quality & kept us warm and comfortable as long as we stayed beneath the covers. The Eco Toilet was NOT what we expected! This should be shown in more detail in your listing. Even Peter said that my Husband would struggle due to his height. Very unsatisfactory! All this said...St Mary's is a beautiful building with special features lovingly restored & retained. We would struggle to recommend this particular property for the above reasons.

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• David - Verified booking

  What a privilege to stay in such a stunningly beautiful property in an idyllic part of Wales!

  Centuries of history, stained glass windows (look out for the Welsh dragon on the pub sign), gravestones, mist-shrouded mountains with pool, darts and vinyls (great classical selection provided but bring your own non-classical - the Vaccines worked well for us!) to boot - not to mention fairy lights around the altar - what's not to like! OK there's some discussion about the separating toilet - it works fine and is standard in Sweden - embrace the new with the old. Sometimes it was a bit chilly in the main church area but it is a big space and hard to heat - a small price to pay in my opinion. Some tips - put "St Mary's Catholic Church Tywyn" into Google maps and it will get you to the exact spot (avoid using postcode or St Mary's Tal-y-Llyn on Anglesey!) - visibility when exiting from the property in a car is very restricted - there is a mirror over the road which we only realised was there after several days which makes life a lot easier - you can walk to Tyn-y-Cornel for a drink and amazing views from their picnic benches - although they were fully booked for evening meals - the Cross Foxes is further but was very nice - there are lovely independent cinemas at Tywyn (The Magic Lantern) and Borth (Libanus 1877 - with restaurant which was excellent). Enjoy!

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• Ian - Verified booking

  Positives: Lovely historic building sympathetically adapted.

  TV choice is excellent as is WiFi coverage throughout. Whilst the toilet is not a common system for most, we had no problems with it. Bed in the 'pod' bedroom was really comfy. Negatives: Unfortunately, the cleanliness left a lot to be desired. Whilst accepting it is an old building, it's not too much to expect the living areas to be properly cleaned after the previous let. We found a dog biscuit on a chair cushion immediately on first sitting down. There was dry dog food around the sitting room and a large dust/hair ball in the bedroom. These things were in obvious places and should have been cleaned. During the week, we noticed many dead woodlice on the kitchen window ledge, which had evidently been there for some time. The owner told us about the water coming from the lake and then filtered to a high standard, however there is a yellow tinge to it. There was a Brita filter jug, but the indicator to replace the cartridge was flashing. We therefore bought bottled water. The owner subsequently told us that he notes the date of cartridge replacement on his phone! Overall: A lovely place let down by an inadequate cleaning regime, thought towards customer expectations. Not very good value. Unfortunately, we wouldn't return or recommend St Mary's.

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