Lodges & Log Cabins in Snowdonia

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Mr Snell - Verified booking

  The cottage has positives and negatives. On the plus side, then the view across to Barmouth is one of the best we have experienced from a holiday cottage - and we have been to many. Our party of 10 from 3 generations ranges in age from 5 to 70, so we are looking for space, facilities, cleanliness and comfort. The living and bedroom arrangements were just as described and met all our requirements. Pots and pans in the kitchen were of perfect size for large group cooking. We had a great holiday. Having said that, there were a number of disappointments that we would not expect, especially given the price bracket for this property, and our comments should be taken with that in mind. Firstly, although only renovated a couple of years ago, many aspects of the house are already looking tired, as though little time and effort has been spent on upkeep. Some shower fittings and cubicles needed attention. A blind was completely missing on one bedroom window, and in the kitchen area the curtains would not meet in the middle. On arrival, the house appeared only to have had a speedy cleanup since the previous guests and really it is in need of a deep clean, which would remove the mould around some of the showers, windows, walls,etc. We should mention we found hairs in one shower - not acceptable. In general there is unwanted clutter in certain areas of the house which would benefit from tidying up and/or removing. The TV seen in the photos in the small living area was missing. More seriously, we were very surprised on our first day to find that someone appeared to be living in a summer house/studio at the bottom of the 'garden', visible from the main property. This was just not on, as we were expecting the privacy intimated in the website description and photos. Indeed, it appeared that decking was being added outside the summer house (we had to move our car from what we thought was our own private area to enable a van to deliver wood) and this work continued for several days. We have young children and an anxious dog in our party, and were not expecting that other unknown people would be sharing the 'garden' with us. Nor that the master bedroom could be viewed by such people from outside without the curtains pulled, when we expected to be looking out onto open uninhabited hillside. We don't know what is going on here but we should have been notified of this change. We cannot comment on using the sauna, although beware that it is through a gate downhill and across a field and to us did not look inviting. It would have been more sensible to have it closer to the house or provide a games room. The house has considerable potential should the owner attend to it. Nevertheless our holiday was enjoyable overall but we are unlikely to return here.

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• Mrs Shakespeare - Verified booking

  We had a brilliant stay here in February for a 40th birthday celebration, with several kids ranging from 4 to 7. The house itself is fantastic, loads of space, homely, and very well kept. We loved playing board games by the fire, or coming home from wet walks to a log-fired sauna and wild swim in the lake. The kitchen had everything we needed for the week, even the ability to make our own bread each morning, which was brilliant. The view from the master bedroom (and sauna) was incredible and it really felt like we were at the edge of the world. It really is very remote, and the 6 gates that had to be opened and closed to get in and out of civilisation initially felt like a chore, but actually the kids had great fun jumping out and doing it for us, so it wasn’t too much of an issue, except our Tesco delivery driver didn’t make it and we had to venture out at 10pm to meet him at Dolgellau, but all part of the adventure really. The Co-op in town is pretty well stocked anyway so we picked up some extras from there through the week. For those who are considering it.. one of our group tried the steeper route in to save on the gate opening and said “never again”, so we gave that a miss. We did the walk down to Barmouth twice, it was steep and at times slippery but even our 4 year old made it so not all that bad (though she is the toddler equivalent to the Hardest Geezer). It was worth it for a look around the town, a stop at the local brewery for a couple of flights, a play on the beach, milkshakes at a cafe, and venturing up into the hills behind to get some great vistas over the bay. In good weather I’d highly recommend a walk around Cregennan lakes, just beautiful. Harlech castle and beach were also a real highlight, but there are tonnes of good walks and things to do in the area to keep people occupied of all ages. The owner Paul was friendly and posted a few bits that we left behind back for us, thanks for that. The only criticism I could make is that the mattress in the master bedroom is very soft, so for me as a front sleeper gave me pretty restless nights, the one in the room at the other end of the house was far better for me but I put up with it. Also the downstairs room was definitely the coldest, we had no complaints from those who stayed in it but it was noticeably a few degrees colder than the rest of the house so worth thinking about how it could be evened out. We’re considering a return with another group of friends another year, and I don’t think we’ve ever been back to the same place twice, so that says something abut it. A memorable week with great company in a beautiful location. Couldn’t have asked for more. Thank you so much for having us!

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• Mr Hawley - Verified booking

  Level of cleanliness was not really acceptable. Several of the en-suite shower rooms needed to be cleaned by us before they could be used (a toothpick was found in one...) and additionally an old apple core was found underneath furniture in the downstairs bedroom. The downstairs bedroom is described as twin "zip-link" beds, however they do not "zip and link" - they can be joined by hooks at either end of the divans but this does not make them into a double/king as described on the website. There was a double plug socket hanging off the wall in the lounge when we arrived - an attempt had been made by someone to fix it to another socket with masking tape. This was not only dangerous for our family, given 4 x small grandchildren, but when we notified this issue to the owner nothing happened - no-one came to look at it or fix it and we were not updated on this matter at all until I reminded the owner again on our leaving day. Really not acceptable. I felt duty bound to leave a note for the cleaners/next family to warn them. The cottage has a general air of having been done up and not maintained since - so much clutter in the kitchen....and all but one of the camping chairs provided are broken. This is a real shame as the location is unbeatable, we would have gladly returned given the cottage's proximity to Cyfannedd Fach, where we spent many happy holidays with our children when they were small, but given the issues above, we won't be returning to Cyfannedd Uchaf.

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• Miss Ferguson - Verified booking

  My partner and I had a fantastic 5 night stay at Caban Clyd in July 2023. The views were beautiful in every direction and there are a wide range of walks available right on the doorstep. The location is quiet and private but with local amenities just a 5 minute walk away. There is a lovely pub in the village called Y Llew Coch (The Red Lion) which we went to often for food - delicious, hearty meals (especially the Sunday roast!) and very friendly staff and locals. The pod itself is extremely cosy and very well equipped, and the hot tub was lovely after a long day of walking. Though we didn't meet Elen herself, we met her friendly husband who worked on the farm next door and we knew we could contact Elen for anything we might need. For those who enjoy a good climb but do not want the crowds of Snowden, we recommend Aran Fawdwwy (10min drive from Caban Clyd) - it is a difficult hike but stunningly beautiful and very quiet. We only saw 3 other hikers all day! All in all, we had a really lovely visit at Caban Clyd and would love to return in the future. Thanks Elen for having us :)

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• Mrs Smith - Verified booking

  Wow, missing the cottage already. Set in a stunning location with plenty of room for 9 of us (should have been 11 but parents had to pull out last minute) including two 11 year old boys and two girls (13 and 14 years). We really made the most of this homely cottage finding it well equipped, we did baking (we used the breadmaker too), games, sauna, lake swimming, fires and barbecue plus lovely walks from the property. No need for the tv (kids didn't miss it). It was a comfortable stay and we couldn't get enough of the views even with the changing weather. The eco-credentials were a real bonus and we can see the owner cares about the impact on the wonderful Welsh countryside. We were lucky to meet the owner Paul who gave us some great tips on walks and obviously has a passion for the place. Wish we stayed longer and hope to bring the kids back for Cader Idris. Just what we all needed. Did see hares but sadly didn't see polecats!

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