We had an absoultely cracking time last weekend riding Coed Y Brenin, Penmachno and the Marin in the blistering heat.
However, our experience was tarnished somewhat by the appaling level of service we recieved at the Vagabond Bunkhouse in Betws Y Coed.
I have travelled the world twice and stayed in numerous hostels and bunkhouse and have never come across staff with such a bad attitude/manner.
They didn't seem to care a less about their guests and were only interested in taking your money.
In addition the behaviour of some of the other guests was appalling and went totally unchecked by the staff.
To add insult to injury the guy running the place poked off on Sat morning leaving our bikes locked up in the "secure bike storage" and leaving us with no key with which to retrieve our bikes. When we tried to contact him on the "anytime" number it just rang in a locked room in the hostel!! Our days biking would have been written off had the bike storage been anywhere near as "secure" as it claims on the website! 8)
I would not recommend this place to anyone.
Vagabond by name, vagabond by ............
I have stopped at this place fairly recently as it happens. I found it too be ideal for what i wanted i.e somewhere cheapish to get my head down for the night. The breakfast was top notch as well guess i caught it on a good day 🙂
We too just wanted somewhere to get our head down. However, as the guy running the place decided that he wanted to party to 3am, getting our head down we did not.
Furthermore, he also thought it accpetable to smoke in the hostel as he claimed "it was effectively his home". The net result of this was that some of the guests also decided they could now also smoke. In addition to this being totally inconsiderate, I believe he was also technically breaking the law.
Hmmm i would have been very annoyed if he had done that while i was there. Smoking is totally out of order.
Bucket of water for each smoker. Easy solution.
fist pie works better........ 😉
If you go again, try here:
Stayed a few times. Both hotel and bunkhouse very good.
Smoking would certainly be illegal. If the guy running the place had smoked in an area not open to the public it would be OK but in the communal areas he would be breaking the law. Its pretty clear.
The nice looking pub on the junction justbefore the bridge to go into BYC. On the way back from Penmachno once I needed to eat something so thought it looked posh enough. Went in and experienced (to date) the worse service known to man.
the black sheep or lamb or something Hora?
Quite an old place- low smallish windows, striaght onto narrow pavement/road. As you are coming from Penmachno- you turn right passed it to continue 'home' or keep going along into BYC
ah, not the one i was thinking of