Reviewed by
Victoria
12th September 2026
We have just stayed at your 5* rated Bwthyn y Bannau.
We were a group of 4, all with mobility issues, 1 scooter and 3 walkers between us. 1 x 90 yr old, 1 x 87, 1x73 and myself 1 x 64.
This cottage was chosen with mobility and safety for all in mind.
On arrival, we found a very tatty and quite unsafe doormat which was immediately puRead moret to one side as it was a major trip hazard, and most unsightly.
On entering the property, we were at first impressed, but sadly this lessened rapidly as our 4 night stay unfolded.
As the least mobile member of the party, I used the downstairs accessible bedroom with en-suite. Points of note -
The handset to my bed was broken and did not hook onto the side of the bed, so had to be placed on top of the bedside table, thus reducing the area for my CPAP alongside the lamp. Which had a switch on the cable, which is less accessible than a touch lamp, which we found in the upstairs bedroom. So why not in the most needed bedroom?
The emergency pull cord was NOT hung to the floor, where it should have been - in the event of a fall I would have been unable to reach the cord. The same applied in the shower room.
The shower room washbasin was far too small and had no plug, which mean that water had to run continually whilst washing.
The drains in both the wet-room and the downstairs cloakroom permanently stank, I was unable to shower due to the revolting odour.
The mirror behind the washbasin was far too high for anyone who was seated to use.
No razor/toothbrush shower point and little room for essential toiletries, no glass for mouth rinsing.
The underfloor heating was a bonus which we could have done without. There were no instructions on how to adjust, and the heat was unbearable. We were glad to get up in the night and move into the UNHEATED kitchen and living areas for relief.
Our other guests , whilst able to use stairs, found the lack of a handrail on the wall side of the staircase a major hindrance, both would have benefitted by having a safe rail to hold on to for both ascending and descending the stairs, particularly where the stairs turned.
The kitchen and living area -
As mentioned they were unheated. Despite there being an electric fire under the television, there were no instructions as to use, and no handset to be found. There was no other heating, or if there was there were no instructions as to use. Our 90 year old found it particularly cold.
There was no handset for the television. The owners had to be called, it seemed as though it was a nuisance to them to be called, and the handset from the next door (unlet) cottage was fetched for us. Again NO instructions about how to use the television, it was not tuned to standard BBC and ITV and proved to be a big disappointment.
On the second morning, I discovered that a can of diet pepsi had exploded in the fridge and others were frozen solid. I looked to alter the temperature, but the knob was broken or missing and the fridge remained far too cold.
We did not report it as the reception we had when we reported the television was far from what we would have expected from a 5 star host, we were nuisances.
Other faciilties - namely the much vaunted Hot Tub.
Again, NO clear instructions as to use. How was I meant to remove the cover - there appeared to be a lifter but I couldn't make it work - it didn't seem to be fitted properly. I have a hot tub at home so I am not a complete idiot in their use. Also when I rang the host about towels before we travelled, no mention was made of bringing our own for use in said hot tub - this was in the scant information folder. Not much use when you have already travelled.
Information folder - so, no instructions as to the Fire, to the TV, To adjust heating both upstairs and down
Small print telling us to strip the beds and leave all the linens ready for washing. Not something that is easy when you are disabled, and having worked in a 5* holiday centre as a cleaner (Sandy Balls in the New Forest) not something that I was expecting to have to do. We paid for 5* yet were still expected to do the work for the hosts. As for being threatened with an 80 fine if we got the recycling wrong, that was just over the top, and being a different regime in Wales to that which we are used to, has left me feeling very anxious that our 90 and 80 year olds got it right.
Yes, the location was superb, and the building was clean. But by golly it was very noisy inside. With the upstairs family bathroom over the disabled bedroom, we heard the floor creak and groan every time anyone went in there in he night. Sat in the dining room area it was just as bad when the en-suite was used above.
We most certainly consider the property needs a major overhaul, and all the above points need addressing. We would not give it 5*, maybe 3? Hide