Guests Reviews Craig y Nos Castle Dog Friendly B&B 2022 - 2023 - Dog Friendly Wales | Dog Friendly Hotel

Dog Friendly Wales
Go to content

Guests Reviews Craig y Nos Castle Dog Friendly B&B 2022 - 2023

Guest Reviews
________________

Dog Owners' Reviews - 2022 - 2024
Craig y Nos Castle Dog Friendly B&B
_________________
Trip Advisor Reviews on Craig y Nos Castle - Dog Friendly B&B stays 2022 -2024

  • As we did not re-open till mid July 2022 due to the COVID pandemic, and only open for events, we offer fewer B&B nights now. With limited dates available for general B&B and Dog friendly Dinner, B&B breaks we've fewer reviews in 2022- 2023, due to closures. So all of 2022-2024 is on one page.

Review from Jan 22, 2024 Amazing hotel Amazing hotel with the loveliest staff! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 such a warm welcome from all the lovely staff, would highly recommend. Great rooms, gorgeous food and lovely views. Very dog friendly, lovely walks around the grounds. An amazing Welsh Castle with lots of history. Can’t wait to return.

Review from Jan 18, 2024 Such a welcome 26 family members and 8 dogs celebrated my 80th birthday. What a fantastic way to spend time with two and four legged family ranging from 7 months to 84 years. Something for everyone with great hikes, more gentle walks, ghost tours and history tour. The staff made us all feel so welcome and the chilly days were forgotten beside the warm log fire. We can’t wait to book in again. Even the teenagers thought it extra special and the place where memories are made. Thank you to all at Craig y Nos. What a wonderful venue bursting with history. Can’t wait to go again. Dogs are made as welcome as their owners. Such a lovely few days enjoyed by one and all!

Review from Dec 6, 2023 Quirky, welcoming, steeped in history andin a beautiful setting. Stayed here for one night with two Springer spaniels and we were made to feel welcome by all members of staff at every point of contact. This is an interesting building with a fascinating history which is easily researched online but gives little of the 'feel' compared to seeing the building. Like a previous reviewer we found eating in Patti's Bar more comfy with the plus being that dogs are allowed. I would not hesitate to recommend staying there again.

Review from May 9, 2023: Overall brilliant stay and experience
Stayed for four nights for our anniversary We didn’t know it until afterwards but we had stayed in one of the most haunted rooms room 36. The room was lovely. It seemed very hot so we turned off all the heating and opened the windows. Lovely bathroom. The staff were lovely very friendly and our dog was made to feel very welcome and loved. The breakfast was amazing one of my favourite parts of the stay with everything from toast to fully cooked breakfast to croissant and pastries yoghurts fruit it was truly excellent. We did have a problem with the mattress but this was sorted out by the manager. We had a tour by Jeremy of the castle and were taken into parts of the castle that were derelict. He showed us the Tuberculosis hospital part. The area around the castle is beautiful and lovely for walks with the dog.

Review 18/03/2022: History tour around the Castle is an absolute must!
Craig-y-Nos is absolutely our new favourite place and will probably be our forever favourite! It’s so magical. Dogs are welcome throughout - I cannot emphasise this enough, they are greeted and adored by all the staff, this is rare as often places are so-called dog friendly but are not really, this one completely is and there are lots of walks on the Castle doorstep! I wholeheartedly recommend doing the historic tour in the morning. We attended a ghost hunt the evening before; the ghost hunt had nothing on the historic tour, which was suitably spooky in its own right and included access to a lot of interesting areas of the Castle that the ghost tour didn’t cover. We saw the derelict sanatorium wards, the cellars , Patti’s boudoir, it was easily the best 1.5 hours I have ever spent - a big thank you to the tour guide Jeremy for showing us and our dog around, and for answering our questions with such insight and deep knowledge of this amazing gem. We’ll be back!

Review from Feb 16, 2023. Relaxed friendly environment. We visited on February this year for a one night stay with Our Family Dog. Castle in a lovely area with nice views. We had a really friendly welcome and the staff were fantastic offering us a choice of 3 rooms on arrival. Room Good size to cater for us and our 4 legged friend, rooms warm with plenty of options for lighting. Relaxed environment, home from home. Bar staff friendly and Dog Friendly. Evening Meal was Georgous and Good value with Attention to detail, woofer enjoyed it too. We will definitely be returning and next time attend the Ghost Hunt. Thank you to all Staff .

Michael writes in reply: Great to read your positive feedback - we are glad that you enjoyed yourself and that the dog enjoyed too. I am sure that the Kitchen will be well pleased to  read about your positive food comments and naturally as will all the staff that dealt with you. Keep an eye on our Most Haunted Castle website for details of any upcoming Ghost Tours. All the best Michael


Review from Feb 9, 2023 Holiday with dogs
Had a wonderful time in this beautiful old hotel. The rooms were lovely. The food was great. But the views and walks were the highlight of our stay. We also did a “ghost hunt” which I can thoroughly recommend. We took our two dogs whom were welcomed and fussed over so will definitely be coming back soon.


5 Star from Alex Review from Nov 3, 2022 Great Dog Friendly Hotel with plenty to do
The hotel staff were particularly friendly and helpful, nothing was too much trouble. We stayed with two dogs and the grounds for walking them were safe and enclosed. Both breakfast and evening meals were well prepared and very tasty.
We will definitley book again for a return visit.


Review from May 6, 2022  Magical setting, beautiful building, fantastic history
We had a super stay and could easily have stayed longer. The staff were great, so friendly and efficient. Special mention must go to Jeremy who took us on a brilliant history tour. Learning about Adelina Patti really enhanced our stay and our interest in the building and the country park next door. Our rooms, were immaculate, clean, warm and very quiet.

Thank you for your review – its great that you found the staff to be great and indeed I am happy to hear you learned a lot about the Castle and its history – I am sure Jeremy will be over the moon. Its good to read you found the warms of good quality All the best Michael


Review from Mar 14, 2022  a wedding tasting for UN marrieds!
Again, we were lucky enough to join a fantastic event- a 'wedding tasting'- the second we have been to- fantastic food, a lovely Rioja, superb venue, fantastic staff- and us confirmed unmarried partners! We had a super time- thanks to you all. The dog was in heaven, the room was marvelous, the castle with it's unique ambience is warm and welcoming, and the park is on the doorstep. Whenever we come and stay, we feel truly welcomed and looked after. Thank you everybody- including those we rarely see- because you all contribute to our enjoyment.

Thank you for your comments, its great that you enjoyed our combined Taster/Dinner Bed and Breakfast. It allows everyone to taste what could be at a wedding and/or have a variety of food, not least it is the spice of life. I am glad you enjoyed as did you dog. Great that you like the room and the hospitality. Thank you and see you soon. M!chael x


Review from Feb 4, 2022; One of a kind castle with a rich history!
My three friends and I had the most amazing time at Craig Y Nos castle. The staff that greeted us at reception were polite and kind and helped direct us to our room.
We had the evening meal and the buffet breakfast in the morning. The evening meals was so delicious and was made even more special because of the gorgeous dining hall with interesting furniture, memorabilia and paintings. The breakfast the next morning was everything we could have wished for - a proper english breakfast with all the trimmings that was replenished frequently. We left the castle very full and happy.

The room was to die for; the bedding and mattress felt really good quality and we fell asleep immediately. We loved the vintage furniture in our room - this connotes that each room has slightly different furniture that is special and interesting. I could have stayed in the shower all day, it was amazing. We did the history tour the next morning, our giude was very knowledgable and you could tell he was passionate about his subject. I wish we could have seen more of the hospital wards on the top floor but we also learnt a great deal about Andelina Patti which made up for it. Overall we loved out stay and would definitely return again to explore the grounds.

Facebook Reviews - Dog Friendly B&B Craig y Nos Castle 2022

Sue Le Heup (DFW) - Fabulous place, many stays there with my spaniels, hoping to return

Kev Kevin (DFW) - A must go to place very friendly staff great food and puppy friendly

18th Mar 2023, 8:03pm Catherine Lynne Jenkins Craig-y-Nos is absolutely our new favourite place and will probably be our forever favourite! It’s so magical. Dogs are truly welcome throughout - I cannot emphasise this enough, they are greeted and adored by all the staff, our dog has never been happier and he is normally a right grump so that speaks volumes! I wholeheartedly recommend doing the historic tour offered in the morning. We attended a ghost hunt & sleepover the evening before; the ghost hunt was a great experience but the historic tour was EXCELLENT, it was spooky in its own right and included access to a lot of additional and interesting areas of the Castle (and also allowed us to see some of the areas we had spent time in overnight in the light of day - which helped dispel any wimpy nightmares!) We saw the derelict sanatorium wards, the cellars, Patti’s boudoir, it was easily the best 1.5 hours I have ever spent and it was a fab insight into upstairs/downstairs life throughout the Castle’s history - a big thank you to the tour guide Jeremy for showing us and our dog around, and for answering our questions with such insight and deep knowledge of this amazing gem and recommending further reading. Also the giant Welsh cakes at breakfast and the cosy bar are worth going for just for them! We’ll be back!

Google Reviews - Dog Friendly B&B Craig y Nos Castle 2022/2023

29/08/2023: Review left by Carl Merz: Very accommodating with our last minute booking with 4 westie dogs, great breakfast, grand old building with country park next door. We had no phone reception in accommodation but good internet in main building, maybe dated but it's a castle and should support businesses like this to keep them open , lovely to go to somewhere different and very very pet friendly.

Reply by Martin: Thank you for your 5 star review!  Delighted you and your furry companions enjoyed their break. Hope to see you again on a visit. Most rooms have full Wifi as we put booster units all along the corridors, but with our thick castle walls etc you might have been in a room with a weak or no signal. I think you were in Room 25, which is the gatehouse and so a bit on the edge of the wifi range. You should get good wifi in the bathroom there but we will check!  We are certainly rural, rustic and very different!  Hope your dogs all made full use of the country park; they will certainly remember the walks when you bring them back on any future visit!  Best wishes, Martin.

16/05/2023: Review left by Stuart Lewis. An adventure of a lifetime at this venue. So much history, real Iconic building. Inside and outside amazing, the grounds so historic. Brilliant place to visit and stay.

27/03/2023 added: Review left by Ann Gower 3 weeks ago. We visited Craig Y Nos last Saturday 4thMarch 2023, the staff was friendly and accommodation was lovely. We came to a Ghost Hunt with Dark Entities, 1 of the things I did consider that needs a little tweak was your menu, the starters would have been nice with a simple tomato soup with bread as 2 people I was with wasn't able to have a starter due to allergies then I noticed a vegetarian option was a nut roast so if you was a vegetarian with a nut allergy you couldn't eat that main when the other 2 mains was meat can you consider a nut free vegetarian option and like people who ate meat and had a choice of gammon or steak I think it's fair for vegetarians to have 2 options too I know you probably had a vegetarian menu but it wasn't on the table. Other than that the accommodation we stayed in was superb. All you can eat breakfast was delicious cereals, fruits, yogurts, toast, crumpets, full English breakfasts, pure orange juice, pure apple juice tea and coffee. The grounds is beautiful and I was saddened to learn fluffy their cat died last year but they honoured his/her memory with a little grave. The staff was so nice. There is also a bar

13/02/2023 (Attended Ghost Tour with Dinner B&B - Ghost Tour was a ticketed event put on and promoted by an external tour company organising their own ghost tour event independently - seems  they wre happy with us but not the tour itself).
Jim “Jimbo83” 4/5 12 hours ago on Google  "So a friend booked a ghost hunt tour package with Haunted Rooms UK. There was ample parking and when we checked in and staff were very welcoming and friendly. Whilst we waited for the feast of our group to arrive we had a coffee in the bar area. Again staff were friendly and the service was quick. The place was amazing, clearly very old but did not have the dated or neglected feel to it.

The room was clean and had ample space for five people sharing. I thought we would have a dormitory staple room as we were out in the old stables block that was then converted to the nurses quarters when Craig Y Nos became a TB hospital. There was a double bedroom that was very spacious, a couple of singles in the second room and then a double sofa bed. The bathroom was spotless and there was a bath and a shower. There was complementary shower gel, she poop and conditioner as well. However, there was only two of each in a room booked for six.

With the package we booked we had a two course meal included. When we came to sit down. There was not a table for our group. The seating was a bit of a shambles, we had to share our table with a couple of woman that we did not know. There was not enough staff to cater for the number of people at this event. Some tables were given starters whilst others were left waiting a long time. We were starting our starters whilst others were finishing their mains. All in all this was a let down as we were sat for nearly two hours for a simple two course meal. The food was hot, well cooked and tasted amazing. I had the cream of tomato soup and the sirloin steak.

In the morning (once the ghost event was over) the staff were welding guests to breakfast. There was ample amounts of breakfast. The choices were a cooked breakfast, cereal, toast, yogurt, fruit, apple juice, orange juice, tea, herbal teas and fresh coffee. The staff were swift to clear tables and ensure they were clean and ready for the next blurry eyes guest to stumble down to breakfast. My review of four stars reflect the hotel as a general stay and not the ghost tour which was a shambles. I would be more than happy to stay here again. Only advice would be to have more staff on during an event to make meal service more organised."


Michael the Business Manager responds: "Thank you for your comments Jim, and the recently posted photos. First of all thank you for your comments all in all it was great to read how you had enjoyed the externally booked and provided Ghost Tour. We offer a number of tours at the Castle, both in house hosted (via Celestial Paranormal) along with a number of externally hosted trips.

When these are booked direct (by an external tour organiser), we usually are made aware of room allocations and food allergies in advance along with any seating/table arrangements. Its simply then a case of allocating the correct guest to the pre- booked room along with seating them and serving them. It does appear on this occasion we had not been fully made aware of who is to go where/eat what and sit with whom – indeed our Receptionist advised me on Sunday morning some of the teething troubles and I have suggested that both they and our Front of House Manager refer to all our Ghost Tour Organisers and fully brief them of the information we need and when (specifically in advance).

Its great that you found the room comfortable and that you found it sufficiently sized for the group in the room. I apologise if you were seated with strangers – sometimes of course this can work in favour of the Tour – as you get to meet new people, but can understand your frustration, again as above it would be advantageous that the operator provides some seating arrangements – although, in fairness we don't have that many concerns with seating normally!  

Clearly it may also be advantageous that some more timing issues are resolved as I do concur that if everyone eats at the same time it can cause a bit of a muddle – last nights Valentines Dinner with table times spread out through the evening ran smoothly. It is great however, to hear that you enjoyed the food and found it to be well liked. I am glad too and no doubt as will the staff to read how you enjoyed breakfast. It is great that on reflection you would come back to the Castle, we do many Dinner Bed and Breakfast Tours too – and they may find lesser guests gives better service – but overall I am sure that all the staff will be happy to read your positive comments. See you soon. M!chael."



Customer Feedback Form Comments on Bedrooms & Castle 2022

23/06/2023: AB22: Gorgeous food at the murder mystery last night. The best salmon and dessert I've ever had! The strawberry ice cream and fudge brownie was divine!  Breakfast perfect everything could ask for selection wise. Asked if decafe available and waitress kindly brought. Welsh cakes a lovely touch too. Staff so kind helpful friendly literally faultless. Loved it stayed ten years ago and all memories came back. The free castle tour was brilliant in the morning, Jeremy was great! I had forgotten what a gem this place is having stayed over ten years ago. Myself and partner loved it. So great we could bring the dogs too. The stay has lifted my spirits. A big thank you for such a lovely stay. You clearly put a lot of hard work into providing an outstanding experience. Very grateful :)

02/05/2023 - AB35: Jeremy's history tour was really good. Can't give enough praise. Dog friendly was just that- welcome rather than just tolerated.

01/05/2023 - AB34: Nothing was too much trouble food excellent quality, cooked to perfection. (Staff) kind, thoughtful, cannot fault the standard of service received. We will definitely revisit. Highly recommended, you can also take your dog
whilst staying overnight. If you are in the area put it on your highly rated list, indulge yourself, quality overnight stay excellent value for money. the service you will receive is excellent.

24/04/2023 - AB27: The castle is really unique and suited our needs perfectly. The warmth and friendliness of the staff was absolutely fantastic, we really valued it. The room was lovely, cosy, clean and well appointed. The grounds are just fabulous. The castle is truly dog-friendly which was ideal for us. The location is amazing. We will definitely be back and will recommend to others.

25/04/2022 - AB15: Always lovely food. Steve was most accomodating of the low-carb diet I'm on with lots of extra salad. If I have to be very picky it's that the breakfast plates were very cold. Everything we need, lovely comfortable bed. Warm,relaxing..don't want 5* fuss. with 2 dogs Had a slight issue with a ceiling leak around the fire-alarm in a bedroom, soon put right by Trevor..he is such an asset ,wouldnt be the same without Trev. We love it all ..never want to leave when it's home time. A wonderful,relaxing break as always,so great to come back after 2yrs, we will be back as soon as poss:..always would recommend.

25/04/2022 - TGL: I really enjoyed the evening meals. I always find your staff to be exceptionally friendly and helpful. I found the bed a bit hard for me although after all the walking I slept like a log. Lovely shower in Theatre ground left. Good easy access for the dog. I can't imagine a better location for a dog friendly hotel!  I always enjoy my stays. It is a genuinely dog friendly hotel and I always feel relaxed and welcome. Hopefully you will be able to do more dinner bed and breakfast dates in the  future.

18/04/2022 - TGL: all the staff are very friendly and a great asset to the castle. superb walks around the grounds and local area. the over sink shelf far too close to the sink making it almost unusable. will always revisit as we have stayed at the castle on many occasions. the most dog friendly hotel any where in the uk.
NB: Sink shelf height mentioned to Maintenance

05/03/2022 - AB11: Our thanks to all the staff for making our evening and overnight stay so good. As always, our pleasure is to return to a place we really value - our 'go to' for short breaks - and our dog can't wait to get out of the car when we arrive - she loves it as much as we do!

27/02/2022: Just a note to say how much we enjoyed Jeremy’s guided tour around Craig y Nos. Highly recommended to everyone. Jo. P.S. you can put this comment on your website

Tourist Board Review May 2023
Three Star B&B grading renewed

Their report reads:

Craig Y Nos Castle sits in an lovely roadside/woodland setting at the top of the Swansea Valley and foothills of Bannau Brycheiniog/the Brecon Beacons National Park and offers something for everyone - Weddings, Murder Mystery events, Castle Tours, Ghost Tours and overnight stays for guests exploring the area, on foot or by car.

COVID obviously had a big impact on the business, with it having so many different business/revenue strands, however it is good to hear things are looking up and that the business continues to grow and evolve from it. It's great to hear that groups are now starting to come for Castle Tours that include a light lunch or tea & cake. Congratulations too on your recent Wedding Finalist and Wedding Winner awards for 2022/2023.

Behind the scenes, there has been huge investment made in terms of upgraded CCTV, WiFi, Fire Alarm system and new log burners to name just a few aspects.

The Bedrooms and Bathrooms seen continue to present to a good/very good overall standard and all appeared clean and well maintained, albeit some rooms had noticeable decor scuffs, so ideally these could be touched up/repainted as and when bookings allow, to ensure guests' first impressions on entering them are good ones. Some Bedroom carpets have been replaced and others will be replaced as needed and as funds allow.

The Gate House, with it being where brides usually leave from of a morning, would benefit from an external name plaque, weeding around the external walls (to ensure great photos) and re-sanding of the wooden floor. In addition to this, upstairs, the paint work needs attention and also the peeling bath panel needs replacing.

(Rooms seen this year: 13, 24, 25, 28, 34, The Loft, Theatre 1st Floor Flat and the Bridal Suite).

The website is being upgraded and the pages simplified, to make them easier for guests to navigate and select their area of interest, in terms of future bookings.

You have two Visit Wales Product Listings, one for your Accommodation and one for your Castle Tours - both need updating, so that they present in the new refreshed format and both definitely need better quality images. You can now add links to your social media pages too.  Please also check the number of rooms and your prices.

Craig Y Nos Castle has maintained its 3 Star Guest Accommodation rating following this year's DAY visit.


Letters

18/01/2024: Good morning to all the staff art Craig y Nos. just wanted to say a huge thank you to you all for making my birthday so memorable last week. Young and not so young , not to mention all the dogs, had a great time and we’d all like to come again. Kindest regards Mary Ford

29/08/2023: To the staff at Craig Y Nos, My husband and I just returned from our very short trip to the UK.  One of the highlights of our visit was our stay at Craig Y Nos. We were only there for one night, but we loved everything about it.  Lisa at reception was so kind to stay a bit past her shift to show us around when we showed up later than expected for our check-in, and Gwen was lovely when we chatted with her at our delicious breakfast the next morning. The castle is beautiful and the surrounding views are breathtaking. Thank you again for our wonderful stay! Roxanne Beaton and Collin Wade

Craig y Nos Castle Dog Friendly B&B
Enjoy a Homely Welcome and Friendly Service at Craig y Nos Castle
Copyright Dog Friendly Wales and Jack the Dog
Back to content