James’ Place @ Dowlais

The hall decor was funky, the bike theme came across and old plumping. The owners, when hearing how upset I eas did tried to find alternative accommodation unfortunately, unsuccessful. They kindly refunded two nights and I drove back home, disappointed in my first Wales visit.

The location, I felt unsafe, the room needs some TLC, it was in a shared house, not my cup of tea, perfect for perhaps uni students used to sharing space

Good location for walks on the brecon beacons. Good location for takeaways and supermarket for own cooking Loved the quirky decor

The sofa bed was uncomfortable to sit on to watch TV.

El apartamento era bonito y se puede aparcar sin problema y gratis. La cocina pequeña pero con todo lo necesario para preparar el desayuno. Aunque nunca vimos a los anfitriones, nos enviaron mucha información de la zona, sitios turísticos y restaurantes donde comer.

En el baño había muy poca luz y el espejo era diminuto. El colchón estaba hundido por un lado.

Stylisch, sauber, einfach alles perfekt! Zur Begrüßung gab es Milch und Cookies ❤️ Sehr zu empfehlen!

Very clean spacious and smart

Nothing

Eigenlijk de sfeervolle inrichting alleen en de uitgebreide informatie van de host via mailcontact

Het bed was veel te krap , zowel qua breedte als qua lengte: voor mensen van 1.85 en langer is dit zeker niet comfortabel helaas ( kan best langere matras in frame maar zit er niet in waardoor speling aan achterzijde ) Helaas ook geen zitmogelijkheid in vorm van stoel of bank….. Verder erg gehorig door houten vloeren ( wanneer iemand boven je niets vreemds doet en alleen maar loopt of wat schuift hoor je dat erg goed…ook doortrekken van toiletspullen zelfde lawaai ).

Coffee, tea and the cakes also dog biscuits

Staff hadn't checked that the doors shut properly and there was no lock on the bathroom door. The owner doesn't put what studios are which and when we arrived the sofa bed left no room to move and there was 3 of us and a dog. All the owner said in reply to my complaint is how well his business is doing and even sent me bookings for the following week! Also there was no instructions on how to use the hob, even the cleaner had to call someone to help her!

Good location for our trip, everything was as advertised

Very quirky property, clean and comfortable host was very pleasant.

Nice interior!

Everything was inplace to welcome us and provided for our stay. From the milk and Welsh cakes to the hairdryer and steam iron. Loved having a private courtyard. The information I received before my stay was amazing, very helpful. Comfortable bed and thick cotton sheets and towels. I loved it all.

I can not think of a single thing. I loved everything.

Jacuzzi

Le matelas est à remplacer Humidité dans l'appartement

Nicely decorated apartment, good parking facility and convenience store opposite

Pot lids missing and some flimsy cooking utensils. No space to dry crockery. Smell of damp.

It was clean, decor was nice

Location wasn’t great. The hotel next door had loud music throughout the evening& there was no where reasonable in walking to go for an evening meal.

Clean apartment with a very useful kitchenette. A very nice surprise, as from the outside it does not look as nice as it is inside. We enjoyed our stay

A rather small bathroom

Well maintained

All ok

Very easy code was given to us before arrival

It was spacious and clean.

Nothing, all was as expected.

Das Studio ist gut gelegen und hat grundsätzlich alles, was man braucht.

Das Bett ist viel zu klein für 2 Personen und die Matratze so durchgelesen, dass man jede Sprungfeder spürt. Die Badezimmertür schliesst nicht und das Geschirr war nicht sauber.

It was very cosy and easily accessible, I liked how we were given all the information needed prior to arriving.

Location, value for money, size of apartment

Noise from apartment above for a couple of hours

Clean, tidy, spacious and well equipped with everything you could need, even the stuff you don’t expect like shampoo, shower gel etc. very clean and lovely decor and furniture. Had milk and some lovely Welsh cakes in there on arrival.

Lack of parking, rude arrogant neighbour who wanted to see my parking permit that was in my car windscreen. Couldn’t have the windows open at night due to the cars racing around out the back all night.

Great location with close distance to many Wales must see spots. Nice apartment with interesting decor.

This didn't affect our stay, but could be improved. Mattress was smaller then bed frame, so sleeping are was much smaller then expected. We were missing clothing storage unit, any type chest of drawers or shelves would be good. We had to keep some clothing in bag during our stay. There were hangers available. Also floor wasn't the cleanest, walking in socks only was really showing the issue.

Nice spacious studio. Plenty of parking. Pretty much everything you need for a comfortable stay. Welsh cakes a nice touch. Lovely owners.

Für unseren Hund bereit gestellte Näpfe und Leckerlis. Kommunikation vorab mit Ausflugsempfehlungen und klare Anweisungen zum Check-in und Schlüsselbox.

Ambifrions molt amables Zona fàcil d'aparcar i ben comunicada. Aire acondicionat i tot el necessari. Terrassa amb jacuzzi. Zona molt tranquil·la ideal per sortir a gaudir de la natura.

Per dir alguna cosa, que no hi ha persianes ( com a la majoria de llocs fora d'Espanya) i et despertes aviat.

Clean and tidy

The area, the noise from the hotel yard at the back of the property, below our window!

We loved it. Amazing communication and recommendations for places to visit in the area were so detailed anduseful. The cleaning lady that I met in the mornings was so lovely and cheerful, beds were very comfortable. Beautiful room and the whole house design made it really special. Parking was very close and comfortable with being able to park in front of the door for carrying the suitcases. Also so many amazing places to visit with very short distance. Loved the recommend Haystack cafe for good breakfast and special atmosphere. Also fresh milk and Welsh cookies that we found waiting was beautiful touch. Thank you for lovely welcome.

We could have done with a bit more kitchen equipment and washing machine as we were staying 4 days. But this absolutely didn't affect us to feel happy and comfortable in our room.

Short

None

Quirky deco which I liked. Nice living / sleeping area. Separate kitchen and bathroom which was great.

Yale electronic fob was a little difficult, but it worked.

Décor and location

Nothing not to like

Clean and tidy

Not the best for someone with a dog especially if it's really hot weather as there is no facilities to let your dog go to the toilet. If I had known that I wouldn't have booked the holiday. Sorry

Il y a un parking à l'arrière de l'appartement qui est suffisamment grand pour trouver de la place à n'importe quelle heure. L'appartement lui-même est bien équipé. Il y a tout ce qu'il faut pour se faire à manger. Il est très joliment décoré.

Nous avons passé deux nuits, le premier soir il a eu de la musique car il y a une sorte de bar terrasse à l'arrière de l'immeuble, il y a eu du bruit pendant quelques heures. Le lendemain à nouveau du bruit mais moins longtemps.

Easy to access good parking

A bit noisy from other guest not the hosts fault

Cute quirky little Apartment good location with shops on your doorstep host responded to requests straight away and free parking right outside

Aesthetic, clean and comfortable stay with really helpful and friendly owners. Premier store and restaurants nearby.

We really enjoyed our short stay at this accommodation. Its proximity to Pen y Fan was a big draw, making it an ideal base for exploring the area. It’s also centrally located, easy to find, and had parking available, which was very convenient. The host was extremely helpful and provided great recommendations for places to visit, along with local spots to eat and drink, which really enhanced our experience in Wales. Overall, it served its purpose perfectly as a comfortable place to sleep during our short stay. A simple, convenient option in a great location.

There wasn’t much to fault during our stay, especially as we were only there for a short visit. The only minor downside was that, as we’re used to a king-size bed, this one felt a little smaller for us. However, we were still able to manage comfortably, and it didn’t impact our overall experience. Everything else suited our needs perfectly.

Was so relaxing. Bed is super comfy 😁

Pros - the location is indeed central to all of the things we planned to visit. The bedding and towels were clean. The Chinese takeaway across the road. Email information of things to do and places to go in local area. Clear check in/out instructions.

We booked James Place in Dowlais for 3 nights in May costing £262. We chose it based on the photos and it’s location in the middle of all of the hikes and activities that we had planned during our days and then to spend quiet evenings in to have dinner and some food… Overall really disappointing and frustrating that we paid what we did as we ended up using the place to sleep, staying out as long as possible. Getting food out. Not like our usual approach to trips and not reflective of a £87 per night… It needs an entire refresh… Cons - The smell of damp and musky. It gets worse over time and really hits you after a day out. This is evidently an ongoing issue based on previous reviews and the moister absorption bags hung up around. The bathroom - the shower is unusable. The water pressure is nonexistent and if you want more than a dribble it needs to be on cold settings. Again, this is a known issue as seen in previous reviews. Only two bath towels provided… no hand towel etc The sink drains at a snails pace and it all needs a good clean and repair based on cobwebs and tiles coming off the walls. The door sticks shut… Bedroom - only two pillows for the bed. Noisy/squeaky bed. The light attached to the right side of the bed had to be switched off and moved for safety as the flex looked damaged and in need of replacement. The decor, probably once was interesting and quirky… now is dated and appears to hold a lot of the musky smell, and it’s all taken a little to far when having to remove pinecones and rusty wrenches from the kitchen side where we’re trying to make a cup of tea… Just prior to leaving on the bedroom main light tripped the electricity in the whole studio… and we needed to inform the hosts. The lighting is problematic. In the lounge it’s uncomfortably bright but in the bathroom to dark with to small a mirror to see what you’re doing… The location, it really is packed in like sardines. And it’s not quiet as at the back is a hotel garden. The park

Lekkere douche. Goede parkeer plek.

Het bed was echt waardeloos. Het matras was te klein voor het bed. Het gleed alle kanten op. Het broodrooster deed het niet . We zaten in studio 4. Ook waren er geen normale stoelen om op te zitten. Alleen 2 krukjes. Je kon s’avonds ook niet in bed lezen, omdat het matras naar beneden zakte. Erg rumoerig door hotel naast ons.

Property has everything you need, very clean and staff are very friendly and helpful. Hot tub was a massive bonus needed for a lazy day after a gig. There's a lovely Chinese opposite and a premier shop to get necessities. We will definitely be booking again in the near future.

Nothing, everything was fantastic.

Felt safe and good explanation of how to get into property . I had a problem with the tv and they tried to sort it out over the phone very quickly. Lovely to have welshcakes very tasty.

Lovely room but the towel rail in the bathroom did not come on so difficult to dry the towels and felt cold when showering g . Otherwise perfect

James’ Place is conveniently located close to many attractions around Brecon Beacons, with a free car park just around the corner. The room was clean and the kitchen was fully equipped. We weren’t sure how to use the heater at first, but when we reached out for help, they responded immediately, which was really helpful. Definitely will come back!

Gli host sono molto gentili, la camera è attrezzata con tutto il necessario e arredata con cura.

L’unica cosa migliorabile è il bagno che è un po’ datato forse, sia il rubinetto del lavandino che la doccia.

Very well and neatly kept. Felt safe. Very cozy place and had all the facilities needed.

On a nice location, nice and clean. Decent kitchen and multiple TV’s was a bonus.

Noisy neighbours, Bathtub was full of chlorine, didn’t dare to touch it.

We have stayed here before and the room this time was bigger, so we felt we had more space. Everything we needed was provided in the kitchen and the bathroom. It was conveniently situated for us for visiting relatives in the area and the arrangements for access were easy to follow.

The room was quite cold at times and we were not able to adjust the heating.

It was very clean, comfortable beds and enjoyed hot tub

Was expecting to be able to turn sofa bed into a sofa to sit on

Highly recommend

I stayed in studio 2 which is not the one in the above photo. I had a great stay and slept well on the comfortable bed. I drove through the Brecon Beacons on a route provided by James. It was great, climbed to the top of the waterfall too. The scenery was fantastic, in the afternoon I took a trip on the mountain railway steam train which is very nearby 😊

If I had a wish list I would have liked a small chest of drawers (maybe on the wall where the clock is?) as there was nowhere to store clothing apart from hanging rail. Second thing on my wish list would be a dish drainer 😊

It was easy to get keys, rooms were clean, towels changed after a few days, very quiet, great for a short stay, fast response of the owner, good kitchen utensils, excellent wifi. Stores and laundromat at walking distance, so is the bus stop. Great for short stay.

No storage space, there was some black mold in the bathroom and place can get quite chilly as radiators existed only in bathrooms and worked on low setting, thermostat was unresponsive. Lot of long emails after booking were a bit owerwhelming as you needed to go through all of that to distill important check-in information.

Clean and comfortable. Communication with hosts was prompt and friendly.

Dowlais itself has little to offer.

Lovely stay Everything you need The hosts were responded quickly and helped with any questions

The shower was a little weak

The property was spotless and visually stunning, with a smooth and hassle-free check-in and check-out process.

James and Angela were extremely helpful with information and recommendations leading up to our stay. Entering the property was simple. We only stayed 1 night and the property had everything we needed for our short stay. Quirky decor and lovely touch with fresh Welsh cakes and milk. We had the added bonus of a hot tub (which did cost extra) but was much needed and a fantastic add on.

Unfortunately we had a damp/mould smell in our studio which hit as soon as we entered and was very strong during our stay. Other issue was the bed was extremely creaking and loud. Every movement made the bed would creak and would wake myself or my partner. Pretty chilly in Studio 1 so we did have to wrap up even with the heating on.

Very neat and nice ambience

Atmosphere

Cute studio, was ideal for our little hiking weekend away in Brecon Beacons. Dog friendly which was great.

Door was squeaky which I know is picky but when we took our dog out for a pee at 3am, i was scared of waking up others in building.

Funky decor and a kitchen

We had booked for three and had thought there would be a separate bedroom. However it was a double bed and a sofa bed. This took up the whole room. We could hardly get past it for the bathroom. It was not comfortable layout at all.

I got very detailed information on how to get in and out which was very helpful and lots of recommendations on what to do which I thought was amazing! Beds are super comfy and it’s just an overall great stay🩷 It’s only 15/20 min drive from pen y fan if you’re looking to do that hike.

The water pressure wasn’t the best in the shower and the temp was hard to work out but that’s all really. Fox decor in the front window was amusing and a little creepy🤣🤣 It is a super quiet area which I didn’t realise at first but other than that I really have nothing else bad to say!

Very clean and very welcoming and loved the welsh cakes and there was plenty of choice for food around the area this is the third time I have stayed in these places one in pontmorlais twice in Dowlais and each time loved the place place

There was nothing didn't like

Very clean

I like that it was central to doing lots of different activities and had 2 amazing restaurants and dog friendly was well decorated lovely and well situated and james was amazing with the list of amazing places to go so much choice

Easy check in

Had to move rooms because previous stay left with key and we preferred the room we booked.

Need tidy and cosy place. H*St and stuff were lovely, provided doggie snacks, bowls, and towels.

Quirky, had all we needed, great location

Floors were filthy, they need a good clean

Customer service was excellent.

Everything was as expected

It wasnt a hassle

We had the best stay! The property is very well looked after, with everything one might need for a quiet getaway: the kitchen is very well equipped with good kitchenware, the bathroom is clean and functional. The main space is nicely organized. The bed is really comfy, and the TV is larger than the one we have at home! We spent our holiday hiking in the Brecon Beacons and walking around some of the reservoirs in the area, and had home made dinners with a film on after. A side note - the public transport is amazing, with a bus stop on the doorstep of the flat. We will definitely come back!

Everything that was needed for a few nights away, loved the private outside space also

The sofa bed… maybe more big cushions or something, was just a little uncomfortable for sitting on but thats nit picking really! We still give it a 10/10

The location is great, close to many attractions, and having shops nearby is a big plus. The room was well decorated, very clean, and had everything we needed. The kitchen was especially useful for preparing meals, and we appreciated the door separating the kitchen from the room, which helped avoid food smells. Everything was spotless, and bedding, towels, toiletries, and kitchen equipment were all provided. Room was well heated and comfortable. Check-in was easy, and overall we loved everything about the place. No complaints at all.

Nothing. Everything was exceptional.

The host was very accommodating and easy to get hold of with any issues. The place was comfortable and easy to access with a free car park next door. We were able to come and go as we pleased.

The property photos on the ad did not reflect the studio(s) we stayed in. The kitchen cutlery/crockery were a little worn and limited but otherwise well equipped.

Being a female solo traveler, I felt so safe staying at the property. Great value for money. Easy access to come and go as you please. Great location, quiet, neighbourhood, easy parking outside the property. Local shop over the road, easy link to dual carriageway, and huge Asda. Clean, Spacious studio with cooking facilities. Comfy bed and loved having Disney and Netflix access in the evening. Great decor inside the property, very quirky. I will definitely be back again .

Nothing, all was great.

What can we say, this place and property were unbelievable! Without doubt the best value for money we've come across. We literally couldn't of asked for more! The host was unbelievably helpful, and the accommodation had everything. We are definitely coming back!

Nothing, this place is amazing

Great location, lovely clean quirky accommodation. Warm and Inviting, with fab decor. Will definitely stay again .

Hubby and I are average size people but found the duvet and blanket were a little small and extra pillows available would have been nice. But it’s only a preference not a criticism.

Everything nothing unfortunately I liked everything about place,they cater for my disability

As I said not to like

room was stylish and we had everything we need, even milk and tea, Welsh cakes for arrival. some chocolates which my 10 year old was really happy about :)

bathroom needs a bit of update like shower was a bit wobbly but it was still ok for the stay, maybe something in the future to consider on less busy times to replace.

Very clean, comfortable, lovely location and brilliant price! Thank you for such a warm welcome, lovely Welsh cakes and chocolate left which is a lovely touch.

Nothing, was perfect!

Quirky decor, comfortable bed free tea, coffee and 2 Welsh cakes also tv in the bedroom was a bonus

Interestingly decor,clean studio with everything I needed in it. The owners had sent me a lot of information about the are some days prior which was incredibly helpful to plan my visit.

I wouldn’t say I didn’t like it, it’s more a mention that the bathroom did not look like in the photos. It was basic but clean .

Beautiful place the pictures don't do it justice will definitely be back

We had all the facilities we needed, and it was clean and comfortable. The check-in and out instructions were detailed and clear.

Lovely themed suite. Had everything I needed. Very comfortable bed and temperature was very nice. Very clean and tidy. Would stay again as so close to Brecons National park.

I had a couple of issues with the TV but got there in the end. Think batteries in remote may need changing.