A luxury B&B in Brecon Beacons, Wales
It's fair to say most accommodation these days is obsessed with prefixing something to their type. Whether it's boutique or luxury, studio or budget. You'll be hard pux shed to find a standard B&B or hotel in an area when trying to be different is what sells.
While most use these new twists on the traditional types of accommodation, do they really live up to their name? We had the pleasure of visiting the beautiful Brecon Beacons in Wales recently as part of our Great British Road Trip and stayed at a self-proclaimed "Luxury Bed & Breakfast". The Ty Croeso B&B is located just outside Crickhowell up a winding country lane, this 19th century Infirmary building sits like a proud relic from a bygone era overlooking the town below. Its been a hotel in form or another for over 15 years but only in the last 12 months has it had a new owner and a new lease of life. So would it live up to the Luxury label its been given?
The infirmary building is split in to two halves. The family home of Cory and Alexandra Johnson with their two children. The other half of the building is a beautifully renovated and equally well styled interior. We were greeted by Cory who gave us welcome hot drink and very tasty Welsh cakes, something I'm now totally addicted to! He gave us some great tips on what to see and where to go both in the nearby town for dinner and lunch but also the surrounding area, filled with some great outdoor activities and museums.
Our room
Ascending the stairs to our bedroom, we passed numerous unusual trinkets and ornaments, eye-catching objects with subtle styling is definitely the theme here and our room was much the same. A cosy and complete room with cupboard, dresser, TV, gorgeous inviting bed and fantastic views of the surrounding area outside the window. One of those views that makes you look forward to opening the curtains each morning to watch the fluffy clouds glide above the hills and fields.
The bathroom was also well equipped with all the lotions you could ever need and elegant styling to boot. A bath with shower as well although the shower was a bit week and could do with a power boost. Other features of the room include a decent selection of tea, coffee and hot chocolate and even a digital (DAB) radio to wake up to in the mornings.
Lounge and dining
The real feature for me was the lounge and dining area. An immaculately styled room with high ceiling and ample space for a few 2 seater dining tables. A support pillar in the centre of the room is a natural distinction between dining and lounge areas. The latter of which has two very comfortable sofas facing towards an enclosed gas fireplace. The warm low lighting and flickering flames are the perfect way to unwind after a day on your feet in the Brecon Beacons. Made all the most cosy with the promise of more Welsh cakes from Alexandra.
The styling in this room is what really sets this place apart from a lot of other B&Bs we've stayed in on our road trip. The attention to detail is impeccable and there's so many interesting things to look at. I especially loved the cart-wheeling child statue by the window, the enormous wooden clock and my favourite, the fruit bowl which was an old greengrocer's scales. The views from the windows were always enjoyable, the daytime lighting was just right for breakfast and the warm lighting in the evening always invited me back rather than spending time in our room.
Activities out and about
The town of Crickhowell nearby is a cute little town, perfect for those cafe lunches and pub dinners. We really enjoyed the food at the Bear Hotel and their impressive Christmas "snow scene" as you enter. Further out in the Brecon Beacons we discovered the unusual castle keep of Tretower that sits behind a number of farm houses in a small village. Around 30 minutes away is the town of Abergavenny where we enjoyed an award-winning Afternoon Tea at the impressive Angel Hotel. We also had a chance to try out their electric vehicle and zip up to the Big Pit mining museum a few miles away.
Thanks to Drover Cycles we also had the opportunity to try their electric power assisted bicycles, a great way to get some exercise and see more of the surrounding area. They kindly delivered the bikes to the Ty Croeso B&B and picked them up the next morning. Another great way to enjoy the beautiful countryside in the Brecon Beacons is on a pony trek. We visited the Tregoyd Horse Riding centre and spend a wonderful afternoon with our horses Jimbo and Blaze exploring the countryside of the Brecon Beacons national park.
Check out our video from our 2 full days in the Brecon Beacons.
Living up to their name
The Ty Croeso did a great job of living up to its name as a luxury bed and breakfast. Both the bed and the breakfast were perfect. The surroundings were cosy and friendly, great after a day exploring the Brecon Beacons, the owners Cory and Alexandra were friendly and did a great job of making our stay a warm and welcome one. It's great to see people taking pride in their business and really looking after their customers well. With just 4 rooms is a quiet and exclusive feel to the place and somewhere I hope to visit again some day.
Our thanks to Cory and Alexandra for their hospitality at the Ty Croeso luxury bed and breakfast in the Brecon Beacons. Also thanks to Tregoyd Horse Riding, The Angel Hotel, Abergavenny, Electric Vehicle Initiative Brecon Beacons, The Big Pit and Drover Cycles for supporting our Great British Road Trip project.
