Guests say
White Roses Retreat in Betws-y-Coed is a well-received holiday cottage, praised for its comfort, stunning location, and excellent facilities, including a hot tub. Guests appreciate the peaceful surroundings, the property's cleanliness, and the thoughtful touches such as luxurious toiletries. While some minor maintenance issues are noted, the overall experience is one of relaxation and enjoyment in a beautiful Welsh village.
The majority of guests report the cottage as spotlessly clean and comfortable. However, a few reviews mention issues such as a damp feeling, cobwebs, and a woodlouse infestation, which slightly lower the score.
The location is highly praised for its quietness, scenic views, and proximity to local attractions and amenities. It serves as an excellent base for walking and sightseeing, contributing to a high score.
Guests find the beds and pillows comfortable, and the overall atmosphere cosy and welcoming. The presence of a hot tub adds to the comfort level, although some guests noted the property felt cluttered.
Facilities are generally well-regarded, especially the hot tub and well-equipped interiors. However, points are deducted for reported maintenance issues such as a non-working fire, overgrown garden, and a broken toilet seat.
While some guests mention thoughtful touches like welcome packages and luxurious toiletries, there is inconsistency in their provision, with some guests not receiving these items. As such, it cannot be guaranteed that these gifts will be provided to all guests.
About this property
This charming, single-storey property, White Roses Retreat, is located down a quiet lane in the Welsh village of Penmachno. Just a short drive away from Betws-y-Coed and the Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, this one-bedroom bungalow makes an idyllic escape for a couple. The cottage has been tastefully decorated to provide a lovely, homely holiday retreat and arranged all on one level means it could be suitable for those who can find stairs a little challenging. A spacious sitting room has an intimate dining area and boasts a large picture window overlooking the garden and encompassing hillside and countryside scenery, with seating which makes for a lovely romantic evening in, after a busy day exploring. The galley-style kitchen is a pristine space with everything you need for a self-catering stay, including an electric oven, induction hob and fridge/freezer, as well as a sophisticated coffee maker with milk frother and pods, waffle maker, and baking equipment with recipe books. The integrated plinth heater ensures no cold feet! The bedroom is well-appointed and has a king-size double and a large double wardrobe. The shower room, right next to the bedroom, is contemporary with a quadrant shower cubicle, basin and WC. The small hall way is the ideal place to hang up wet clothes and put muddy boots, ready for another day of adventures. Outside your delightful holiday cottage is a lovely patio area extending to a garden area, both with seating, making a lovely place to sit out and enjoy your morning cuppa and in the evening is perfect for alfresco dining. Penmachno is a pretty village with some wonderful walks on the doorstep through some lovely unspoilt countryside and forests, providing ideal opportunities to do some wildlife and birdwatching. There is some excellent fishing and the famous Penmachno mountain bike trails are located across the valley and are hidden gems of North Wales Mountain biking. The Eagles local pub offers a warm welcome and the small, friendly bar serves traditional ales, selected from some of the best local breweries, as well as home-cooked meals on a Friday and Saturday. Betws-y-Coed is a short four-mile drive away, home to Eryri’s (Snowdonia) visitor centre and offers a wide range of pubs, shops and cafés as well as a splendid golf course. For visiting thrill-seekers, enjoy a few hours at nearby Blaenau Ffestiniog, now acclaimed to be one of the adventure capitals of North Wales, home to Zip World Titan, the longest zip wire in Europe, Bounce Below and Zip Caverns, a subterranean system of trampolines and zip wires deep underground, and of course there is the famous Ffestiniog Steam Railway for something a little more relaxing. The popular seaside town of Llandudno is within easy reach, as is the popular Surf Snowdonia, and the Cardigan Bay coastline with numerous sandy beaches are just waiting to be discovered. White Roses Retreat provides the ideal base if you’re seeking a getaway from it all location at any time of the year.
Penmachno is a small, calm village in the Machno Valley, about 4 miles from Betws-y-Coed, in the magnificent Machno Valley. The entire area, which is surrounded by woodland, gorgeous mountains, and flowing rivers, is a refuge for walkers, birdwatchers, mountain bikers, and climbers, while Betws-y-Coed town has a fair selection of stores, bars, and cafes. The River Conwy meets its three tributaries here, resulting in a plethora of cascading waterfalls, river pools, and historic bridges throughout the surrounding countryside, the most famous of which is the magnificent Swallow Falls, which is located where the River Llugwy meets a spectacular chasm, creating a sight not to be missed!
Accommodation
Single-storey.
One king-size bedroom.
Shower room with walk-in shower, basin and WC.
Kitchen.
Living/dining room.
Gas central heating.
Electric oven, induction hob, combination microwave, fridge/freezer, washing machine, coffee maker.
Smart TV with Freeview, DVD player, WiFi, selection of books, games and DVDs.
Fuel and power included in rent.
Bed linen and one set of towels included in rent.
Dedicated parking space for 1 car approximately 50 yards away, guests can park outside the property for a short time to unload luggage.
Raised patio area with table and chairs, lower garden.
Sorry, no smoking and no pets.
Shop and pub 0.1 miles.
Note: Although the cottage is arranged on one level, there are 2 internal steps up to the bedroom and a very shallow step down into the shower room.
Note: 2 adults max' (no children).
Note: The rear door to the garden has a low head height and there are steps onto the front patio and further steps down to the garden.
Note: Fuel and power included in rent unless boiler is kept on all night
Nearby points of interest
- Snowdonia National Park
- Zip World Penrhyn Quarry
- National Slate Museum
Reviews (17)
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Sasha
Was better than expected and beyond our expectations. The decor was so beautiful, cute and funky. Lovely colours and finishings. Hottub was one of the best we have had, water was super hot, jets really strong and various settings and lovely lights which you could change colours. Bed was very comfy. Lots of extra pillows. There was extra blankets (which we didnât need). There was even a fan and hot water bottle in the cupboard. Literally all the extras you could think of and more. Kitchen was fab. Small but absolutely big enough. No shortage of cutlery or crockery. There was even lunch boxes which we used for our picnics. The coffee machine was amazing. It was a Sage. One of the best. Takes nesspresso pods. We took some with us but the owners even sent us some. I had so many coffees which were just delightful and such a lovely extra we didnât expect :). Cooker and microwave were brilliant. Also the dishwasher was as great to. Hearing was very good. There were big modern radiators in ever room and the place got so cosy very quickly. Comfy sofa, again lots of pillows and blankets, foot stool, extra cosy touches. There were some books, games and DVDs, which we didnât use but again a great extra and there if you needed. Tv was modern and big enough. Netflix to (have to use your own account) we watched films most evenings which was lovely after a long day of adventures and a relaxing dip in the tub. We donât normally get time in our busy lives to be able to chill and relax and the evenings so it was just so nice. The shower was great, powerful and hot. LED heated mirror in the bathroom, large sink with storage. There were some toiletries there to, we didnât really use any of our own. Again, lovely touch. The decor in the bedroom was so nice to, colourful an romantic. Plenty of storage space. Nice area by the boiler to put your shoes to and area to hang coats. There was even three dressing gowns which were a towel fabric, perfect for when using the hottub. As the radiators were so so warm when the heating was on we found out our pyjamas in there, get out the tub and put on our warm night clothes. Super lush. And location! Perfect. On our arrival a day and second day we walked from the cottage. One day we headed down the river and found some lovely waterfalls the next walk we went the other way and across the river through a forest and up the mountain. If you didnât want to drive anywhere you could have a lovely walking holiday right from the cottage. Most of the great places to visit in north wales were all very close. Including betws y coed. The famous Yr Wyddfa (tallest peak in wales), and we also went to portmeirion. There is a small shop in the village to, and a pub which serves food on certain days and believe drinks most days. We didnât visit but nice for us to let you know in this review. Other reviews mention damp. This is NOT the case. If it was it has been seen to. There are dehumidifiers in the property and the owners have made all efforts to prevent it. This is a very old property and it has lovely features teamed with modern quirky decor. Itâs small but more than big enough for short or long stays. There are no issues in our opinion with damp or any of the amenities, fixtures and fittings. Oh and a lovely dimmer light in the living room. Cosy and romantic. Some reviews have mentioned the garden. There is a large lawn at the bottom that does need a cut, but why you would want to spend time on the lawn I donât know. So not sure why ppl have complained about this. There is a lovely patio area. With rattan seating. I imagine in the summer we would have used this and spent time eating outside and sunbathing. The views from the property are lovely. There are cottages next door but not once did we feel like we were being overlooked. There is a good recycling system for rubbish. Bins with lables on inside so rig know where to put things. The bins outside were quite full. But this was due to bin day not occurring when we were there. And this was only paper/cardboard/glass/metal there was no food waste or anything unslightly outside and plenty of recycling/bins inside for a short stay. So not sure why I read a negative review about this either. The place is just fantastic. Value for money - well personally it was a bargain! There were no similar properties with hot tubs in good locations for this price. Shepardâs huts in peopleâs backyards cost more! So we really couldnât believe how fabulous it was for the price. We even had a Welsh hamper sent to us on our stay to. The internet is also very fast and good and easy to sign on to. Highly recommend and we will 100% be coming back soon. Thank you x
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Sarah
The road was very narrow, and there were vehicles parked in front preventing from seeing it. The guide was good, but a picture of the road approaching would be useful. The codes supplied for the key box and chain were both incorrect. Had to discover them ourselves. The cottage itself is very nice, as shown in the pictures. The entrance is into the small kitchen, Which is very nice. There is a Sage coffee machine, but no pods, and not knowing which pods we needed in advance meant we couldn't use it. The welcome book says there should be some provided as part of a welcome basket which was also missing. The living room is very cosy, and the window from the living room gives lovely views across the valley, You see some thing different every time you look out. However, this was spoiled as the window is dirty, and needs a good clean both inside and out. No welcome basket and no coffee pods etc which were mentioned in the welcome pack, and the welcome pack is jumbled and needs work too. The garden is a mess sorry to say, the lawn completely overgrown and unusable, and the patio has grass and weeds growing all over it (unlike the pictures). The hot tub was just amazing, in it everyday, Felt really relaxed every night The bedroom is just lovely, big, and well decorated and furnished. The bedroom is very cosy comfortable but used my own pillows, because I didn't like the ones supplied (they are quite bulky, and the mattress firm. Also, the bedroom door does not close properly. The bathroom is again nicely designed, but the toilet seat is broken and needs sorting. The shower is lovely loved using it, But again behind the glass door it's very dirty and looks like it hasn't been cleaned for a while and does not close properly. There is also No lock on bathroom door. The rubbish. The bin was full so couldn't put our rubbish in it, so had to leave it on top of the bin. You need to let people know when they stay there when the rubbish needs to be taken out and if anything is necessary like taking it down the road, and what dates. But really I just want to say I enjoyed my stay, It is a lovely bungalow Quiet, relaxing, comfortable, and lovely walks, lots of waterfalls and streams around. Definitely recommend this place. But I feel you need to get on top of cleaning and maintenance, especially in the bathroom, windows and back garden.
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Roy
The views from the lounge and small bedroom window were fabulous! Although the wood burner is no longer in use the radiators are more than adequate to maintain a snuggly comfortable atmosphere. We really did enjoy our stay here and would not hesitate returning again some time. The quality of the decoration and the equipment is first class. Unfortunately on arrival the recycling bins were over flowing because the collections were not being taken due to (we suspect) previous occupants not grading the recycling items correctly! Sorted now with help from the very friendly neighbour! Overall an excellent relaxing week in a delightful part of Wales!