Harlech Apartments - Gwern

We have stayed at this property many times and usually everything is good.

However, on this occasion there was no central heating in the property. Inadequate electric heaters were provided. During our stay, it appeared that the heating may have been an ongoing issue, and the property continued to be marketed without this being made clear. Even in the week that we were there with no central heating, other apartments were being advertised without this being noted.

It's a lovely place to stay, and the views are as good as they look in the photos, if not better.

There was an issue with 4 lights bulbs not working, these were replaced after a couple of days, it would have been nice if these were proactively maintained.

Fab apartment with amazing views.

Fully equipped kitchen. Free parking and 3 day pass for us to the castle, which was well with a visit. Would highly recommend. Hope to return again soon. Lovely central location.

We did not stay due to hospital appointment.

Had tried to change booking or cancel but could not contact anybody which seems to be general case.

really nice apartment with great views ;shame about Harlech not much there.

Overall a good experience.

Comfortable and well equipped. Some niggles - very little toilet paper so had to dash out to get some, grubby draining board and no scourer/ dishcloth, make your own bed and no cooker/hob instructions. Fantastic location.

Everything was just perfect.

Beautiful apartment with the most stunning views. Location was easy to get to and as soon as you open the door, you know it was worth the drive. The local pub is so welcoming and the corner shop, selling all fresh food and veg, is worth a visit. Really couldn't ask for anywhere better to stay in North Wales. Only feedback I would offer is there wasn't a broom or hoover, so wasn't able to leave the property as clean as we could have liked. Thank for a lovely day : )

There were minor faults at the property, but none of these mattered compared with the wonderful views There was excellent service from Menai Holidays who sent a repair man out within a few hours of my reporting a faulty microwave The only serious potential problem is the car parking which needs to be policed properly.

We went out by train most days, so we didn't have a problem ourselves All in all, a lovely place to stay

Nice apartment, great views, parking a bonus in the centre of Harlech.

Enjoyed our stay.

What an amazing place to stay.

The location is breathtaking. With the castle right in front of you and views of the sea and the mountains all around. The apartment is beautifully decorated, modern and fresh. The bed is so soft and comfortable. If I had to find a fault with the apartment the only thing I could point out is the lack of a socket next to a mirror to dry and style my hair. There is a full length mirror in the bed room and a mirror over the sink in the bathroom. But there is no socket. In fact the only sockets in the bed room are for the bedside lights, and they are an unusual size ( not standard) I ended up doing my hair in the kitchen with a compact mirror I had luckily packed with me. Obviously this would not be an issue for everyone. The only other problem we encountered was when we arrived there wasn't an allocated parking space free. It turned out that a member of staff from the castle was parking in one of the apartment spaces. Something he continued to do every day, to avoid having to pay parking I can only assume. We were able to park every other day, but I imagine if all the apartments were full and we all wanted to be able to park during castle opening hours this could be a real problem.i must add that the castle cafe is brilliant with great staff and delicious food, the home made cakes were amazing. We will definitely be staying again, and would book the same apartment. Gwern

Beautiful property, the views are phenomenal.

We're already planning to stay there again the next time we visit North Wales. The only real areas for improvement we could think of was a more stable WiFi, provision of bin bags (as we ended up needing to buy our own for the general rubbish bin), and for any instructions regarding shut down to be included in the guest information book rather than emailed (as not everyone checks their emails on holiday). Otherwise this was the loveliest property and we already miss it!

Gwern was a delightful apartment, well designed with comfortable and high quality furnishings.

Fabulous views from every window - perfect for Harlech sunsets! We enjoyed visiting the castle (very helpful CADW staff) and the on-site cafe. Y Groser Food Emporium just around the corner was perfect for breakfast pastries and excellent local produce. We are already planning our return visit!

1.

Some good quality fittings and beautiful new sofa. 2. Great views especially whilst dinning. 3. Bigger duvet (king size) would be appreciated. 4. Housekeeping requires more time between lettings (bathroom mirror dirty, low level dusting of radiator fins, and high level dusting of bathroom extraction grills required). 5. Parking pass great idea, no issues with parking during the stay. 6. Would book again.

A nice stay and lovely apartment.

Kitchen a bit limited for space due to large dining table. No complaints and very nice apartment.

A nice flat in a good location.

WiFi very poor, could be addressed by signal booster. Seating not comfortable. Very efficient and effective response from staff about lack of parking permit. Problem was resolved quickly.

I have already recommended this apartment to friends.

We had a lovely week, everything was exactly as advertised and better in most cases. The position of the apartment was perfect, the stunning views were glorious and we were in pole position for a trip in to the Castle whenever we wanted. Really clean and well appointed, beautifully furnished. The kitchen was properly equipped to cook a meal and we did on several nights just to enjoy the views from the table. Allocated parking included right in the heart of the Town. A delightful edible gift of Welsh goodies as a welcome and Jackdaws keeping an eye on us from outside the windows. We plan to return, thank you for providing a perfect holiday stay for us.

Lovely apartment, everything was to a very high standard.

Would highly recommend

The apartment was very clean, warm and welcoming.

We have stayed in several of the Harlech apartments and have always enjoyed them. This time was as good as any previous stay. Some reviews mentioned drain smell from shower which we certainly did not, so presumably that issue was fixed. Heating was great and there were several electric heaters just in case there were problems - we didn't need these. Only comment is if you have visited in the past be aware that you do not get any milk supplied now.

Generally excellent, obvious problem with damp or leak on ceiling and wall.

Could do with more cutlery. Toaster was dangerous as scalding hot to touch and burns tips of fingers. Would be nice for salt and pepper to be provided as its a basic condiment.

Very enjoyable stay in Gwern.

Clean, comfortable and well equipped apartment with wonderful views of mountains, coast and castle! Heating and ventilation were good, after working out how to open secondary glazing units to access sash windows! Car park very busy in day, so problematic if returning before 5 pm, even in mid October. Lift is a waste of space, only goes to first floor, this is not made clear in description. We tried using lift to take bags to first floor, it kept stopping, took about 5 minutes, our total weight including bags was under 200 kg, limit is shown as 400 kg. Good area to visit with many attractions

It was a really really nice apartment, well equipped and with lovely furnishings and all the mod cons and in a good location with great views and with parking.

However, the weather was changing and the heating didn’t seem to work. We checked and followed the instructions in the folder but the radiators didn’t come on. We resorted to using the electric heater in the end but it didn’t really heat the apartment sufficiently. There was a sign saying that the heat pump takes a while to get going but in the three days that we were there it didn’t seem to manage it. The internet was almost non existent, luckily we had lots of data on our phones.

Absolutely fantastic apartment.

Great views, clean and bright. Only criticism would be a slight drain smell in the bathroom and the tv had the wrong cable so didn’t work. We swapped it with the one in the bedroom so it worked, but others may have struggled as the remote needed new batteries also. Other than that, it was the perfect location and we will definitely be back.

Had a lovely stay beautiful apartment and beautiful views wished we could have stayed longer

We loved this little apartment apart from two things.

The suds is well overdue for boards underneath the seats and for the seats to be refilled. We ended up using our pillows to sit on to get comfortable. The bathroom has a musty drain smell which filters into the bedroom, we overcame this by putting the bath mat over the shower drain and buying a reef diffuser which soon made everything a while lot more pleasant. The only other comment would be we we unsure what was left by the previous occupants and what we had to replace I.E. toilet roll, kitchen roll, cooking foil. 10 out 10 for the plant based soaps, washing up liquid and cleaning products, so lovely to see a business being environmentally friendly. The welcome pack was a lovely touch too. This is a great base for exploring the northwest coast of Wales and such amazing views. Would come back again

Our stay at Gwern apartment was lovely the views are spectacular and it has great little shops close by, at night it is so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

but we had no WiFi for the first five day for some reason.

Unfortunately WiFi wasn't working for the duration of are stay.

Lovely apartment but sofa was a little tired and uncomfortable. The pictures on the website are a bit misleading as it shows a picture of toiletries which didn't materialise. Overal,l lovely stay incredible views.

Three issues: - suggest you replace some of the plug sockets with joint plus/usb sockets.

I was not able to charge up my phone. - more plug sockets all round, only 2 available in the lounge area - there are red flashing lights operating all night outside the castle cafe. These are visible in the apartment despite closing the curtains. This was so intrusive it prevented us sleeping

The apartment was clean, comfortable with fantastic views of Snowdonia.

The kitchen was well equipped once we overcame the child lock on the hob (good phone reception to access the web for guidance), the fridge did need defrosting. The location was outstanding so close to the castle but harlech appears to have struggled and dies after 18:00.

We have stayed in this apartment and other apartments at the Castle.

On numerous occasions we have had to speak up about the bedding. The first time we stayed when we had to strip the bed because of covid there was a large urine stain on the mattress. Second stay at Gwern there were hairs in the bed and had cleaners come to change them and the last straw taking the bedding off again another yellow patch on the mattress protector. Thinking no-one was listening and the thought of sleeping on it again put shudders down our spine and therefore cancelled two further bookings. Also I agree with the settee is not at all comfortable like sitting on the frame. So sad because we loved the views and peace. Nothing ever seems to be addressed so the leaking shower also continues.

The apartment is lovely.

A mirror near a socket for drying hair as the lead is very short. Sofa seat was uncomfortable as the stuffing appeared to have seen better days, so it felt like you were sitting on the frame. The outside lights from the cafe flickered at night ( i believe this may be a fault), this impacted on the quality of sleep, even with the curtains closed it came through the side and also flickered on the ceiling. The shower head/hose leaks. Parking is a problem as people do not take notice of the designated parking area whether this be the 3 set aside or those allocated in the public car park. We had to park in the disabled parking because of this, which I know upset at least one couple.

The apartment was light, bright, airy and very comfortable and we would stay again.

However, the showerhead is still leaking with more water coming out of the joint with the hose than out of the showerhead itself. This issue has been highlighted on many previous reviews but the problem persists. The lightbulb in the cooker hood needs replacing. We did email Menai Holidays about these issues. You need to specify in your marketing material that the lift only goes to the first floor. This was not an issue for us but the stairs to the second floor apartments are a problem for anyone with limited mobility.

The apartment was a little smaller than we anticipated but well appointed, the biggest issue is or was the constant smell of drains in the bedroom.

We spoke to your team on Saturday morning following a poor night The Cadw maintenance team responded immediately( on your behalf I assume ) with some strong disinfectant for the bathroom shower and wash basin. This provided some relief but this was the beginning of disinfectant applications throughout the week as the only method of relieving the hideous odour This definitely cast a shadow on our stay and would I recommend the apartment- unfortunately not though the local staff were really helpful These facilities need to be constantly flushed if the smell is to be reduced and I am sure I am not the first guest to comment as I have Unfortunately being a Past Chairman and Captain at Royal St Davids I have been asked how my stay in the apartments went so I had to be somewhat circumspect with my response

Beautiful apartment with everything you could need .

We had a lovely weeks stay . The place was really clean , the bed was really comfortable and the welcome package was gratefully received and delicious . Only slight criticism is the Wi-Fi is very weak and sometimes didn’t work at all which effected the smart tv , but as we were out most of the time this wasn’t the biggest deal for us .

We had a nice week the apt is on the top floor the lift only goes up 1 floor , great views , but not as big as the pictures suggest , very clean , kitchen has every thing you will need, Not a fan of the toilet being in the bedroom , Building work in the castle started early and noisy , but beyond owners control, Nice place for a quiet break

My only criticism is the lack of a mirror and socket together for doing hair.

Other than that it was perfect!!

Repeat problems from previous visitors.

Shower is not correct. Towel rack in bathroom still doesn’t work. The feedbacks are at least 6 months old and haven’t been resolved.

Dead flies trapped in window space.

Secondary glazing windows either locked or won't open beyond an inch so no way of opening the windows to allow for ventilation. Shower head does not adjust, looks like a cheap replacement to the original fitting. Rug in lounge is grubby. Sofa is past its best . Standard lamp still won't work months after being reported by a previous guest. All PAT stickers out of date by two months. Tiny worktop space for food preparation. On frying pan still had food residue on it and both were wafer thin. Hot water takes an age to arrive so very wasteful on water. There is a telescope which is very stylish but useless for star -gazing due to floodlights on the castle. All in all a triumph of style over substance and the style is showing its age.

THe apartment is fantastic.

Really good quality, great location and views. There was a problem with the heating on the first night. Although the heating was fixed about 4pm the apartment didn’t become comfortable until 11pm or so, even with the extra heaters provided. Hot water takes a long time to arrive, several minutes before shower is useable. The shower room heater does not work.

I would have no problem with booking the apartment again but have some constructive comments.

The towel rail was not working and it would be useful to have instructions for the microwave. Both problems easily solved. The main bone of contention was the shower. By pointing outward rather than down meant having to stand at the back of the cubicle ensuring that the floor was covered in water.

The apartment was nice and the location loverly however the WiFi was very poor we could only get a very limited service.

The parking at times was problematic, as people ignored the signs for residents parking especially the two spaces in the main car park even if a cone was used,

First of all I would like to say we had a lovely holiday in Harlech.

The accommodation was very well situated with stunning views. The castle staff were very friendly and helpful when we were booking Conway Castle. . However we had several issues with the apartment, firstly our arrival time was put back to 6pm, thus reducing our holiday due to extra cleaning! Our holiday with you in Yorkshire this year was spotless and we arrived at 3pm. The radiator in the bathroom that acts as a heated towel rail didn't work. So we had wet towels and bath mat all week. Not a pleasant experience. The large floor lamp in the lounge didn't work, when we investigated found a bulb that needed replacing. No spare bulbs in the apartment. Also noticed thick dust all over the shade. I felt the whole apartment needed a deep clean, Next, when making our first brew, went for the mugs only to find one didn't have a handle it was in the mug, and another was very badly chipped, not good with Covid. There was no cereal bowls at all only large pasta bowls. The glasses were a real mish mash, nothing matched, rather poor really. Over all very minimal cutlery. Our first evening we came across a couple having just arrived stuck in the lift. They had been there for 2 hours... We rang the number you had given us in an e mail only to find it was out of hours! A friend telephoned the fire brigade just as an engineer arrived. He couldn't get in as he didn't know the code, and no one could hear him knock. Obviously he didn't know anything about the apartments. He had to travel for hours to get to this emergency. Fire brigade was cancelled. So in all our experience in Harlech was somewhat spoiled. Not what we are used to with Sykes. I'm sure extra cleaning time could be put to good use, and a thorough check of equipment needed.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and felt very much at home.

We were a little concerned because entrance to Harlech was on the groundwork but we are pleased to say there was nothing to worry about. The only concerns were that the shower head was fixed so that the water came out horizontally and soaked the bathroom floor after every shower. Need a laminate sheet with basic instructions in how to use the cooker and microwave No mirror in the bedroom near a plug point when drying hair

Fantastic apartment directly opposite Harlech Castle.

Very comfortable and well equipped.

The apartment was warm and comfortable and so well equipped to a high standard with everything we could possibly need including maps and tourist leaflets and information on places to go.

And the little goody bag of Welsh treats was a lovely touch. Being high up near Harlech Castle, and with so many windows in the property, we had magnificent views over the Castle opposite, but mainly of Snowdonia. There were many walks in the area, both on the beach and up into the hills, but we were within a short drive of many beautiful places. The best walk we did was up the Roman Steps right to the cairn at the top, looking over in the next valley. It was 1.7 miles up from the car park by Cwm Bychan. The best view we saw was from Good God Corner after climbing up the footpath from the southern end of Harlech Beach. The place seemed Covid safe. There was antibacterial hand gel and spray in the apartment and all seemed to be very clean when we arrived. There should have been a three day Cadw pass but this was suspended because of Covid 19 but they did give us free entry into Harlech Castle. It is a lovely apartment and we had a great holiday.

There was a segregated bin for recycling, but no instructions on how this particular area conducts recycling.

Where I live all recycling goes in a single bin not 3!

Had problems with heating as it went off at 5:30 on the first night, no one could fix that evening but when the visitor centre was open "Tony" increased the boiler temp to stop it tripping.

Saturday night came and the heating when off yet again. had to put the oven on for heat. Contacted Sykes again but little could be done. We were supposed to say Sunday night but left in the day as we did not want another night without heating. Very disappointed and unacceptable.

A few extra towels would have been useful as we were there for 4 nights and couldn't get the heated towel rail to work.

Otherwise lovely apartment with stunning views!

Cawsom amser gwych yn y fflat.

Ond roeddwn yn hynod siomedig fod y gwyboadeth am y fflat a'r atyniadau lleol i gyd yn Saesneg! Loved the flat and had a great time.But I was extremely shocked and disappointed that the information regarding the apartment and surrounding attractions was only in English. I felt like a stranger in my own country! That this location and accomodation was for the pleasure of people from outside Wales only. This upset me as a native Welsh speaker but it is also vital that visitors from other countries realise that Welsh is a living language and used locally in Harlech. If problems suchs COVID continue, more people from Wales will want to holiday in their own country and will want their language and culture reflected in their accomadation of choice. I look forward to hearing from you that this problem has been resolevd. Diolch.

We enjoyed our three night stay, and having stayed in a similar apartment in 2016, we knew that we would enjoy it.

However, one small blot - the tv reception was very intermittent. The message "Weak signal or check the cable connection" was a constant feature, and given the importance of keeping up-to-date with information regarding the Covid-19 restrictions, it was a good job that I had bought my laptop. My partner was also disappointed that the small package of toiletries, which was given as a free gift in 2016, was no longer available. However, the biscuits and gin marmalade were delicious! Thank you.

A lovely flat with fantastic views across the Snowdonia mountain range; Snowdonia is breathtaking.

A lovely touch was the welcome pack of Welsh cakes, fudge and jam on arrival. Amid what has been a very difficult time with the rapid spread of the Corona virus whilst we were in Wales the people and community of Harlech were so welcoming and helpful, especially as the main tourist attractions were closed and they pointed us to other local places to visit. Thank you!

This was our third visit to the castle apartments so we knew what we were to expect.

Gorgeous apartment with stunning views. Could do with a cafetiere as we had to make coffee in the teapot!

THIS IS THE THIRD TIME AT THESE APARTMENTS,WE FOUND A LACK OF LARGE TOWELS THIS TIME.

Lovely furnishings

Lovely apartment, overlooking the beautiful castle at Harlech.

The apartment had everything you needed for a holiday break. Very clean and well maintained, luxurious furnishings and a very comfy bed. Great location with lots of fabulous restaurants on the doorstep. Lots of great walks from the apartment, we went up into the hills to visit the 'crown of thrones' amazing scenery. Definitely recommend this holiday for a couple.

Nice apartment .

..........

Excellent apartment, well equipped.

Unfortunately the smart TV's promised, but didn't deliver as the Wifi was poor.

Very clean, modern, comfortable and with the most amazing views especially of Harlech Castle, Tremadog Bay and superb sunsets.

Both my wife and I hope to return at some time in the future. The accommodation was also ideally placed for exploring the coast and the mountains of Snowdonia.

The apartment was beautifully appointed and very clean, with beautiful views over to the mountains.

Very quiet and peaceful despite the tourists visiting the castle!

The outside of building was immaculate.

The entrance hall and stairs were of high standard, clean and tidy. The apartment was very clean with high quality fixtures and fittings. The bed was extremely comfortable, and we slept well. The only negative points were the en-suite door with lack of privacy, and the poor wifi signal, which would benefit from a boaster within apartment.

Quality very good.

Excellent views to add to experience. Some maintenance needed to make it 5 stars

welcome pack of welsh cakes was rather minimal, most places leave enough tea/coffee and milk for a welcome drink .

not enough glasses etc and no cork screw. Looks like things had not been replaced when broken, some things there 6 of, others just 3

Quality apartment.

Comfortable and stylish. Unfortunately the plates and saucepans were not clean and I had to wash them before use, but this did not impede our stay.

A beautifully appointed self-catering apartment, with breath-taking views towards Snowdonia, the Llyn and the sea with an even better view of Harlech Castle!

This was our second stay at this apartment and we came away totally relaxed.

The apartment was great, good location, well furnished & maintained & the explorer pass was a bonus.

The only downside we found to the apartment was the lack of basics (no washing up liquid / teabags / cooking oil / kitchen roll / tin foil / cling film etc) on arriving, we arrived around 7pm & found the local Spar closed at 8pm we stocked up on the basics but I get the feeling these may be removed on cleaning. Regarding Harlech the town is quaint, be warned it's a steep hill climb from the beach back up to the apartment & the only downside was availability of restaurants in the evening - most were either fully booked days in advance or didn't seat people after 8pm (closing at 9-9.30). The highlight of our stay was a Tapas meal in the Harlech Castle Cafe / Restaurant (only serves Wed-Sat & worth booking), the food was amazing, service by the staff was fantastic & the view of the castle by night was stunning. The Castle Bistro was also good food, service was a little slow but mainly due to onboarding of new staff but very polite

Prime location opposite Harlech Castle.

Amazing views out onto the Snowdonia Mountains. Cosy and comfortable inside. Perfect base for any holiday. Just book it!

Well furnished and comfortable

Good