This place was a pleasant surprise, and so was the bustling town of Llandudno, since my first…read morechoice was to stay in the quaint village of Caernarfon, home of one of King Henry I's castles and it's original walled city. No reasonably-priced accommodation were available there during my stay. This turned out to my advantage, in that not only did I get to explore a whole other area of Wales I wasn't planning to see, but I got to stay in this sweet, five-story Victorian-era structure, which may have been built originally as a private home. The building doesn't seem to have been remodeled too much, though the walls have been insulated, and the place isn't drafty like truly untouched Victorian structures. The owners recently updated the kitchen, which is state-of-the-art, though not open to guests. The newer shower, and toilet facilities are green certified. The bedrooms, both private and dorms, still have the charm of the Victorian era with floral wallpaper, curtains, bedding and small chandelier lamps. The hostel, which considers itself a guest house, was more expensive than I would have liked, but it was less than other places in the area, which had availability. It may be more expensive, because of the "guest house" designation. Continental breakfast is included. I was disappointed that the kitchen wasn't available for guests to use, but I understand it had something to do with Welsh laws. Beyond all that, this place is definitely worth the stay. It's within walking distance to several restaurants, pubs and a variety of shops. The young women working here are friendly and helpful.

Good stuff. Clean, good working kitchen as well as can be expected in a hostel kitchen and able to…read morecook a proper meal without having to mess about. Otherwise there's Borth's few shops and services down the street. Right by the main front, the sea wall is just across the road. One can hear the sea gently all night if the window is open... I'll swap that for the usual snores of other dorm occupants any day! Showers work WELL and are a pleasure, the same with the toilets. The beds aren't bad, washbasins in the dorms, energy efficient motion-activated lights in some areas, very high-tech (and sensible). Friendly staff - the warden is the salt of the earth, quite sound and offered me a free bar of soap from his personal supply even though I ended up finding mine in the end. Maybe I stank and it was imperative to wash, but cycling in the incredible late April sun up a mountain can do that - cyclists are catered to fairly well, with secure bike storage. There's a TV lounge and a games room as well as a dining room - most of these are at the front, facing the sea. The vibe is relaxed, especially as I was really sleep-deprived and only vacated the place at 10am on the dot (10am check-out time). If it had good, cheap or complimentary internet, it would get pretty much full marks (too many businesses rely on their websites these days though, shame on them). This place can instead rely on its staff and vibe, nice one!

I used Caernarfon as my base for my three-night stay in North Wales, and Totters was a wonderful…read moreplace to stay. The accommodations are tidy, the locale in the old walled city carries the elusive must of history, and the owners are easily approachable and friendly. Oh yeah, 18 pounds a night too, lest I forget. I was in a 6-bed dorm in April, but I only had one roommate for two nights and one night where I ruled the roost. I saw and talked to a few other people who stayed in other rooms at breakfast, held in the attractive cellar. It seems everyone who visits here is in the midst of some wild Welsh adventure, so it was nice to share stories. Linens/blankets are provided, and a variety of shampoos are plentiful for the showers. Just have your towel and you need nothing more. About the surroundings: Caernarfon is a small town and you can get everywhere within a 5-minute walk. Bus connections take you pretty much everywhere in the region (you're 20 minutes from Snowdon) and the celebrated steam train heads south to Porthmadog daily. A fair amount of restaurants, and you're within reach of both the estuary and the castle. I'm not going to lie, though - you'll see a fair amount of boarded-up shops, and when I arrived on an empty grey evening I wasn't sure I picked the best base. But the remaining days were colorful and people were about, which made everything more charming. Through all of it though Totters was brilliant and I'd recommend it without question.

Fantastic hostel. You literally stay within the old castle walls, and are a couple minutes walk…read morefrom the castle itself. Check-in was easy and the rooms were clean. There is no parking associated with the hostel, but they pointed out a number of close free parking areas that worked out well for us. There are pubs and restaurants aplenty within walking distance. Free breakfast, books and games lining the wall.