A gorgeous old hotel in a peaceful sleepy town in west Wales. It has amazing views of the rolling…read morehills, it backs on to the river and has a beautiful terrace to enjoy the outdoors. The room was nice, bed was comfy, and it came with a tv, coffee/tea, and luggage rack. The food here was top notch- I high recommend the cod and chips, and a full English breakfast comes with the room. Really friendly service from the lovey family that runs the hotel, great value for money. Only complaints are the cold water gets hot fast, and some rooms had carpeted bathroom floors. Otherwise it was a perfect little spot for the weekend. We'll definitely be back.

Reception On arrival…read moreat 21.15 we waited in reception for over 10 minutes with no sign of anyone, (no desk bell) a member of bar staff saw me through the windows, but did not do anything, when I went to the bar that was also empty as was the restaurant in the end went back outside and rang the night bell, the receptionist then appeared and apologised saying she had forgot to put the phone out!! What ever that means. The lady was very helpful and pleasant but check in was not simple, as I had booked online. I also have to say this is the first hotel I have stayed in where when you pass reception or staff in a morning the staff does not say good morning to you!! Bedroom, Very old and dated looks like it was last decorated around 30 years ago. Cleaning standards not great. The curtains are very stained looks like they have not been cleaned since smoking was allowed in rooms, the two windows had cobwebs and spiders on them, very dirty, one would not open the other would not close properly, very draughty but thick curtains to cover them, only problem is the radiators are behind the curtains!! A mass of wires and extensions underneath one of the room curtains which not only looks bad but is a fire risk. Paper coming off the wall in places but looks like it needs to be replaced anyway, the desk is stained with cigarette burn, and water damage, large full length mirror behind the chair, and dressing table mirror behind the TV. Room cleaning was below average and the bed making was the worst I have ever seen. Bed average but very noisy (as clearly quite old) as is the refuse collection at 06.10 when you are woken to the sound outside of WARNING, Vehicle reversing!! Lots of lights in the room (11 in total) and not a sign of an energy saving lamps in any of them! TV was a good size but very poor quality picture, sound out of sync with the pictures very off putting watching the news, very limited choice of channels with no info what you are watching etc. Movies are available at an additional £8.99 why bother you can go to the cinema across the road for £8. Wi-Fi is £9.99 a day!! What planet/decade is this place on? Cross the road to the local bar, or many other local businesses that offer free Wi-Fi, such as Subway, or buy a coffee at Frankie and Benny's and use theirs. Bathroom Very small and narrow but fully tiled. No window, but an extractor fan that was not working, not great for a bathroom, especially when you have used the shower and cannot see anything as the mirror is so steamed up. Lighting from celling down lighters so casts a nice shadow over your face when trying to shave. Plenty of hot water for a bath etc, but shower fell off the wall, and was either too hot to use, or just a dribble if you tried to cool it down. The Toilet brush and bathroom not very clean at all and needs a good deep clean. Towels were fine white and soft. Breakfast We asked where we went for breakfast and was pointed to a lovely room (clearly recently refurbished) at the rear where a massive selection of all you could wish for from a buffet breakfast was on offer. No staff around again, so we found ourselves a seat and was eventually asked our room number and if we would like Tea or Coffee, we ordered two coffees, this arrived along with some toast, we were pointed to the buffet (I have to say no one seemed to be in control of the staff and they seemed very disorganised) we collected our plates and served ourselves breakfast only to find there were no eggs, so we had to wait while our breakfast went cold for the eggs to arrive. The food looked lovely, apart from the fried bread, which was inedible, and the Croissants were not fully cooked inside, the coffee was terrible however we both enjoyed the breakfast but have to say we were both ill during the day. On reading the table menu while eating I noticed you could opt for a relaxed breakfast and the staff would serve your breakfast at your table so we decided the next morning we would take that option. The next day seemed more organised as a very nice lady seemed to have everything running like clockwork. (clearly she must have been off the day before) When asked if we wanted Tea or coffee clearly I opted for Tea and that was very nice indeed. I asked if I could order my breakfast, which was met by shock and confusion (do the staff not read the menu) the nice lady was called over and I was told just to go and help myself, (I have to say the lady was most pleasant and helpful.) so what is the point of the menu saying? Alternatively "To allow for a more relaxed service our waiting staff will be pleased to take your breakfast order for hot food and serve it to you at your table" Clearly whoever wrote this has not told the staff. The Ivy bush has everything but clearly needs an efficient manager who can tune all this areas that need attention, and refurbish the rooms and bring the hotel and procedures up to present day expectations. Fire precaustions are not very good!!

My elderly parents were looking forward to their christmas dinner in Dec 2017 at the Ivy Bush but…read morewere greatly disappointed at the quality of the food after having quite decent food there in the recent past including a week last Sunday. At £120 for 2 people which had to be paid for well in advance at a small town hotel, we expected the food to be better than usual. The soup was like dishwater as was the gravy and the beef was too tough for my mum to eat. She had to have sandwiches when she got home so that sums up the day. As regular customers who haven't complained in the past, I was keen to give them a chance to make it right by refunding me the £120 I paid for this meal as a Christmas gift to my parents. I received a belligerent response from the manager and a 'tough luck' kind of attitude. I learnt from the manager that they had 300 people dining that day so obviously mass catering is not their forte as the standard had slipped considerably. I will never return and feel we have been ripped off. Shameful.

Gorgeous food and nice surroundings.read more

We were serendipitously given a second floor room with a view overlooking the field across the road…read moreand the river. The views were memorable, watching the comings and goings of the local sheep and passby flights of flocks of geese. We took a walk around the area and ended up at the cliffs beach. Fabulous spot!

During my three-night stay, I had the most positive experience. My room was spotless, warm, and…read morecomfy. From breakfast to dinner, the meals were absolutely to die for. The friendly staff even gave me recommendations on the best sites worth visiting. With wonderful views and a lovely atmosphere, this hotel is nothing short of amazing.

I am currently in this hotel as I start writing this, so strong is my desire to save others from…read morelosing not only their hard earned cash but hours of precious sleep. Let me tell you a little about the location of this pub hotel. Situated in the provincial Welsh town of Carmarthen, a place seemingly stuck in a pre-millennium timewarp filled with some pleasant locals but primarily a demographic of OAPs, lager louts and bored looking teenagers, in which the only source of entertainment is to marinate oneself in as much alcohol as your enzymes can handle. The location aside the Rose and Crown is fairly innocuous in terms of looks, although I did sense a ripple of tension from the locals as we walked into the pub (The League of Gentlemen kept popping into my head for some inexplicable reason!) I had come down to Carmarthen to surprise my fiancé as he was working down there for a few days, and staying at the hotel. Despite his already having paid for the room I still had to pay £20 for the privilege of sleeping in the other unoccupied single bed in my partner's room. Apparently the manageress was doing us a favour by allowing this, and told us that they'd had problems with guests bringing...ahem...."visitors" back to stay before. Despite feeling slightly disgruntled by being categorised with certain ladies of the night I paid up as quite frankly I couldn't be bothered driving the hour and a half home. There were 8 rooms in all, each fairly basic in design but clean and serviceable. The bathrooms were a happy surprise - each with a large, new shower cubicle, which were very well maintained. The beds were, like most cheap hotels, not exactly the height of comfort but quite frankly we were so exhausted we would've slept on anything. Unfortunately however sleep alluded me all night, with a cacophony of noise spewing from the pub and the locals trundling up and down the street until 5.30am. I was so tired by the time my alarm went off I decided to skip breakfast to catch a few extra precious minutes sleep. If you're a night owl yourself The Rose and Crown would probably suit you down to the ground, but as a resting place for tired business persons, or as a romantic getaway (though I can't imagine anyone choosing Carmarthen for a romantic weekend away) I would recommend you stay elsewhere!

Nice pub, friendly staff and lvely bar meals. A great place to visit on a night out in Carmarthen…read moretown. There is a pleasant Beer garden at the rear of the premises with a smoking area. Highly recommended.

We had an excellent one-night stay at this cute, old hotel located right in the heart of St…read more David's (itself, a very cute little Welsh town). The staff were nice; the breakfast was excellent (though a little slow); the room was quite adequate. I loved the in-room coffee and tea with the fresh milk in the fridge outside. They were able to easily accommodate our party of three adults and two kids. They have free parking, right next to the hotel! A huge bonus! They have a lovely bar area when you come in with a nice selection of ales and afternoon cream tea and scones. There is also a very private sitting area off to the side, and some games for kids (or adults) to sit and while-away the grey weather. The location here is really prime; right in the square; St David's Cathedral is just a three minute walk down the hill and The Bishops pub, across the street, is an excellent place to grab dinner. The only downsides to this place are the price (a little steep), no ocean view, and it feels sort of in need of an up-date (though is quaint, nonetheless).

I must say that this place is looking great! Lovely Oak floors, leather lounge bar and lovely cosy…read morerestaurant. The restaurant has just been opened to the public after a 20 year lapse. Well worth a try! Their web address is http://www.spilmanhotel.co.uk

The Spilman Hotel is friendly, family-run hotel conveniently located near the middle of the town…read more Downstairs is a pleasant bar and a surprisingly good restaurant. The rooms are recently refurbished but based on the original layout so they tend to be a good size with high ceilings. The inclusive breakfast included a good selection of cereals and also a traditional cooked breakfast options. The cooked breakfast was pretty good, although the sausages were rather bland. Dinner was much better. Starters cost £4.50 to £6.00 and included a fish cake and a ham hock and smoked chicken terrine. Mains range from around £10 to £20 and included a pork fillet dish, a stuffed chicken breast and Fillet steak with a pepper corn and mushroom sauce with potatoes dauphinoise or chips and seasonable vegetables. Puddings included some traditional English sweets, and cheese and biscuits. The food was very good, well prepared and well seasoned, but the gaps between courses were a little long. The hotel has a small car park which is rather difficult to find and the entrance is challenging. Drive North East past the hotel down to the church, bear left around the church and come back down behind the hotel on St Peter's Street then onto King Street. The entrance to the car park is a narrow alleyway on the left just after the Hugh Evans butcher's shop: swing wide to the right and turn hard left into the alleyway. Be prepared to fine tune your approach because the alleyway is very narrow not wide enough for pedestrians to pass a car, so breath in as you drive down! Once you have gone down the alleyway the car park itself is reasonable with room for about 13 cars. I enjoyed my brief stay at the Spilman's Hotel, and the dinner in particular was a very pleasant surprise: recommended.