The Oakeley Arms Hotel

I arrived early but was able to access my room straight away. I was initially told that my room still had to be paid for but I had prepaid. This was resolved quickly however. The hotel is conveniently located on a regular bus route and I took the opportunity to visit Blaenau Ffestiniog 20 minutes away. The evening meal was excellent with plenty of choice on the menu. My room was fine and extremely comfortable. Some slight traffic noise as it was at the front of the property.

I’ll start by saying the staff and service at the Oakley are excellent. The food is outstanding and generally it’s very clean and comfortable. The only thing I will say and what’s stopped me from rating higher is that the rooms although clean are very, very dated and quite worn down in parts. The one I was in (17) was a Deluxe Double and came to £264 for two nights out of season at the end of February and I just didn’t think it was worth it for the following reasons: - Very dated and worn in places as mentioned - No iron or ironing board in the room. I did get one when I asked at reception but they had to look for it and iron and board came separately. Not what I expected from a deluxe room at that price - the furniture was just old and if you’re going to put a clock on the wall, at least make sure it’s working? - the extractor fan in the bathroom sounds like a bag of spanner’s and directly linked to the light so if you need to use the toilet in the middle of the night you’re going to wake everyone up! - the heating system they have running along the bottom of the walls was damaged in places and kicked up dust - breakfast not included, this was stated upfront on the booking I just personally think it could be included given the room rate I will say though that shower off the main was amazing! I would have given this feedback to the reception at check out but nobody was there when I checked out so had to leave the keys with the cleaner. Really hope it gets a refurb soon.

Staff were really helpful and friendly.

The Oakeley Arms Hotel offers a charming and welcoming experience, particularly thanks to its outstanding food and exceptional staff. The restaurant serves delicious, hearty meals that showcase the best of local cuisine. Whether you’re enjoying a cozy dinner by the fire or a delightful breakfast to start your day, the quality and flavors are truly memorable. The staff are equally impressive—warm, attentive, and always eager to ensure your stay is enjoyable. Their friendliness and professionalism create a welcoming atmosphere that makes guests feel right at home. However, while the overall ambiance of the hotel is lovely, the sleeping experience could use improvement. The beds in the rooms are dated, with noisy spring mattresses that can disrupt an otherwise peaceful night. Despite this, the hotel’s charm, excellent dining options, and dedicated staff make it a great choice for a stay, especially if you’re not overly particular about the bedding. With some updates to the mattresses, this hotel could easily become a top destination in the area.

We last ate here in 2022 and frankly were really delighted with the experience then that we made a point of revisiting when next in the area. People do say never revisit a dream and sadly this came to be true this time round. I had booked a table for 10 Sunday lunches weeks prior to our visit for 1.30pm, arrived in plenty of time but were not seated until 2.15 so not a good start. Service was all over the place with it seems no dedicated staff to tables just random grabbing someones attention. Drinks took an age to arrive , wife and I chose starters which were fine, in the meantime the rest of the family went for the buffet Sunday lunch with which they were all ok with. Due to my wife being disabled I queued for her plate when it was clear that the choice of food was getting short. Returning to the queue for my own only to find no beef, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding which leaves very little for a Sunday lunch!! By this time all the others had finished their meal, I had to wait for another dish ordered from the main menu which in fairness was very good. Beef pie with chips and peas. The variety of puddings and sweets eventually arrived through a lot of confusion over wrongly delivered dishes. All in all a disappointing visit with delays, disjointed meals and poor service. I rather feel that the issue lies with my chosen title, this time round there were tables crammed into every crevice where previously there had been cosy chairs to relax in after your meal. Sadly not an experience that i would wish to revisit on our next trip to Wales.

Booked a table for two, and advised that we would have our dog with us for Sunday lunch. Arrived and entered the bar and dinning area. It was very busy and had a problem drawing attention to our arrival. When we finally had their attention, we were asked to wait as our table was still being used. Which we did for 15 minuets, quietly to one side and in hindsight being ignored . Upon realising that the small table was being occupied by people half way through their meal and crammed into the part of the bar used by large parties of families with varying dog's , we chose to leave as we felt that our presence was an inconvenience. It's a shame that I feel that I have to leave a negative review.

This was a lovely old hotel with pub and restaurant and lovely rooms

Lovely room, comfortable beds, a great hotel!

A thoroughly excellent visit. En route to North Wales,we decided to stop off here for a change. We sat by the welcoming fire near the bar. The young lady who served us was very pleasant. We ordered the lamb 🐑 burger with fries and the house burger with fries 🍟. A great choice. We'll definitely be back next time we are in the area.

Ok