Wales' Highest Village - The Chartist Cottage - Trefil

We had the name of the cottage, the cottage number would be more useful as there is no external name on the cottage but there is a big number 3!

TV reception was poor.

The view; even though it's in a run down industrialised estate on top of a hill [ yeah it's not a village so don't expect quaint, it's a zombie mini town], the sheep on the field across the front patch [ it's not a garden, it's a small allotment and hopefully when you arrive, would be mowed and tidied] makes a postcard view with the landscape surroundings. Also, the owner is trying and is making an effort with the flat [ it's not a cottage], comfortable bedding and facilities were adequate.

As I said the owner is trying and I struggled with the decision to write this review; I also don't write reviews but I feel the next traveller deserves an accurate description of what to expect and not the 'swiss village' vibes the booking info alludes to. Everything was adequate and good enough; so much to say but to sum up just imagine an urban outdated council flat in a city or big town somewhere and that pretty much sums it up. The owner has tried to gloss it up with some vintage looking furnishings but it's very much an ongoing project. The tiniest TV or computer screen rather; minimal equipped kitchen with carefully curated items rather than a homely kitchen (no blender for example and two large plates only). All of that was fine and didn't really bother me but what ruined my stay from day one was the nasty shock at the back terrace at the back of the kitchen and bathroom. Curiosity got the better off me as the door was bolted shut and now it's an image I would struggle eternally to shake off - that mini terrace was filled (literally) with dog poo! It is right next to the kitchen where food is prepared so was visibly shaking with disgust every time I entered that kitchen and had to try my hardest to think of something pleasant while I cooked or ate for the rest of my stay. Was so grateful I only booked for 3 nights as from that moment on I just wanted to leave. I hope for your sake it is cleaned up by the time you arrive for your stay.

The cottage was cosy and beautifully presented. It was lovely to have added extras like the log burner and the blankets, as well as lots of books and maps for the local area. The kitchen had plenty of utensils etc., and there were lots of hangers and places to store clothes upstairs (which are small things but can make a really big difference!). The location was great, and having a garden was really helpful with our dog. It was also very helpful that Oriel provided a stair gate as it made it much easier to keep our dog downstairs.

The main thing that could've been better was the cleanliness of the plates/cutlery/pans etc. in the kitchen. Quite a few had oil or food on them. Also, using the oven sometimes seemed to trip a fuse, so we stopped using it. Overall though, we had a really great stay and enjoyed our time in the cottage!

Great little house in a beautiful setting. The hosts went the extra mile to make our stay comfortable with great communication, information on the area provided and all basics we needed provided.

We have stayed here four times now and each time is as lovely as the last. The cottage is so cosy and the location is amazing. The hosts are always great and leave out the little touches that make the stay extra special. We love staying here and would 100% visit again!

I hate to say it, as everything else is basically amazing, but the WiFi is awful. You can only connect in the living room and front bedroom and even then it is really patchy, which makes using the Amazon firestick provided for the TV almost impossible. Also, the blinds in the front bedroom need fixing as the bracket is loose and they sometimes fall down and the light in the cooker extractor hood has been out the last two times we’ve visited.

- The location is nice and quiet, and the supermarket was just around the corner so we were easily able to get supplies for the weekend. - Its very easy to get to Brecon Beacons or various other beautiful areas within Wales, the locals also seemed very friendly. - The inside is very cosy and homely, you feel immediately welcomed. - We didn't need to contact the hosts but the welcome messages made very clear we could contact them for any issues.

The below are very minor nitpicks: - A couple of useful items were missing from the Kitchen, such as Tongs or a tea towel to dry plates with, but we managed. - We noticed the window blinds in the main bedroom look very loose, will need to be tightened or re-drilled.

Property was very comfortable and in a very peaceful set in the beautiful countryside. A nice pub is within walking distance. Lots of lovely walks/hikes within 20 mins drive away.

Location-wise you will need to drive to get to the supermarket but this wasn’t really a negative for us - we enjoyed the peacefulness and we would just pick up food on our way back from walks.