YHA Idwal Cottage

YHA Idwal Cottage is a lovely small hostel in a beautiful location next to a mountain stream and lake with very comfortable rooms, a very well-supplied kitchen with lost of space, large dining area and also a small sitting room which has lots of interesting historical photos and items around the walls of the early climbers who visited this hostel. These were really good spaces to meet other travellers and share walks etc. The lobby/reception area has a small library of books related to the Ogwen/Idwal area and the hostel has retained it's traditional style which is so fitting for its age. My room was perfect and the bed so comfortable and cosy and just what was needed after a long day out hiking, and made especially so too as the room and hostel in general were very quiet by day and peaceful overnight. Just the sounds of finches in the trees beyond and ravens high above to wake up to - bliss. My room and the hostel overlooked Pen yr Ole Wen which was so dramatic rising up from Llyn Ogwen, truly breath taking as are the other mountains around the hostel - Tryfan, Y Garn and the Devil's Kitchen, not to mention beautiful Llyn Idwal itself which is only a shortish walk up the hill on the trail. The staff were wonderful, so friendly and helpful, and had so much local knowledge of the mountains and at all times of the year for approaching the trails. It was honestly perfect in every way and I really hope to come back one day. Thank you!

No negatives at all and I liked everything but if the bunks had a light as some hostels do that would have been great but otherwise it was perfect in every way! :-)

Beautiful!! Just so elegant and magical!! The history behind the cottage is so interesting!

Everything clean and sorted

It said free parking in the ad but it was not free

Location was great and staff were friendly.

myself and 4 kids paid 200 for one night - a single room not much bigger than a cupboard, and 2 bunk beds in one room, where there is no hot food served and not even towels provided. In Europe 200 would get you a decent hotel. It is a general problem in the UK that holiday accommodation is very expensive and the YHA is no exception for what you get.