The Old Black Lion

An older building a short walk from the center of Hay on Wye. I booked a single room which was ok but there were a few issues as stated below.

The room was over £100 for a single and didn’t include breakfast so I expected something special as its more expensive than anywhere else I stayed on the Offa’s Dyke route. But my room was small and had a worn carpet and an old TV which I had to call a member of staff to help switch it on. Also the toilet had a kind a macerating tank which made a din for 5 minutes after every flush. I didn’t eat in the pub so can’t comment about the food. I note a lot if really good reviews have been submitted so maybe I was just unlucky.

Lovely room and location in town

Unfortunately missed breakfast as wasn’t aware stopped quite early

Bed was very comfortable; my room had a separate lounge area with easy chairs that were great for reading. The food in the dining room was much above average, for breakfast and dinner both. Location is very good for people interested in browsing in the bookshops of Hay. Members of the hotel staff were helpful and pleasant to deal with.

People over about 5'9" are going to have trouble with the low ceilings here. The building dates from the 17th century, and evidently people back then were several inches shorter on average than is true of our own era. For petite guests, this will not be an issue, but I am not petite and I spent a lot of time ducking as I moved around inside the hotel. But then again, how often do any of us get the chance to stay in an inn as old as this one?

Good location

Poor quality bathroom, not enough power sockets by bed