Y Stabal

Location is lovely , Cricceth just a short ride away.

The barn is spacious and well laid out but sadly it is very tired and in good need of a refurb and deep clean. Whilst you expect some fresh cobwebs, there were old hanging webs everywhere. We had to clean every handle on cupboards in the kitchen as they were extremley greasy . The extractor fan looked filthy.The fridge smells and is rusty inside. The bin and the cupboard it is contained in smells awful. We were compelled to eat out because of the lack of cleanliness in the kitchen The double bedroom has a dubious chest of drawers and the bedding was shabby. The wall was marked behind the bed because there was no head board .A single wardrobe had mens clothes in it !! which led us to beleive someone is living in the Barn. We lived out of our suitcases. On a plus side all bathrooms were clean. The attached cottage does look in much better condition. I do wonder if Sykes have visited the property recently? Overall, very dissappinting accomodation which was not cheap for 3 nights.

As usual our stay was lovely, perfect location, lovely property with everything you could need for our our week away.

We’ve stayed in both properties and preferred Stabal Bit of general maintenance still needed, decoration started but not finished and back door very difficult to close near impossible during the very hot wrather with the upvc door expanding, Overall though I’d give our week a 8/10. As usual we’ve re-booked another week later in the year.

This used to be a fabulous cottage.

Now it is poorly maintained and the owner is unresponsive to issues. Very disappointing.

This property is a great location and is a beautiful building with so much space inside.

We stayed as a family of 3 and a large dog and had a lovely few days here. The views from the windows are spectacular and it's just ten minutes from Criccieth, maybe 15 from Porthmadog My only constructive feedback on the property would be that it would be good to have a bit more access to equipment to clean up after yourself, a sweeping brush for the floor maybe. We coped with 4 days but the floor was getting quite mucky, any longer might have been uncomfortable. The garden is a beautiful space which is really well kept and was great for our child and dog. We would definitely stay here again

Stunning location and beautiful barn conversion, but in need of maintenance and care.

The property felt a little unclean (marks on lounge walls, bathroom surfaces neglected), and the weekly cleaner should spend more time on it. Suggestions: provide a welcome book with Wi-Fi info, recycling, and property info; schedule regular deep cleans (carpets, upholstery, update old bedding); fix broken toilet seats, leaking shower, loose lounge window, damaged kitchen cupboards, and touch up paint/plaster. A real shame — the place has huge potential but feels a little unloved for a paid holiday rental.

This is the second time we have stayed at these properties our first visit was at Y Beudy next door.

The location is beautiful with panoramic views as well as good privacy.The properties are well appointed and very comfortable as well as being dog friendly with a secure enclosed garden.Perfect for a relaxing holiday in amazing countryside.

Great location, great views and clean would recommend for a holiday in north Wales.

The location is great, the beds are comfy and it was really warm.

But there are some big issues which must be resolved before anyone else stays at the property. - The leaking shower which comes through the ceiling and caused electrical issues and a huge mess to be cleaned up every time. - The draining board sink leaks into the cabinet underneath and really really smells. - The oven is absolutely filthy and filled the kitchen with smoke when we went to use the grill. - The property is in need of a proper clean, there were cobwebs everywhere. The slate floor downstairs needs to be mopped, we cleaned it with a cloth on our hands and knees when we arrived and when we left and it was absolutely filthy. - The fridge really needs to be replaced as it is missing shelves and is mouldy and rusty. The dishwasher also did not drain properly and was filled with dirty water when we went to empty it. - The toilet seat in the downstairs toilet is broken and needs to be replaced. - There is no welcome book/instructions with the property at all, needs information on the bins and how to leave the property on check out, local information, how to use the heating etc. There was also no washing up liquid when we arrived or cloths to wash up with and no tea towels. There aren't toilet brushes in every loo and there is no mop to be able to clean the floor. - There aren't enough drinking glasses for the number of guests in the cottage, we had to have water out of a mug or random wine glass. Also the metal sheet pans for the oven are rusty and unusable. We did feedback most of this to the owner on our stay. The fence was broken on arrival due to the recent storm and this was fixed during our stay as we have a dog which we were grateful for. Also the shower tray was blocked and this had some unblocker put down it, but the rest of the issues stand and need to be resolved before the property is safe and comfortable for future guests.

Great views responsive host

Roof in living rook leaked for hours after having a shower owners advise was don't use the shower.

Put a complaint in at syke cottages heard nothing back Nice location but needs tlc No soap in bathrooms Definitely needs a clean

Despite all of the points below we really enjoyed our stay at Y Stabal and the cottage provided what we needed.

If you book knowing these points in advance, adjust expectations, and go out of the prime cost period it can provide a warm dry base for a pleasant holiday. We were lucky and caught the week of summer, if it had been wet the lack of internet access and inability to stream movies would have been more irritating. Take an old laptop and some DVDs with you, they saved the day entertainment wise for us. Cottage has a WiFi hub but "no internet access", which would be a problem if bad weather kept you indoors. Mobile 4G signal was available but only outside the cottage, so again this is weather dependent. It is generally in need of a bit of TLC, but on the plus side you are not scared of accidentally scratching or chipping the walls or breaking one of the fittings. The door to the garden would only lock if door lifted as you close it. The picnic table in the garden had one of the 4 seats broken and tied/marked with pink washing line. The outdoor paving slabs are in places broken, uneven, and rock a bit when stepped on. There is comfortable parking for 2 cars, and 3 would be possible. There is only one set of keys though. The shower tray did not drain fast enough and you had to be careful to avoid overflows, but the shower was ok otherwise. There is only one small two slot toaster, the bread I brought did not fit in it and I had to toast each end of the slices separately. One of the kitchen dining table legs fell off by itself. Some of the kitchen chair assembly bolts were loose and rattly, but chairs ok once finger tightened. Owner was easy to contact via text and notified of some of these as we found them, he came mid week and fixed a curtain rail that had broken the week before, he said he would be up there again at the weekend to check some of the other items. We found the cottage to be missing things like extra toilet rolls, kitchen handwash (practically empty), washing up liquid, dish cloths/pads, dishwasher tabs, bin bags, and there were no extra blankets in case of cold weather. There was no property manual, just a single sheet with WiFi password and instructions for used linen at end of week. We had no idea how to adjust the heating, not that we really needed to, but the owner, Huw, did say text him any questions and he seemed quite approachable. There are no books/games/DVDs. There is no DVD player. The wall mounted LG TV (with one HDMI socket) is approx 32" and looks very small if you dont move the sofa nearer to it. We didnt need to use the washing machine in the shed so cannot advise on its condition/usability. The cottage has obviously been used a lot and is showing signs of wear/tear, and is in need of a complete refit to command top price, but it has provided us with a perfectly usable base for a week's cycling and walking in a very nice area. The view of the mountains and Moel Hebog from the garden is superb. If the people staying in the adjoining property are quiet and without young children the garden is a pleasant place to hang out. We could of done with some lounger chairs, and ended up taking kitchen/dining chairs outside to sit on. There is noise from the nearby main road, but you can still hear the sheep calling to each other and the birds twittering. With the roof vents open at night the traffic noise is a constant and noticeable drone however.

The property is charming and nicely situated but I am afraid that we were very disappointed.

Despite phoning the owner 10 times and leaving 4 messages he never replied to tell us where to find the keys! Luckily, the people in the adjacent property showed us. Inside, the house had cobwebs everywhere and I removed about 20 spiders. Most of the cutlery was dirty, as was much of the crockery, some of the cookware and the oven tray. The utensils were basic and limited - for example there was only one teaspoon. Also, there were no instructions on how to use the appliances or heating system, various things were broken, like toilet roll holders and towel rails, chairs were loose and wobbly, and the property needed repainting badly in places. It felt like the owner just wanted to take the money and was not interested in providing a good experience for the guests. At over £1,000 for seven days I feel very shortchanged. Not sure whether I will use Sykes again after this experience.

Lovely cottage with everything that you need for a stay in Wales.

The scenery was stunning and we were lucky with the weather. The cottage makes an excellent base for exploring and then come back for a meal and relaxing evening. Nice outside space safe for both children and our dog. We really enjoyed our stay

Excellent location and value for money.

Quite basic - we had to bring all the essentials. Due to being on a farm and in the countryside there was lots flies about as to be expected. The location is really great and has stunning views on snowdonia and only 10 mins from Portmadog. Great to find a lovely dog friendly place. The wildlife was lovely, several house martins nesting around the property too.

Great spot and lovely cottage.

Very basic you need to take everything, no bath mats, hand soap, loo roll etc… A few things were broken including the lock on the front door so we were either locked in or out, had to use the back door. Furniture in the bedrooms wasn’t usable. However, beds were comfortable, it was clean and the views were amazing.

I found the cottage very comfortable and exactly how it was advertised.

The beds were super comfortable and bathroom/toilets were spotless. I would return in a heartbeat. Finally, the scenery was beautiful which is one of the cottage’s best features.

Excellent cottage.

Everything you could ask for, in a wonderful setting and a lovely area to visit

We had such a lovely time staying here.

It’s a brilliant location and a lovely building set in acres of farm land. The cottage was lovely and had everything we needed. However, you need to have at look at your cleaner. Whilst it wasn’t dirty as such, extra care is needed. The cottage was inundated with spiders and cobwebs in ever room. I spent the first two days with the hoover getting rid of them. Whilst we appreciate the character of the cottage the extent of the cobwebs was quite unacceptable. We will however most probably return as for us it wasn’t a deal breaker but I would suggest that you give it a good fettle. The road below the cottage is also very noisy with traffic all through the night so because of the hot weather it wasn’t the most peaceful night. The bathrooms were very clean. Could do with some more comfortable garden furniture. Having said all this we had the best time and would most likely return. Thank you for enabling us to make memories.

A lovely property in a great location.

Beautiful views of the mountains. Stayed a week and found plenty to do without driving for more than half an hour.

Me, my partner and dog had a lovely stay at this property.

Stunning views of the mountains. Only a few mins to the lovely coast, close to many amenities and things to do. The property has a good layout with a nice log burner with a cosy feel to the living room with comfy sofas. The only thing we would like to point out is the lower fence at the bottom of the garden that joins to the adjoining barn. Some dogs could jump over into the other garden potentially causing problems. Apart from that this property is definitely worth staying in and we will be returning. Thanks for a lovely stay and great memories.

We had a brilliant holiday, location great and cottage very comfortable.

We hope to return!

Cottage was as advertised, good basic level of accomodation.

A slightly more comfortable newer mattress on the double bed would have been appreciated. A few more finishing touches and the cottage could be advertised as luxury accomodation. Attention to fencing in ther garden required, otherwise nothing to stop a dog straying into the garden of the adjoining barn..

One of the toilets was blocked upon our arrival.

The shower in the en suite leaked into the lounge downstairs (not a lot but...) The beds weren't that comfortable - very creaky. Just felt like the whole place was beautiful in the pictures but just needed a little TLC to get it back up to scratch. However we would stay there again!

The cottage was in a beautiful area at the base of Snowdonia national park, and did have all the facilities which were advertised.

It did however let itself down in several areas. 2 out of the 3 beds were falling to pieces, as were some of the other items of furniture, and a deep clean of the whole cottage was in need. WiFi was advertised, and 5 years ago it wouldn't have been a big deal, but nowadays it's considered an absolute must. It was woefully inadequate for today's needs. Also because I couldn't find things to do on the internet due to poor connection, there wasn't any 'tourist information' in the cottage. Every other place I've stayed has had at least something there. Sykes have been terrible this time. No way of phoning the company at all, so I sent 5 emails before the holiday requesting several times to cancel due to the covid pandemic, and my financial situation being self employed. Sykes ignored every single one, but were quick to withdraw the money in full, despite what I had sent them, and then stated they only received my last email, and totally lacking in any empathy whatsoever. Also the feedback email was received immediately after the holiday. I have proof that I've sent each email, all to the same address. It's a poor business model, and disgusting behaviour for any company which I have used before. I won't be using Sykes ever again!!!!

Brilliant location and an excellent barn conversion.

Would definitively recommend.

My family and I stayed at Ymylch Bach cottages for a holiday in Snowdonia.

It was a nice size for a family of 4 adults, plus a toddler and a small dog. The views were great, especially the hills surrounding and the sheep in nearby fields. There were 3 toilets (1 downstairs) plus an ensuite shower and separate bathroom, so ideal for a small family. We did unfortunately have a few irritating issues. We had very little hot water and ended up with cold showers for all but 1 day of the holiday, and the owner was quite unresponsive when we contacted them. We also had to give the downstairs a clean as there were a lot of cobwebs and dust throughout. It's a shame as with some regular maintenance and TLC, I'd have happily given this a glowing review.

Cottage is great and in a lovely location.

Also great position apropos road links to the places you are likely to want to visit. It would have been nice if the owner had dropped in at some point just to say "Hello" It would have been nice if there were some soap and washing up liquid provided - you don't realise until later on that they are not there. Would recommend

THIS COTTAGE WAS SHODDY, UNCOMFORTABLE AND DIRTY IN AREAS TO THE EXTENT THAT WE RETURNED HOME AFTER 3 NIGHTS AS OPPOSED TO 6 NIGHTS.

THERE WAS COBWEBS AND SPIDERS IN MANY AREAS OF THE COTTAGE THAT HAD OBVIOUSLEY BEEN THERE FOR A WHILE.THE PAINTWORK WAS MARKED AND DIRTY IN SOME OF THE ROOMS.THE WINDOW IN LOUNGE HAD A BROKEN HANDLE AND THERE WAS A GAP SO THAT IT LET IN A COLD DRAUGHT. THE MAIN BATHROOM HAD PAINT FALLEN FROM THE WALLS REVEALING BARE PLASTER. LIGHT BULBS IN SOME AREAS WERE NOT WORKING ALONG WITH THE MICROWAVE.THE DINING TABLE IS SCRATCHED EXCESSIVLY AND DEFINATLEY SEEN BETTER DAYS. THE SMALL FREEZER IS PLACED IN A DIRTY CUPBOARD IN THE LOUNGE AND WAS UNEVEN SO IT WOBBLED WHEN OPENING AND CLOSING. THERE IS NO WASHING MACHINE OR DRYER EVEN THOUGH THERE IS AMPLE SPACE IN DOWNSTAIRS TOILET.THE SOFA IN THE LOUNGE WAS UNCOMFORTABLE AND DIRTY. THE 2 DOUBLE BEDS WHERE VERY LOW IN HEIGHT AND OF POOR QUALITY AS WELL AS EXCEPTIONALLY UNCOMFORTABLE. ONE DOUBLE YOU CAN NOT WALK EITHER SIDE OF SO HAVE TO CLIMB ONTO IT TO GET IN FROM THE BOTTOM. THE HOT WATER WAS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY ON OUR ARRIVAL HOWEVER A REPAIR MAN ARRIVED ON OUR FIRST DAY THAT WE WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF SO DISRUPTED US FOR AT LEAST AN HOUR ( SURELY THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SORTED BEFORE OUR ARRIVAL IF THE LANDLORD WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.) THE ONLY PLUS WE COULD COMMENT ON IS THE LOCATION PROVIDES WONDERFUL SCENERY. A VERY DISAPPOINTING EXPERIENCE !!!!

Absolutely fabulous location.

Great for exploring the beautiful countryside .Very relaxing.

We had a great time helped by wonderful weather.

The cottage is in a great location and suited us for space and facilities. The hot water system did not work well for us but we reported this to the owner. Overall clean and fine for us good kitchen. Thanks

This is a lovely property in an excellent location.

There are loads of walks and cycleways from the property, there are supermarkets 5 mins away and its very convenient for Llanberis, Snowdon, Portmeirion etc etc. We had a very cold week in February but were were very 'toasty' in the property with the lovey wood burner and underfloor heating. I would book this property again.

Routine maintenance checks by the owner/caretaker were not efficient.

Everywhere was very clean but many light bulbs were not working and the spares box contained none of the correct fittings (various) A note was left by us to this effect. One downstairs window had a broken catch, leaving the premises insecure. A Guests Welcome Booklet would be useful clarifying how to operate the heating and cooker, local recycling requirements, etc. A maintenance book for guests to update would be sensible because it is clear from the Visitors Book that previous guests' comments had not been acted upon in a timely manner. Despite the above negative comments, we were very pleased with everything else. Quality of furnishings was excellent, underfloor heating an excellent facility and the showers were great.