Royal Sportsman Hotel

My most recent visit on June 22nd-26th 2023 was specifically to attend the Welsh Highland Railway Centenary and, throughout that event, it proved to be a joy to stay in. The room was a pleasure to stay with a comfortable bed and very satisfactory shower. High praise must also be given for the quality of the food served here: breakfast was great every day and so were the evening meals - just the kind of tasty, appetising stuff you need to start and end three busy days.

Hmm, that's a tricky one - off the top of my head, I find it very hard to think of anything that wasn't appealing. Admittedly the room itself was rather warm when I arrived on the Thursday but, to clarify, that was more to do with that day's weather in general. And, while the room in question was slightly small, I didn't mind that either: this is after all a hotel with thirty rooms in total which need plenty of space and certainly have it to spare. More positive than negative, really.

I love the mix of old and new. The accommodation was like an older private hotel, maintained by themselves with wonky floors and old fire doors. Mixed with modern statements in decor. A very modern brasserie restaurant and bar area, well decorated and food was top class in choice, presentation and quality.

A bit nit picking, but a single bed was a little unusual and 12” (ish) screen TV outdated somewhat. Occasion loss of concentration of waitress staff in restaurant, either having private conversations in the middle of the restaurant, or delivering amazing food without much care of placing the plate or eye contact.

Lovely friendly reception and all staff around the hotel welcoming as always with far more charm and character than the chain hotels in the area (I've stayed here before). The Sportsman is perfectly located in town for transport, attractions, shops, restaurants and bars, yet is also quiet enough to be a peaceful place to stay. Perfectly sized room that was not too small but not too big for a solo traveller either. Lovely full breakfast every morning which sorts you out for the rest of the day and makes lunch irrelevant. Also nice to be able to come and go throughout the days (and nights) through the side entrance without feeling like an intruder. As always, everything made for a relaxing and enjoyable stay and I already look forward to staying again.

The only thing that was inconvenient was that I could not reliably connect to the wi-fi, it worked sometimes but other times it didn't. Not a massive problem as I was in town to meet people and do stuff rather than sit about on the internet, but it meant that messaging people I was meeting, and booking online tickets for things that I was going to do etc was sometimes difficult as the connection was unreliable. It may have been my anti-virus software, but as it connected intermittently I suspect it was something to do with the wi-fi itself. (Maybe a light on a sensor over the side entrance door so that it's easier to put the key in after a night out in town would be nice as well, I had to keep using my phone to light up the keyhole when I got back after dark.) Other than that - perfect!

Breakfast was everything we expected, very good.

The menu for dinner got shorter every day, after a few days we were told it was because the menu was changing at the weekend. Also in our room there was a step down level with the end of the bed. My wife was most concerned because as I am over 80 and not too nimble on my pins if I am up in the night I could easily come a cropper. We thought of asking for a room change but decided to leave the bathroom light on with the door slightly ajar. Seemed to work!

Clean and comfortable. Been refurbed but still needs updating. No lifts. Staff was friendly and helpful. Good Breakfast selection - hot & cold. Parking space available first come first serve. Supermarket very close by. Lots of good restaurants & cafe nearby. Ffestiniog train station 9 mins walk away. Black Rock beach 10 mins drive away.

The restaurant was a bit grumpy. Didn’t get much sleep first night as woman next door was banging on the door. Not the hotel fault but as the reception is a floor down no staff heard and so not dealt with it.

Greeted by friendly staff member. Easy to find hotel. Big room and walk in shower. Hospitality tray. Clean. Court yard. Back patio. Side entrance. Cant realy fault the property.

Lumpy pillow. Cooked breakfast. Extra price for dog £20 considering booking was for two people and one didn't come or use bed or have breakfast, felt this charge was a tad excessive / unnessary considering the price increase on the booking was higher than other sites for same hotel. £160 for b&b for two people is taking the mick . Need more sugar in the room.

This is an older, more traditional style of hotel, but personally I prefer that. The facilities were all that one would expect of a modern hotel (except that there isn't a lift). The hotel is on the main street in the centre of town, but they had their own car park, so parking my car was easy. My room was very nice, and quite spacious. The en-suite was a good size. The bed was very comfy, with nice big pillows. I had a drink in the bar (local beer - very good) and ate in the restaurant on both nights of my stay and was very pleased. The "head waiter" was particularly good - very efficient and friendly, without being over the top. The other staff were also very efficient and the food was very good. The breakfast was also very nice.

In retrospect, the price for 2 nights was quite a bit more expensive than other places (of a similar quality) that I stayed, but I couldn't fault the accommodation, staff or meals.

Staff and food make this hotel and its such an ideal location with plenty of parking ! Our car broke down just as we parked up and we panicked because we didnt know how we were going to get home due to the bank holiday for the Queen funeral but staff were excellent and did there best to give us local garage numbers and we hit the jackpot when someone ( local taxi lady ) gave us Davies Local motor services, the mechanic was excellent and managed to do a temporary fix so we were able to get home :-) Back to hotel this is a decent size hotel with a lovely bar and restaurant that all looks like its just been updated with lovely furniture and fixtures. I would recommend to book evening meal as the food and service were brilliant. The steak and lamb as well as the wild mushroom carbonara was all cooked to perfection and decent prices, would recommend the cheese board for dessert !! Service from all staff including the young waiters and waitress were very good. Breakfast couldnt be faulted, hubby had full welsh breakfast both mornings and he enjoyed it very much. I have the continental breakfast was lovely, the ham was wonderful but only 1 slice, maybe a little more of ham would have been nice but in all would still recommend , the crossiant was lovely and hot and enjoyed this with a fruity compote. We booked a small double room and it was small but it suited us and was cleaned both days with lovely fluffy bath towels. Location o the hotel is on the hight street and just a 10min walk takes you to the lovely harbour and train station. Lots of shops and the chippy on the high street do a lovely chips and gravy/curry, the fish also looked nice but we didnt try. We visited Portmeiron and had to book a taxi with the reception lady Sharon who recommended a very reliable lady driver who arrived on time to pick us up and also to take us back to the hotel. We loved the hotel and the area so will be looking to book again soon.

Nothing

It is a lovely looking Hotel from the roadside- good kerb appeal. There is a short stay space right in front of Hotel for loading/ unloading. Room / bathroom facilities all of good quality. Comfortable bed. Good quality breakfast goods; delicious. The Hotel car park was full when we arrived, so we parked on a little local street. However , there were spaces the next morning, when most people had gone out for the day. The Hotel was just a short walk from Porthmadog rail station, from which we booked a steam train journey.

On 2 occasions we mentioned at Reception that it seemed impossible to get onto wifi. I gathered it was often a problem.

Staff very helpful. We weren't happy with our initial room due to strong, overpowering odour but when I mentioned this to the receptionist, we were moved to straight away. The replacement room was lovely. Parts of the hotel have been refurbished but not all. If decor is important to you, check before you book your room. The bar and restaurant are modern , bright refurbished spaces...the reception area is dull in comparison All the staff are lovely. Breakfast is good and the restaurant is well recommended. If you stay on a Sunday night, book a table at the restaurant well in advance. Hardly any places open to eat or drink in the town on a Sunday evening.

Some areas / rooms in need of an upgrade but overall a very clean and well run hotel.