The Swan At Hay

Hotels
8.2 (1555 reviews)
Church Street , Hay-on-Wye , gb

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Free
Children allowed
Pets allowed

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Parking
Free Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Restaurant
Room service
Heating
Terrace
Family rooms
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Friendly staff
Excellent location
Clean rooms
Cons:
Room quality issues
Overpriced rooms

Categories

Cleanliness
8.13
General sentiment indicated rooms were clean, but some dated aspects noted.
Service
8.8
Staff were very friendly and welcoming, contributing positively to the experience.
Location
8.64
Multiple reviews praised the excellent location of the hotel.
Room Quality
7.89
Some rooms were dated or had issues like doors that didn't close properly.
Amenities
8.12
Amenities were generally adequate, though some guests had specific requests.
Value for Money
7.58
Some guests felt the rooms were overpriced for the quality provided.
Food and Beverage
8.13
Breakfast options were good, but some reviews criticized the quality.
Overall Experience
8.3
Guests had a pleasant overall experience despite some minor issues.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-09 15:44

Property Description

Charming Georgian Hotel in Hay-on-Wye

Individually Designed Bedrooms: The Swan at Hay offers 19 uniquely designed bedrooms with picturesque views, flat-screen TVs, and private bathrooms for a comfortable stay.

Culinary Delights: Guests can indulge in classic British cuisine at the relaxed bistro and restaurant, featuring original Georgian windows overlooking the garden. The well-stocked bar offers award-winning ales and ciders for a delightful dining experience.

Ideal Location: Positioned between the Brecon Beacons and The Black Mountains, the hotel is a perfect retreat for exploring the Offa’s Dyke Path and the Brecon Beacons National Park. Enjoy the convenience of free parking and proximity to boutique shops and pubs in Hay-on-Wye.

Experience the charm and comfort of The Swan at Hay – Book your stay now!

Important information:

Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
Guests under the age of 18 can only check in with a parent or official guardian.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: CWL

Property Policies

  • Groups

    When booking more than 4 rooms, different policies and additional supplements may apply.

  • Parking

    Free private parking is possible on site (reservation is not possible).

  • Pets

    Pets are allowed on request. Charges may be applicable.

  • Internet

    WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children of any age are allowed.
    Children up to and including 3 years old stay for £10 per person per night when using an available cot.
    Children up to and including 5 years old stay for free when using an existing bed.
    Children from 6 years old to 16 years old stay for £20 per person per night when using an existing bed.
    Children up to and including 15 years old stay for £25 per person per night when using an available extra bed.
    Any type of extra bed or child's cot/crib is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management.
    Supplements are not calculated automatically in the total costs and will have to be paid for separately during your stay.

Location

Guest Reviews

8.2
Based on 1555 reviews
Cleanliness: 8.13
Service: 8.8
Location: 8.64
Room Quality: 7.89
Amenities: 8.12
Value for Money: 7.58
Food and Beverage: 8.13
Overall Experience: 8.3
E
Emma • family_with_children • gb
9
2026-07-15 • via Nuitee
M
Mike • couple • gb
7
Good stay, excellent location , friendly staff
Pros:

Good choice of breakfast

Cons:

Room size

2026-07-15 • via Nuitee
H
Howell • family_with_children • gb
9
A lovely hotel in a good location
Pros:

A good hotel with courteous staff and a beautiful garden

2026-07-12 • via Nuitee
G
Gary • solo_traveller • gb
10
Confortable hotel and a good option for visiting Hay
Pros:

Nice hotel and close to town.
Comfortable rooms and nice breakfast

Cons:

Only limited parking but public car park opposite which is an alternative option

2026-07-11 • via Nuitee
S
Sian • extended_group • gb
10
Really accommodating staff- we went with a choir and had a lovely time thank you!
2026-07-11 • via Nuitee
N
Neil • couple • au
10
Beautiful property and located well in the town
2026-07-10 • via Nuitee
K
Katie • solo_traveller • gb
10
Great place to stay. Good location and very helpful and friendly staff.
Pros:

Lovely room. Huge comfy bed. Very well appointed. Staff friendly and super helpful. We needed to wait for the EV charger to be available - staff very helpful in facilitating access to charge our EV. Garden great. Lots of space to relax inside if we preferred. Breakfast seriously yummy!

Cons:

Nothing really. Breakfast pricing could be a bot clearer - what you get, for which price.

2026-07-08 • via Nuitee
C
chris • couple • gb
9
Perfect for exploring Hay on Wye
Pros:

Fabulous location, lovely gardens

2026-07-08 • via Nuitee
L
Lesley Anne • solo_traveller • gb
7
2026-07-06 • via Nuitee
D
Debra toby • couple • us
8
Pleasant stay
Pros:

Good location and parking available

Cons:

Too much light coming through the curtains even at night due to street lights

2026-07-06 • via Nuitee
C
Colin • couple • gb
7
Pros:

Comfortable room. Friendly staff. Nice garden area.

Cons:

Poor food. Low quality.

2026-07-05 • via Nuitee
M
Mark • couple • gb
9
Lovely central hotel with comfortable rooms and friendly staff
Pros:

Lovely room with tall ceilings. Comfortable bed. Friendly staff. Nice and clean. Lovely garden.

Cons:

Food was just ok. Parking is limited so needed to park in the next door car park at a cost.

2026-07-05 • via Nuitee
G
Gordon • solo_traveller • gb
10
Pros:

A lovely hotel welcoming & friendly staff. Good restaurant My fourth visit

2026-07-05 • via Nuitee
P
Petra • solo_traveller • at
6
Pros:

Lage

Cons:

Wirkte ziemlich abgewohnt, Essen im Restaurant war wirklich nicht gut, sehr kleiner Parkplatz und schnell voll,

2026-07-03 • via Nuitee
C
Chris • couple • gb
7
Start of a trip along the Spine of the Dragon
Pros:

Lovely room, helpful staff. Good location.

Cons:

Evening meal was average at best

2026-07-03 • via Nuitee
A
Alun • couple • gb
7
Nice hotel in a nice town.
Pros:

Nice and clean, comfortable.

Cons:

There were very few to channel options. The room out in the courtyard was quite small with a very steep stairway to get to it.

2026-07-01 • via Nuitee
R
Robin • couple • gb
7
2026-06-29 • via Nuitee
D
Delyth • couple • gb
6
Had a lovely stay at The Swan in Hay. Some good parts to the hotel mainly the staff but some improvements could be made.
Pros:

Central location to the town centre of Hay on Wye.
Bedroom was spacious.
Good breakfast.
Staff were very good, friendly and helpful.
Lovely beer garden.

Cons:

The traffic noise from the main road especially from about 5am onwards. We had to keep the bedroom window open as the weather was hot!
The hotel car park is small.
Evening meal was average.

2026-06-29 • via Nuitee
A
Andrew J • couple • gb
6
Reasonably good, but it is absurd that the hotel told my wife it has "no olive oil" for her salad.
Pros:

The young lady in charge when we arrived was very impressive. The location of the hotel is good because Hay is fun as a place. Handy places close by to walk the dogs in a very green setting -- we brought two dogs. Our electric car was charged very efficiently.

Cons:

The main bad thing was my wife's tomato and mozzarella main course at dinner. Bizarrely, it came drowned in a dark spicy pesto kind of heavy drizzle, and she believes it had chilli in it even after she explained she is allergic to chilli. So that was disappointing and she sent it back, and she asked for a standard tomato and mozzarella (in the form that would be served in most restaurants around the world, after all). Unfortunately, it came back now with half a mozzarella of extremely lumpy quality and a tiny tomato salad. She then asked if she could have some olive oil on it, which after all would be served on such a salad in the restaurants of the world. The young waitress went back to ask. "We have no olive oil" came back the reply from the kitchen. This reply seems absurd. It indicates to us that the chef was simply grumpy with my wife. It is inconceivable to us that the Swan at Hay on Wye has no olive oil in its substantial kitchen. So we will probably never go back to this establishment. This culinary part of our stay was unusually poor and odd.

2026-06-24 • via Nuitee
N
Natarajan • couple • sg
10
an excellent experience
Pros:

Very friendly staff. Very close to the plethora of book shops

2026-06-24 • via Nuitee