Ivy Bush Royal Hotel by Compass Hospitality

Hotels
Compass Hospitality
7.4 (2244 reviews)
Spilman Street , Carmarthen , gb

Paid
Children allowed

Facilities

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

Review Highlights

Pros:
Clean and comfortable
Great breakfast variety
Polite and helpful staff
Cons:
Issues with room cleanliness
Uncomfortable beds
Cold room temperatures

Categories

Cleanliness
6.44
Several reviews indicated issues with cleanliness, such as visible mould and dirty curtains.
Service
8.41
Staff received praise for being accommodating and helpful.
Location
7.95
Location was frequently noted as convenient and central.
Room Quality
6.9
Some rooms were described as nice, while others faced issues such as cold temperatures.
Amenities
7.43
Amenities were mentioned positively regarding the bar area and lounge.
Value for Money
6.89
Value was viewed as fair for the stay duration, despite some issues.
Food and Beverage
7.44
Breakfast had positive feedback, but also negative comments about dinner quality.
Overall Experience
7.71
General sentiment was positive despite some specific complaints.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2025-12-20 10:45

Property Description

Luxurious Accommodation
The Ivy Bush Royal offers 81 beautifully furnished bedrooms, including family rooms, executive rooms, and a two-room suite, providing comfort and style for all guests.

Blend of Old World Charm and Modern Facilities
Fully refurbished and modernised, this hotel seamlessly combines its historic charm with contemporary amenities, ensuring a unique and comfortable stay for every guest.

Ideal Location for Business and Leisure
Located at the gateway to West Wales, The Ivy Bush Royal welcomes both business and leisure travellers, offering a perfect blend of style and convenience for a memorable stay.

To experience the perfect blend of old-world charm and modern comfort, book your stay at The Ivy Bush Royal today!

Important information:

Please note that bookings of 5 to 9 rooms or stays of 28 nights or more require a 10% non-refundable, non-transferable deposit charged at the time of booking.

Please note that bookings of 10 rooms or more require a 20% non-refundable, non-transferable deposit charged at the time of booking.

Please note that children are not allowed to share beds.

When booking for 28 nights or more, different policies and additional supplements will apply.

Please note that a maximum of 2 dogs is allowed per room.

When travelling with pets, please note that an extra charge of GBP 20 per pet, per maximum stay of 4 days, applies.

Please inform the property at least 1 day in advance of your stay/ if you plan to bring a pet.

Please note that pets are only allowed in the guest rooms and designated outdoor areas.

All pets staying at this property must have received a flea treatment before check-in.

Please note that pets are not permitted in the public bar or restaurant, except guide dogs.

Owners are responsible for supervising pets at all times.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 are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
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

Location

Guest Reviews

7.4
Based on 2244 reviews
Cleanliness: 6.44
Service: 8.41
Location: 7.95
Room Quality: 6.9
Amenities: 7.43
Value for Money: 6.89
Food and Beverage: 7.44
Overall Experience: 7.71
J
Janice solo_traveller gb
6
Good value for money. Room could’ve been better…
Pros:

Central to town.
Lovely staff.
Beautiful breakfast

Cons:

Damp smell in room.
Needs updating desperately.
Smelly carpets… smells of dirty feet…

2026-08-23 via Nuitee
R
Rachel family_with_children gb
4
Needs updating and a good clean
Pros:

Good location, friendly check in staff and bar staff

Cons:

Very dated property, rooms were very dusty and dirty in parts, one window didn’t open.

Noisy very early in the morning

2026-08-21 via Nuitee
E
Estera family_with_children gb
1
2026-08-21 via Nuitee
R
Richard couple gb
3
Short stay glad it wasn’t longer
Pros:

Location town centre

Cons:

Room was located next to decked area and very noisy , had to pay to park , hotel is very dated some staff struggled to speak English/welsh , lights in bedroom not working

2026-08-21 via Nuitee
J
Jones solo_traveller gb
8
Adequate for my purposes
Pros:

rECEPTION WERE VERY HELPFUL

Cons:

The noise above room 61 from about 6.00 a.m.

2026-08-20 via Nuitee
C
Carolyn extended_group gb
6
Good, pleasant stay.
Pros:

Good size bedroom with all the usual facilities. Free WiFi.

Cons:

Really disappointed that, since the last time we stayed there, they have introduced a daily car parking charge!

Tried to get food at 7pm after a long and busy day’s work only to be told that because of an event on at the hotel there would be an hour’s wait for food!! Went looking for something to eat in Carmarthen instead. A missed opportunity and a lack of service for guests staying at the hotel!

2026-08-20 via Nuitee
R
Rod extended_group gb
10
2026-08-19 via Nuitee
V
VAIDYANATHAN family_with_children gb
4
2026-08-18 via Nuitee
G
GHC solo_traveller gb
6
Pros:

Good location. Room was relatively pleasant and clean, but quite hot. Plenty of parking although it is pay and display £5 per 24 hours. Staff are very helpful. Town centre and Castle within easy walking distance.

Cons:

Quite noisy because the room was on the ground floor adjacent to the car park. A good choice of breakfast but it was often quite rubbery having been left under the hot lamps. Restaurant had ony 1 vegetarian option as a main course. The room was very hot even with the window open. No fridge in the room to keep drinks cold.

2026-08-18 via Nuitee
M
Manning solo_traveller gb
8
2026-08-17 via Nuitee
M
Michelle solo_traveller gb
10
2026-08-17 via Nuitee
G
Ginette extended_group gb
7
Only stayed for two nights as a stop off and would most definitely wanted a change of room if I was staying longer.
Pros:

Great location for exploring south wales. Lovely breakfast with very pleasant older chap waiting on us . Nice food for dinner.

Cons:

Dirty dusty room, bathroom ancient, rusty chain on a plastic plug in the sink / black grouting and silicone throughout. Mouldy cloth shower curtain that hung into the bath as it was too long. One out of 4 lightbulbs working in the room and someone else’s packets of rice in the dressing table cupboard - kettle still had water in it and dirty fingerprints all over it and the picture frames had an inch of thick dust on top of them.

2026-08-16 via Nuitee
B
Bhaskar solo_traveller gb
8
2026-08-16 via Nuitee
S
Stephen solo_traveller gb
10
2026-08-16 via Nuitee
P
Pankaj Kumar solo_traveller gb
7
Stay if you don't expect much
Pros:

Location and breakfast

Cons:

1. Collecting Parking charges extra and later part refunding it on purchase of food/drinks. Its annoying.
2. Cleaning wasn't up to the mark.
4. Beds weren't much comfy.
5. Allotting room to a family just below kitchen which doesn't let you sleep after 5 am. Come on, your guests are on vacation, not on a mission. Moving room next day was appreciable.
6. TV didn't work properly.

2026-08-15 via Nuitee
G
Giulia couple it
2
Da evitare!
Pros:

Parcheggio disponibile al prezzo di 5 sterline.

Cons:

La stanza e il bagno erano decisamente sporchi. Il wc non era stato pulito (presentava schizzi e peli, nonché macchie che evidenziavano la mancanza di pulizia dopo un uso prolungato). Disseminati per il pavimento (moquette) e su tutte le superfici della stanza erano palesemente visibili peli, capelli, unghie, briciole, etichette di oggetti/indumenti, polvere, etc. Muri scrostati. Decisamente una delle stanze più sporche mai viste. Ci ha messi decisamente a disagio. Sconsiglio vivamente

2026-08-15 via Nuitee
E
Eiri extended_group gb
5
Lovely hotel but dissatisfied with customer services
Pros:

Lovely hotel which we’ve stayed in many times before

Cons:

We were promised that they would arrange a taxi the next morning to the station and an early breakfast to go as we were leaving early on Saturday. Although we were assured on the Friday night that this was arranged we woke up early on Saturday and neither things were arranged. We did express our disappointment at the time and have since followed up with 2 emails. I’m not sure if the hotel has made any adjustments to rectify matters. I’ve certainly not seen any gestures for this inconvenience from them.

2026-08-14 via Nuitee
J
John family_with_children gb
8
Perfect for what I required
Pros:

Room very comfy, breakfast good

2026-08-14 via Nuitee
J
Julie couple gb
5
Good location for our stay whilst visiting the Eisteddfod, but not enough staff!
Pros:

Staff were polite and attentive during our stay. We stayed two weekends in a row for the National Eisteddfod and the first weekend staff were unable to meet our requirements for vegetarian sausages. However, during the second weekend staff, we were able to ask and were provided with vegetarian sausages.

Cons:

Unfortunately I feel this hotel was ill prepared for the National Eisteddfod. There just didn't seem to be enough staff to accommodate a full hotel. Our room was not clean at all, dirty bathroom and dusty room. We were unable to change rooms due to the hotel being full. Breakfast was a lovely variety but unfortunately we had to wait a while for items to be replenished. The savory cakes and croissants were not replenished at all whilst we were having breakfast (and we were not late for breakfast). The staff appeared 'run off their feet'.

2026-08-14 via Nuitee
M
mikecS3524HX Couples
2
Terrible
Pros:

Terrible.

Insisted on a room with air con when booking. Arrived and given one without. Refused to refund £95 even though the photos of the room clearly showed air conditioning. Chap behind the desk, who did the website and handled the booking, said it was merely a request that they couldn’t fulfil.

Hence went home.

2026-08-13 via Tripadvisor