“Despite the weather, we spent a pleasant week at this place on the outskirts of Llanelli, within short walking distance of the beach and the railway station, and only 20 minutes’ walk away from the town centre shops (for what it's worth).”
The price felt about right for the accommodation, and the owner(s) proved friendly and helpful.
Just a few pointers/suggestions to the owners of things we had difficulty with, in no particular order:
The accompanying photos are a little misleading: externally, the left‑most window is not part of the let; internally, the bedroom and kitchen photos imply more space because some large items of furniture are not in place; also, camera angles imply bigger rooms.
The kitchen table is nice, but ...
The price felt about right for the accommodation, and the owner(s) proved friendly and helpful.
Just a few pointers/suggestions to the owners of things we had difficulty with, in no particular order:
The accompanying photos are a little misleading: externally, the left‑most window is not part of the let; internally, the bedroom and kitchen photos imply more space because some large items of furniture are not in place; also, camera angles imply bigger rooms.
The kitchen table is nice, but it is arguably too big for the room, especially with chairs that can’t be pushed under when not in use.
The living room floor is a bit of a trip hazard, with its uneven flagstones. The rug helps, but leaves many exposed areas. The kitchen floor, meanwhile, looks (though undoubtedly isn’t) quite dirty — more the fault of the brickwork than the cleaners.
Wind gets in. Unfortunately, it was very windy at times while we were there, and draughts were coming down through the roof, chilling the stairs, bathroom, back bedroom, and living room. The outer house door also has quite a big gap under it, and the inner one has not been draughtproofed, allowing wind in from the front too. All we could do to compensate was turn up the heating to 20°C, which felt wasteful.
It was not obvious to us where to put ‘black bag’ waste. There was every kind of recycling bin, with instructions, but none for general waste. We came by train, so couldn’t take it back home with us.
The wine, Welsh cakes, chocolate, and milk were a lovely thought — but untasted by a family of teetotallers and vegans! (Perhaps Sykes could provide a way of indicating this to owners.)
The traffic noise! For a back road on the outskirts of Llanelli, it’s incredible how much traffic flies past in the mornings. The church roof looks nice, but does nothing to keep out noise — in the front bedroom, you might as well be sleeping on the street! The description refers to a “peaceful sleeping environment” — but only if you don’t mind being shaken out of bed on your holiday by traffic from about 7 a.m.!
You can’t use the bath without slithering in and out — there is no headroom unless you’re a small child.
1. The accompanying photos are a little misleading: externally, the left-most window is not part of the let; internally, the bedroom and kitchen photos imply more space, because some large items of furniture are not in place; also, camera angles imply bigger rooms.
Thank you for your comment, I am sorry you feel the photos don't show the true nature of the property but over time furniture is moved around and parts of the property are refurbished.
There have not been any other complaints made by other guests.
2. The kitchen table is nice, but it is arguably too big for the room, especially with chairs that can't be pushed under when not in use.
*The kitchen table is designed to be large enough for a family of 4 as that is the maximum occupancy and needs to be catered for. Aside from the table there is plenty of room in the kitchen for moving around, cooking, and there is even an en-suite toilet in there. There is a picture of the table on the website for prior viewing.*
3. The living room floor is a bit of a trip hazard, with its uneven
flagstones.
*In pictures 3, 4 and 5 on the website there is a clear picture
of the floor for prior viewing. It is made from natural Bradstone slab, which is in keeping with the character and authenticity of the church. They are classed as 'textured' not uneven.The rug helps but leaves many exposed areas .Again, there are pictures to view the full area of the lounge before your stay. Not many areas are exposed as there are 2 couches, an armchair, rug and table. The kitchen floor, meanwhile, looks (though undoubtedly isn't) quite dirty,i.e. more the fault of the brickwork than the cleaners. *The floor laid is the original quarry tiles which were re-laid as per building regs. They are over 140 years old so do show authentic, traditional ageing. They are inkeeping again with the authenticity and character of the building, staying true to its historic, original features. *
4. Wind gets in. Unfortunately, it was very windy at times while we werethere, and draughts were coming down through the roof, chilling the stairs, bathroom, back bedroom and living room. In the 8/9 years the property has been running. All we could do to compensate was turn up the heating to 20C, which felt wasteful. This is your choice to deem the heating as wasteful, we provideheating freely in order to keep our guests comfortable.*
5. It was not obvious to us where to put 'black bag' waste.
*Black bag waste is under the same instructions as the other waste .There was everykind of recycling bin, with instructions, but none for general waste. We came by train, sowe couldn't take it back home with us.*
6. The wine, Welsh cakes, chocolate and milk were a lovely thought – but untasted by a family of teetotallers and vegans! (Perhaps Sykes could provide a way of indicating this to owners.) *I was not aware of this, and you can choose to use it or leave it.
Thank you for raising this, the welcome packs are provided by some owners as an additional gesture of welcoming guests.
If guests don't eat or drink what is provided, these can be left by the guests.
7. The traffic noise! For a back road on the outskirts of Llanelli, it's incredible how much traffic flies past in the mornings. We cannot be responsible for traffic.The church roof looks nice, but does nothing to keep out noise - in the front bedroom, you might as well be sleeping on the street!
*Again, we cannot be responsible for external noise factors, but again there are vents in the Velux windows and all windows are insulated as per building regs. The church roof again is within keeping of the original features and isvaulted with wooden beams so is suitable for the property.*
The AI-generated description (which is generally cringeworthy, by the way, Sykes!) refers to a "peaceful sleeping environment" - but as long as you don't mind being shaken out of bed on your holiday by traffic from about 7 am!
I am sorry that you had an interrupted sleep. Owners are not responsible for the traffic outside of the property, and the team that writes the descriptions relies on the owners
and the property consultants who visit to ensure the description is correct. There have not been any previous complaints about traffic, but I am sorry that your sleep was not as expected.
8. You can't use the bath without slithering in and out - there is no headroom unless you're a small child.
*The bathroom again is within an old, church conversion, so therefore the ceiling again is vaulted, with original wooden beams to keep with the history and authenticity of the conversion. There is an en-suite available with a shower if you prefer.*
*To conclude, we have been running this property for 8/9 years successfully and positively. We also have a 4.6-star rating.*
Regards, Sarah
Property Owner
