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Reviews of The Markets Tavern Hotel

2.5 out of 5
The Markets Tavern Hotel
36 Free Street, Brecon, Wales

Reviews

7.4

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 18 out of 82 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 33 out of 82 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 21 out of 82 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 5 out of 82 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 5 out of 82 reviews" "

7.6/10

Cleanliness

8.0/10

Staff & service

2.0/10

Amenities

6.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Our hotel room was very dirty,the worst we ever stayed in,we were the only guests staying there
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel nice but looks tired room drafty. Quite pricey for what you get.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019
Response from wayne on 30 Jan 2019
The whole building is having a refurbishment over the next couple of months so that will be adressed.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018
Response from wayne on 19 Jan 2019
Thank you for your high rating. Wayne

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel needs a bit of a face lift but the bedding and towels were clean
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018
Response from Wayne on 19 Jan 2019
We are due a face lift throughout the building at the end of January into February this year. Wayne

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel clean and comfortable good food pleasant staff
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018
Response from Wayne on 19 Dec 2018
Thank you, we hope to see you again.

8/10 Good

Steven

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
See you soon
Nice people, nice place, nice town.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2018
Response from Wayne & Lynn on 4 Dec 2018
Thanks for your kind words, we hope we can look forward to hosting you again in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Friendly staff. Nice place 2 stay ..akso nice warm room 👍
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018
Response from Wayne & Lynn on 4 Dec 2018
We are glad you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you again in the future.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Friendly owners, very flexible with our late arrival time. The hotel is easy to find and there's off road parking alongside. The owners provide a door code so you can let yourselves in and out any time. Overall recommended, the only issues we had were the TV did not work, not did the bedside table. This wasn't an issue as were didn't need these anyway.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2018
Response from Wayne on 21 Nov 2018
Thanks for the comments, light bulb changed and tv tuned in and working.

8/10 Good

Glenn, Midlands

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location for us, it's cheap and cheerful, got a pool table, dartboard serves a good range of beers and able to store our mountain bikes securely. Thank you for a pleasant stay
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018
Response from Wayne on 18 Nov 2018
Thank you for your kind words, we look forward to welcoming you back on your next visit to Brecon.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
very good welcome, hotel is due to be refurbished January 2019 so will be worth another visit, ideally placed for town centre.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018
Response from Wayne & Lynn on 14 Nov 2018
Thank you we look forward to welcoming you back again in the future.

8/10 Good

Eddy, Prestatyn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
I was well looked after. The hotel is about to undergo a refurb. Booked again for my next visit to Brecon
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2018
Response from Wayne & Lynn on 7 Nov 2018
Thank you for your kind words Eddy, we look forward to seeing you again in a couple of weeks.

6/10 Okay

alan, SWANSEA

Liked: Staff & service
Although I had to cancel my stay at the Market Tavern due to circumstances, Wayne ,the proprietor, was very understanding in sorting out my cancellation. I would recommend dealing with him in the future.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2018
Response from Wayne & Lynn on 31 Oct 2018
You had to cancel due to family issues which couldn't be avoided and we look forward to seeing you here in the near future.

8/10 Good

John

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice atmosphere food was brilliant would stay again
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2018
Response from Wayne & Lynn on 31 Oct 2018
Thank you for your kind words and we look forward to welcoming you back here in the future.

6/10 Okay

helen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Very old tired room canvas wardrobe woodchip wallpaper bathroom shared in corridor. Wouldn’t choose to stay here if any other option available However breakfast good and staff friendly
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018
Response from Wayne & Lynn on 2 Nov 2018
We only arrived here 8 weeks ago, over the next few months the whole building will have a refurbishment, at present it is a little dated, this will change thou.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018
Response from Wayne on 31 Oct 2018
Thank you for your rating, we look forward to welcoming you back to the Tavern again soon.

6/10 Okay

Colin

A refurbishment is promised and long over due.
I noticed on another review that the manager suggested that the hotel was due for a refurbishment. This is overdue if the hotel is to compete with other offerings. The staff were pleasant, the bed was clean but the room was cramped. The shared bath room was spartan and dated. The stairs to the second floor would have been too much for older or infirm visitors. The breakfast was of the 'greasy spoon' variety set in a dining room which had not been cleaned from the night before. It was a cheap night for one but I would have been embarrassed if I had taken my wife.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018
Response from Wayne on 19 Sept 2018
Thank you for your comments, a full refurbishment is planned over the coming months so many changes will be made.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
My fiance was the one to go. She and her mom enjoyed themselves very much. Had a great time would go again to Brecon.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018
Response from Wayne on 5 Sept 2018
We are pleased they enjoyed there stay and look forward to them coming again.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely vegan-friendly pub
Lovely, family-run pub. Room and bathroom were very clean. The staff was extremely friendly. We said we were vegan and they emailed us a few days before our stay to ask us what we wanted for breakfast and provided everything we asked for. Once we got here it turned out even the veggie burger on their menu was vegan (and delicious!). The pub is very conveniently located in Brecon, very close to town centre but away from the busy roads. Perfect base to explore the Brecon Beacons!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2018
Response from Wayne & Lynn on 30 Aug 2018
Hi Thanks for your kind words, we are glad you enjoyed your stay with us and look forward to hosting you again. Regards Wayne & Lynn

8/10 Good

WILLIAM

nice place to stay
nice room and very quiet
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018
Response from Wayne & Lynn on 26 Aug 2018
Thank you for your kind words, we look forward to seeing you again. Regards Wayne & Lynn

10/10 Excellent

Dave, Ontario, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel was in a great quiet location and only a 3 minute walk from Brecon town and shops. Staff were friendly, courteous and knowledgeable of the local area. Rooms and bathrooms were clean and comfortable, there was plenty to choose from for the included breakfast, all meals we had there were freshly cooked and delicious. I would not hesitate to recommend the Markets Tavern to anyone visiting the Brecon area, and look forward to staying there again in the future.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018
Response from Wayne & Lynn on 21 Aug 2018
Thank you for your kind words, we look forward to hosting you once again on your next trip to the Brecon area. Regards Wayne & Lynn

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
The staff were wonderful and we enjoyed our stay. The owners had only just taken over the hotel and have a few things to iron out, but are very helpful.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2018
Response from Wayne on 7 Aug 2018
Thank you for your kind words, we will be looking to make many improvements over the coming months. Regards Wayne

6/10 Okay

Graham

Liked: Staff & service
Basic hotel in an old tired pub
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2018
Response from Wayne on 7 Aug 2018
We are looking to make a lot of changes and improvements over the coming months, unfortunately we have only been here 2 weeks and not yet had much chance to decorate due to the rooms being booked. Thank you for your feedback,we are working to improve our premises. Regards Wayne

10/10 Excellent

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hotel for a break in the Brecon Beacons
Used this as a base for our trip to the Brecon Beacons. Great location and easy access to all of the National Park. The car park was an added benefit as there didn’t seem to be much free parking in Brecon. Located right next to a supermarket which was useful for gathering supplies to take into the country side. Our room was great and had more space than we needed. The entire ‘apartment’ was clean and had great facilities. Friendly staff during the check in process and when we saw them during breakfast. The included breakfast was great, a choice of cereals, fruit, hot and cold drinks, and yoghurt. Also we were offered a cooked breakfast every morning which was catered to what we wanted. Overall it was great! Would highly recommend!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2018
Response from Wayne on 7 Aug 2018
Thank you for your kind words, we are glad you enjoyed your stay with us and look forward to seeing you again on your next visit to Brecon. Regards Wayne

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Clean and comfortable room and friendly, helpful staff and great location for Brecon and surrounding areas.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2018
Response from Simon on 13 Jul 2018
Thank you for taking the time to write a review I will pass on your comments to the staff and we hope to see you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Tidy Brecon hotel
Very helpful staff, clean room, lovely breakfast. In the heart of Brecon near to supermarket and other amenities.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2018
Response from simon on 7 Jul 2018
Thanks for the review, glad you had a good stay and hope we see you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Simon, Swansea

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel in heart of Brecon.
Very nice hotel, staff and owner really nice people. Car park is big enough for about 10 cars, and it has a nice beer garden. Very close to all the amenities in brecon centre.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2018
Response from Simon on 26 Jun 2018
Hi Thanks for taking the time to write a review. We are glad you enjoyed your stay unfortunately at 15 years old Bob is set in his ways and is unlikely to change for the better, but I'm sure he liked you really. There is a refurbishment planned for the end of this year when we will hopefully sort out the decor issues.

8/10 Good

Ervi

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Location...location...location....
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2018
Response from Simon on 21 Jun 2018
thanks for the review and the feedback you gave earlier glad you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you again soon

8/10 Good

D.H.

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good value for money. Ideally placed for the centre of town; easy to find, and with a decent-sized car-park. Friendly, helpful staff. Good breakfast.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2018
Response from simon on 19 Jul 2018
Thanks for taking the time to write a review hope to see you again soon glad you enjoyed Breakfast.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2018
Response from Simon on 6 Jun 2018
Thanks for the 5 out of 5, glad you enjoyed your stay hope to see you again soon

6/10 Okay

Gigi

Breakfast is good
Stayed 1 night in May 2018
Response from Simon on 4 Jun 2018
Hi thanks for taking the time to write a review, I'm glad you enjoyed Breakfast and hope we will see you again.

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Filthy bathroom, had to wash up room mugs before we could use them, breakfast china filthy - had to ask for clean before we could use them, windows dirty, back of bathroom door big dirty hand prints. Couldn’t wait to get out and have breakfast somewhere clean.
Stayed 1 night in May 2018
Response from Simon on 4 Jun 2018
Thank you for your feedback, I'm sorry we fell short of expectations on this occasion and you did not feel able to raise any of your issues whilst in house so that we could have taken action to make your stay better.

10/10 Excellent

Petra

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
One night stay
My stay was very good, no problems at all. The bus station is just across the road, which is brilliant if you travel by bus with a luggage. The bed was very comfortable and there was no problem connecting to WiFi in my room. Shared bathroom for three rooms worked well for my one night stay. Nice old style atmosphere...
Response from Simon on 9 May 2018
Hi Thanks for a brilliant review hope to see you again soon

8/10 Good

Ned

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great spot with car park. Lovely staff good brekky.
Stayed 1 night in May 2018
Response from Simon on 9 May 2018
Hi Thanks for a great review, glad you enjoyed your stay and hope to see you again soon

6/10 Okay

Martyn, Norfolk

Liked: Room comfort
You Get What You Pay For
The hotel is definitely suited to an older person, who has any issues with climbing stairs, as access to my room (no.5) was up 2 steep flights of stairs. The bedrooms are very close together and the walls pretty thin. On arrival, there were 2 mugs in my room, and some biscuits. However, there was no tea, coffee, sugar, or milk, so I ended up getting these from the bar, where I was told that it was housekeeping's fault. I paid less than £36 for my room, so it was very inexpensive, especially when that included a full English breakfast. However, the down side of this is that you have to share a bathroom, which can be problematic, the shower wall tile grouting was dirty and worn, and the noise from the road outside was intrusive. Also, whilst the breakfast was very nice, it was served on a small plate which made it look more than it was (old trick), and I had to ask for toast.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2018
Response from Simon on 2 May 2018
Thank you for taking the time to write a review. We only recently took over operation of the hotel and all comments enable us to improve our service. I have looked into your comments re Tea and Coffee and will be changing the caddies in all rooms as you are not the first person who did not find the little draw in the wooden box the mugs were stood on. When we next update our web sites I will make more mention of the stairs to the rooms, and that the cheaper rooms share bathrooms, and that en-suites are an option if you wish to spend a little more. Breakfast is currently under review did you feel that Juice, Cereal, tea/coffee, Fruit, yogurt, Bacon Sausage Egg Mushroom Beans Potato Tomato was insufficient? Sorry we forgot your toast this is normally brought out just after the cooked breakfast. All Bathrooms are due refurbishment later this year.

2/10 Terrible

Chris , London

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Do not stay here.
The room and bathroom were very dirty and had not been cleaned. The staff were friendly but the manager was rude and it was very uncomfortable being in his presence.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2018
Response from Simon on 25 Apr 2018
Thank you for taking the time to write a review, Please let me know when you stayed and which room you stayed in so that your comments can be looked into further and corrective measures can be put in place. I am sorry you had a bad experience and can assure you that is not how we wish our guests to feel.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Clean Modern Room In A Lovely Area
Lovely room, spotlessly clean, breakfast was delicious!
Response from Simon on 16 Apr 2018
Thanks for the review I will pass on your feedback to the staff who will be glad to hear they got it right.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Cleanliness
Nice pub. Clean room. Wi-Fi intermittent and bring earplugs for road noise.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2018
Response from Simon on 16 Apr 2018
Thanks for taking the time to write a review, I'll let the housekeepers know that they got it right we are looking at getting better WIFI coverage but the solid stone walls of the oldest parts of the building are proving a problem. We are also looking at redecoration of the rooms next year when I hope we will replace the curtains with thicker blackout ones which may help with the road noise, unfortunately we can't put in double glazing in parts of the building due to listed status.

8/10 Good

martin, manchester

Liked: Staff & service
Nice hotel close to everything really.
I've been stating down in South Wales for a few tears now spending time with family I have down here. I always stay at the market tavern due to the great price for the overnight stays and the brilliant food. Staff always welcoming and always there to help.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2018
Response from Simon on 12 Apr 2018
Hi Thanks for taking the time to write a review, I'm glad you like us and hope to see you again soon.

6/10 Okay

Jamie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Convenient
The hotel had just been repossessed. I arrived and the staff were friendly enough but the previous owners had got my room booking wrong. I went with it anyway but it was clearly going through some turmoil. Friendly staff, the room was clean and tidy. Simple facilities but for one night it was fine.
Response from Simon on 4 Apr 2018
Thanks for the review we are glad you were happy with your stay and look forward to welcoming you back again.

2/10 Terrible

gavin , uneaton

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
rubbish hotel
stayed for one night like walking back in time,not very good not very clean
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2018
Response from The Management on 4 Apr 2018
Thanks for taking the time to write a review, constructive criticism allows us to improve the product we offer.

8/10 Good

Dezso

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Good service, good food, friendly staff.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2018
Response from simon on 20 Mar 2018
Hi Thanks for the review, we had only just taken over the hotel when you stayed so it's nice to know that things are heading in the right direction hopefully next time you stay we will be up to 5/5 standard

6/10 Okay

Linda

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Adequate, staff lovely.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018
Response from Simon on 23 Mar 2018
Hi thanks for reviewing us, we took over the hotel on the 10th so were not responsible for your stay I would love to get details of where you think improvements are necessary

10/10 Excellent

john, cornwall

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
What a bargain for the price
We stayed at the market tavern for 3 nights bed and breakfast for £42,00 a night. The room needs updating which is in hand but is clean and had a comfy bed with tea and coffee facilities. The breakfast was very good and a good start to the day. I would recommend to friends and family, and if like me you want a comfy welcoming and friendly hotel this is the one . Many thanks to steve and his staff. We will be back.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2018
Response from steve on 14 Feb 2018
thank you for your feed back

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Does what it says on the tin.
A well located stay for the Brecon Beacons, good parking. Manager looked after us well. Single beds were a little rickety but for the price, understandable. Couldn't connect to wifi from room but they did warn us of that...
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018
Response from steve on 8 Feb 2018
thank you for your feedback

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good location for a night out in Brecon
Clean room excellent breakfast good value for money
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018
Response from steve on 14 Feb 2018
thank you for your kind feedback

10/10 Excellent

Stuart, Oxfordshire

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely hotel, nice old town feel to the place
I arrived late in the evening and check in was smooth and easy, I had to leave early before breakfast and was offered an evening alternative to breakfast. Staff were fantastic, food was good and reasonably priced, room clean and comfortable
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2018
Response from steve on 29 Jan 2018
Thank you very much for your kind feedback Steve

10/10 Excellent

Simon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great value for money and close to the Beacons
A friend and I stayed here for two nights in January, with a view to doing some walking over the weekend. We arrived late on a Friday and found there to be ample parking in the customer car park, and when we arrived we checked in at the bar and were quickly shown to our room by a friendly member of staff. He didn't ask for proof of booking though, only a name, which wasn't a problem for us but I reckon a bit of tightening up here could save you some grief in the future! We went down early both mornings for breakfast, which is served between 07.30 and 09.00, and both times opted for the full cooked breakfast. This was included in the price of the room which we'd booked and, I think, gave outstanding value for money. I would compare the quality to that of a Wetherspoons breakfast or similar. There was also a small spread of fruit, cereal and yogurt available. I opted for the latter, but the first two didn't look very fresh so were avoided. The small "one bowl" boxes of cereal would definitely be an improvement here I reckon. The room was clean, and perfectly fit for purpose. It had a shared bathroom but this was not a problem. Plenty of hot water, and it was clean. I found the bed to be a little small, but I am 6ft 3 and 17st so that's hardly a surprise! Overall outstanding value for money and easy access to the Beacons make this a great place to stay. It doesn't pretend to be a gastro pub or a 4 star hotel, but if you're after a cheap, quality hotel then this is it.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2018
Response from steve on 23 Jan 2018
Thank you very much for your feedback Steve

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Hotel in town centre
There are a limited number of places to stay in Brecon, some B&Bs like Ty Helyg overpriced so there is a market opportunity for someone to exploit, the Markets Tavern could do this and charge £20 more and still be £20 less than B&Bs with a little bit of attention maybe a feminine touch. Move away gently from being a local man`s pub to somewhere a broader section may want to stay. Paint the stairwells, clean and more modern bathrooms, something more than an urn of hot water and an empty instant coffee jar for breakfast. The get what you pay for this was cheap but unfortunately it felt cheap as well.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Comfortable stay for one night.
Nice place to stay, not much information regarding breakfast I couldn't find anyone to help or advise me in the bar at 8.20am...found some cereal in eating area so had that....Abit plain Jayne but better then nothing.....then the door back up to the rooms got lock so I was looked in the pub and to let myself out the front doors and go round the back to access the room to get my things before checking out. All in all it was warm and comfortable. However I was Abit disappointed that there was no food served on Monday night.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2017