Swan At Hay Hotel

My boyfriend and I did a 3300 mile, six week UK road trip and didn’t plan out a lot of our hotels. We showed up in Hay-​On-​Wye and pulled over to use Expedia to find a room. We were able to book one night at The Swan for 120 pounds, which included breakfast.
The Swan is adorable and filled with character. Our room was at the end of the hall on the second floor, with a big window looking out over the garden. Our room was cozy with a comfortable bed and all of the amenities that we could need.
The floorboards were very creaky and loud, but we didn’t have a problem with noise preventing us from sleeping.
The service in the hotel was friendly, but spotty. It’s not a huge hotel and didn’t have a lot of staff. We often found the reception desk empty, as the lone staff member was helping someone away from the desk. When we wanted a drink from the bar, the woman at reception had to leave the desk to take on the bartender role. The same thing happened when we needed extra towels. They were always pleasant and professional, but I got the vibe that it’s frustrating for them to run all over the hotel.
The Swan has a great lounge area, with many different spots to relax. I spent several hours reading in a quiet corner and loved every minute of it. This was probably my favorite aspect of the hotel. They do have free– wifi, but I couldn’t find a spot that gave me a good connection. It was nice to put «unplug» from my devices for a bit, so it didn’t bother me.
We really enjoyed the morning breakfast too. The yogurt was delicious!

I tried to have dinner here and was summarily turned away. I stood in the bar for a fairly long time, but the help ignored me. Finally, I walked into the back and had to ask them whether they had any table space.
The restaurant at the Swan needs to teach its staff members how to treat customers. I ate at the Old Black Lion up the street, which had superior food and service.