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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
The Black Boy Inn is a listed building which is situated in the historic town walls of the Royal Borough of Caernarfon. The Inn is within easy walking distance to the town centre, and the famous 13th-century Castle. An old Inn dating back to 1522 and with its wooden paneling, low ceilings, and thick wooden support beams generates a cosy 'Olde Worlde' Welsh atmosphere. The Black Boy is a very busy Inn; please do not expect it to be a slow laid back hotel. It is in the centre of the tourist hub of North Wales and long wait times can be norm in middle of summer. Come and visit us in the winter season for a more laid back feeling.We now also have Black Jacks, which is another renovated building in courtyard, at rear of Inn .Black Jacks is away from the hustle of the main Inn . All suites have small kitchen area.No lift in building.Some Ground floor rooms are easy access with walk in showers , 1st floor variety of rooms as is 2nd floor.We offer 24 hour staff attendance. When you stay in any country you must wish to stay in somewhere that reflects that country ,we certainly do majority of our staff are welsh speaking and so are the owners .Meal timesSunday to Thursday: Noon until 9.00P.M. Friday and Saturday. Noon until 9.30P.M.Table reservations can be made via reception up to 6.30P.M. Table allocation after 6.30.Pm. Will be made on availability. Waiting times can vary and an indication of any delay will be conveyed to you. To arrange a table reservation (up to 6.30P.M.)In peak season we cannot accept table bookings at all due to the volume of trade
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to VisitWales.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Nestled within Caernarfon's castle walls, the Black Boy Inn Hotel garners praise for its superb location near the marina and old town. Travelers are charmed by the blend of historical ambiance and modern comforts, with special commendations for the clean, comfortable rooms. The staff's warm professionalism is frequently lauded, although a few guests noted inconsistencies in service.
While the hotel's amenities and culinary offerings are celebrated, some patrons find the food and parking prices steep. Despite occasional comments on room temperature and size, the overall experience is highly regarded for its value and atmosphere.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Well-appointed
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We stay here roughly once a year - we love coming to the place slap bang in the middle of Caernarfon near the castle. It was shut during Covid19 lockdown like everywhere else but we booked well in advance taking a chance that places were going to reopen and the gamble paid off as the place is fully booked. The food is of high quality and plentiful and the choice of beers is great. This is a well run place.
Things have had to change at the moment at the Black Boy due to having to implement sensible corona virus distancing but I must say they have done a great job. Every other table in the bar/restaurant was blocked off and you felt very safe eating there. This is different to earlier in the week when we ate at a curry house up the road where everyone felt close despite 2m distancing signs on the wall. That place felt as if they were only paying lip service to social distancing and weren't even taking part in the 50% off offer!
You can't book in advance so have to take your chance and every night during the Rishi 50% off offer there were queues down the street including when it was pelting down with rain. We dined there on Thursday when the offer wasn't on so the queues were much shorter and in fact we were straight in.
Some of the menu choices had run out but the supply chain is still recovering from covid and we both got something we were happy with (ham, egg and chips and lamb chops with veg). The staff were working hard to make a success of the situation.
I congratulate the Black Boy on their management of a difficult situation and for making our break so enjoyable. We look forward to our last "full Welsh' cooked breakfast tomorrow before heading home :)
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Date of stay: August 2020
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Â we had a black jacks suite with kitchen - v handy if you don't want to eat out all the time
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from john evans, Owner at Black Boy Inn Hotel Caernarfon
Responded 28 Aug 2020
I really wish to thank you personally as our staff have had a really hard time with abuse etc over the last few weeks. The majority of our customers really appreciate the time effort and hard work that you need to put into this industry. I will be so pleased to share your review with them later today.
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The Black Buoy Inn was a last minute booking three night and we were pleasantly surprised. We chose a room with a Kitchenette for space rather than self catering. We stayed in room 52. The room was clean and spacious. The Queen bed with fours deep pillows was a dream to lie on. Ear plugs were available if you wanted to use as you do hear the bins being collected early. The room had a cupboard with coat hangers, ironing board and iron, and a fan. The dressing table with stool was a good size with a large mirror and hairdryer available in the draw. The TV was big and had a large selection of channels if needed. The kitchenette with table and chairs also had a microwave and fridge, with tea, coffee, sugar and milk being provided along with fairy liquid washing and wiping up clothes. The bathroom had a over the bath shower which was easy to use with good temperature control. Towels, hand towels shampoo, condition and gel all being available. There were two big mirrors to look in as well as a magnifying mirror in the bath room.
Breakfast was Table order only with different choices being available and was plentiful the young female on 1st/2nd deserves a special note as she was organised conscientious, helpful and represented the Inn excellently.
Dining in the evening was done on a first come first served basis. So if you were staying at the Inn you had to queue outside with everyone else to get a table and although I get you have to keep the locals happy I do feel that paid customers should be given the opportunity to book at table. That being said it was table service and the food that we received was amazing, meat pie, Welsh pie, blue cheese burger, haddock and chips, scampi and the recommended lasagne, all served with a smile and service was quick. Again a special thanks to the young man in the restaurant on 2nd October who recommended the Lasagne and was attentive, welcoming and friendly. Although parking is normally off site as we were on a motorbike we asked if we could park onsite and they were very obliging which increased the security for us but also made it a recommendable place for other people with motorbikes.
We were not disappointed In our choice of staying at the Black Buoy Inn and hopefully if you choose to stay here you won’t be disappointed. I will definitely be staying here again.
COVID everyone was expected to wear a mask when not sat at your table. All staff wore masks. Tables were cleaned between guests. Sanitiser was available to use. Thank you for making our stay enjoyable.
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Date of stay: October 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:Â If you want extra space choose a kitchenette room
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from john evans, Owner at Black Boy Inn Hotel Caernarfon
Responded 3 Oct 2020
Thank you so much for the lovely review, and so pleased you enjoyed your time here with us. We have been discussing how to accomadate residents with meal times etc. And as table bookings from our experiance over the last 40 years fail to work. We will now be offering residents to come and see reception when they wish to dine and the next table available will be allocated out to them. COVID has made us all relook at the way we run things. I am so pleased you commented on the staff, as the verbal abuse some have recived over last few weeks has been a disgrace. Again i thank you on their behalf and know it will be very much appreciated.
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We recently spent 2 nights at the Black Boy Inn in Caenarfon 14-17th August, and were delighted. The location is ideally central for visiting anywhere in Snowdonia, parking was easy and ample and the room was modern, clean and spotless. We were a little apprehensive as to what to expect given the current Covid crisis but the staff bent over backwards to adhere to all social distancing whilst being friendly, polite and professional. The food was delicious but what made it for us what the positive attitude of all staff, you could tell they cared and were passionate about delivering great service. Would stop at the Back Boy again without hesitation. Breakfast was top quality, local produce, very fresh and tasty and served outside in the delightful courtyard. Would heartily recommend to anyone
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Date of stay: August 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:Â Great Gin bar
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from john evans, Owner at Black Boy Inn Hotel Caernarfon
Responded 19 Aug 2020
Thank you for the lovely reply and review. The staff have worked so hard here in the last few weeks too, please all. Lovely to see them receive the praise. Raw supplies are short in North Wales so continually running out of items and having to use substitutes. Good days ahead for us all I hope. We are getting our sparkle back closer to normal now every day.
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This little inn is a great stay for couples, the room was a suite and was very spacious with an extremely comfortable bed and modern bathroom. The room was also spotless! And had great tea/coffee making facilities.
The road the inn backs onto can get a little noisy on an evening but we didn’t have any trouble sleeping. Blackout blinds cover all the windows too so was great for stopping the summer mornings shining in
The inn itself is quite difficult to navigate as is split into areas but the team were very friendly. The inn is open to the public so can get limited with availability if you’re looking to eat there in an evening, which I recommend you do because the food is great!
Breakfast was a little confusing as no one instructed us on how to order food - we initially assumed there was just a limited selection of toast and cereal before realising we were able to order hot food too
The location is great in terms of vicinity of other bars and restaurants. Parking was also free but is not on site so there is a short walk from the car park to the inn itself which consists of moving luggage down cobbled streets so not ideal if you are of limited mobility but there are limited parking spaces outside the inn itself that can be paid for
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Get a free parking permit from the inn to avoid parking charges
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from front Desk, General Manager at Black Boy Inn Hotel Caernarfon
Responded 13 Jan 2023
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay with us, lovely to hear that you found the bed to be comfortable and the like the style of the Inn. The Inn is like a tardis, we often find that guests walk into the bar areas thinking it's the dining room and vice versa. Sorry to hear that no one had explained the breakfast procedure to you, I am sure that it might of been a little confusing for you, again I am sorry for this. We do hope that you will visit us again soon.
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Whilst we enjoyed our stay in the four poster suite immensely, we felt the amenities fell rather short of our expectations based on the price of the room. There were minimal toiletries in the bathroom (a tiny bar of soap and a generic shower gel dispenser next to the shower), no robes, slippers, no guest info in the rooms. We have been to more generic hotels and received a much more personal attention to detail for a lot less money. Nonetheless, the bed was super comfortable and the staff were friendly and the food they serve is lovely, but this place is just missing the personal touch that their room rate commands. We were celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary and I sent a note with our booking informing staff of this. I received a message back inviting me to purchase a bottle of fizz for them to put in our room! After spending £550+ for three nights, it would have been nice to have a complementary something or other, I would be more inclined to recommend this place to others if that were the case.
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from John Evans, Owner at Black Boy Inn Hotel Caernarfon
Responded 10 Sept 2021
All of us have had a very rough 18 months due to COVID. Some have lost family members due to this; others have had long covid symptoms. And others have been working throughout. Hospitality as we all know, have lost 18 months of revenue, and trying hard to recover. Some of the staff are doing exceptionally long hours to keep us open. So if they are not smiling as they usually are please excuse them . Mentally it has been a hard time for all, so bear with us. We never take table bookings but rather judge the on the day, how many meals we can produce subject to staff numbers in work. We have lost staff due to positive NHS App track trace. Also, there is serious shortage of staff within the industry. A decision was taken by us to continue to try and keep the Inn open, although many outlets in this area have had to close due to above reasons. It was also an available choice to restrict opening hours. Now we are operating on our normal times.
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Thank you to the Black Boy Inn for accommodating a large gathering of YFC competitors who attended the Wales YFC finals in Caernarfon. You were already very busy with Sunday lunches but you allowed us to use the Inn as a base and fed us extremely well, quickly and efficiently even though we were a large group and nothing was too much trouble. This made for a relaxed day for us all and was invaluable in keeping everyone together and the youngsters in a warm and safe environment. Diolch Yn Fawr.
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Date of stay: March 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from john evans, Owner at Black Boy Inn Hotel Caernarfon
Responded 4 Mar 2020
Diolch yn fawr i chi. Lovely to see the welsh youth of the future enjoying themselves.I remember my YFC days with pleasure and joy.
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Stayed here for 3 nights and it’s an attractive looking place on the outside with characterful corridors and bars. Room was clean and bed comfy but felt the kitchen area took up far too much space and with no windows it didn’t feel comfy enough to sit in. Large bathroom with bathroom and shower. Shower water didn’t run out and had to get someone to check it as the plug hole was very clogged, which wasn’t great. First morning at breakfast we waited 30 mins for our order, only to find out the order wasn’t there despite us giving it to waitress. They quickly redid this but it was thrown together and not good. Second morning I was still eating my cereal when cooked breakfast arrived! Third morning went well enough, but not the best presentation and taste. As said earlier, attractive Inn but too many disappointment parts so wouldn’t stay again.
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from john evans, Owner at Black Boy Inn Hotel Caernarfon
Responded 5 Oct 2020
So pleased you enjoyed the Inn. We are sorry for the errors at breakfast with new staff serving. This has been attended to now.
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Room situated in Black Tower annexe was spacious and comfortable with a sitting area with a good sized television and a good sized bed and good sized TV in the bedroom. Bathroom had a good sized bath. Quite a few stairs to room. Room seemed to get hot a night so what it was like when is was 30c during the day I dread to think. Room as quiet the only noise was the seagulls.
You can park on site for £10 per night or at the quay car park 5 mins away with a free voucher.
Breakfast was a scrum the first morning when full the staff could not cope and people having to wait for teapots, hot water, milk etc. Other days were much more civilised. Good choice of cereals and yoghurt. Partner had large breakfast most days and I had smoked salmon and poached eggs, a veg breakfast one day and a small breakfast the other day. Toaster is difficult to use you either get one trip underdone or two trips burnt. So trying for a 1.5 trip shove. No residents lounge but you can sit in public bar if you wish. Reception staff were very helpful.
We enjoyed our stay here and it is well located and has a sense of history.
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Date of stay: July 2021
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from John Evans, Owner at Black Boy Inn Hotel Caernarfon
Responded 6 Aug 2021
History is what we are, so pleased you enjoyed your time here. Thank you so much
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We ate here on NY Eve and then breakfast the next morning. Both times were excellent ! Given how busy it was NY Eve, the service and quality of food were 2nd to none. Service at breakfast the next morning was very attentive and the food both excellent value and quality. We would definitely eat here again when in the area.
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Date of stay: January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from blackboy673604, Owner at Black Boy Inn Hotel Caernarfon
Responded 16 Jan 2020
It was busy on new years eve as you say. We thank you for the lovely review and please return soon.
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Great location right in the city center with an easy walk to all the sights including Caenarfon Castle. The main building is a historic structure dating back to the 1500s. We stayed in one of the bungalows in the back and splurged on a room with a 4 poster king bed with canopy. The room was huge and nicely decorated. Although it was located right over the main dining room, there wasn't much noise and it quieted down after 10pm. Parking is easy in a public lot just down the street and there was no charge after 5 or 6pm. We opted to include breakfast with the room and it was excellent. Full breakfast made to order. Make sure to check out the cozy pub inside the main building. Low ceiling Tudor style room was quite enjoyable.
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Date of stay: September 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from vicky owen, Owner at Black Boy Inn Hotel Caernarfon
Responded 11 Mar 2023
Thank you for the lovely review. Fabulous to hear that you enjoyed your stay in room 30, it is a beautiful room indeed. Glad to hear that you have opted to include breakfast and that it was excellent. We believe that many people don't realise how big the Inn is and many miss the bar areas when they visit so thank you for the comments recommending to visit. We do hope to welcome you back again soon.
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There are more places to choose from in the Caernarfon area.
PRICE RANGE
$143 - $159 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
black boy hotel caernarfon
LOCATION
United KingdomWalesNorth WalesGwyneddCaernarfon
NUMBER OF ROOMS
33
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