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Hotel
4 star

The Bear Hotel

High Street, Crickhowell · Inn

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Photo: The Bear Hotel, Crickhowell

A family-run former coaching inn on Crickhowell High Street, serving guests since 1432, with beamed bedrooms and a well-known bar and restaurant.

What's nearby

  • Webbs of Crickhowell next door
  • F E Richards of Crickhowell next door
  • The Dragon Inn Crickhowell next door
  • Crickhowell Castle 250m away

Distances as the crow flies, via Google

Good to know

Accessibility

  • ✓Accessible parking
  • ✓Accessible entrance

Details via Google — worth confirming with the hotel before you travel, especially for access needs.

Photos

Photos via Google

About The Bear Hotel

The Bear has stood on Crickhowell High Street since 1432 and has been a coaching inn for most of that time. It is Grade II* listed, still family run, and remains the centre of the town: the cobbled courtyard, the low-beamed front bar and the open fires are used by locals as much as by visitors. Crickhowell itself won Best High Street in Britain in 2018, and the independent shops, the bridge over the Usk and the walk up Table Mountain all start within a few minutes of the door.

Bedrooms are graded from Cosy through Good, Better and Best to Very Best, which is a fair description of how they differ. The cheapest are small and simple, in the old part of the building with sloping floors and beams. Move up and you get more space, better bathrooms, four-poster or antique beds, and in the top rooms a spa bath or a sitting area. Rooms are split between the main inn and the quieter courtyard buildings, and a number are dog friendly, which is one of the reasons walkers keep coming back.

Food is the other reason. The Bear has twice been named Best Pub in Britain, and the kitchen does proper bar meals as well as a more considered restaurant menu, with Welsh beef, lamb and game in season. The bar keeps local ales and a long list of whiskies. Breakfast is included and generous. There is no spa, no gym and no lift, and parking behind the hotel is limited but free.

This is the right choice if you want an old inn with genuine atmosphere, in a town rather than in isolation, with the Black Mountains and the Usk valley on the doorstep. Light sleepers should ask for a courtyard room, since the bar is busy in the evenings. Book early for weekends and for the Crickhowell Walking Festival.

Reception hours

Monday
10:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Diners like this pub's delicious and well-portioned food, with many highlighting the Sunday roast, short rib, and desserts. They also mention the friendly, welcoming atmosphere and the attentive, professional staff. Guests appreciate the reasonable prices and the convenient off-street parking.

Summary via Google

At a glance

Property type
Inn
Location
High Street, Crickhowell
Star rating
4 star
Guest score
8.9 / 10 (2,400 reviews)
Prices from
£132 per night
Good for children
Yes
Destination
Brecon Beacons
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