Review of Best Western Pontypool Metro Hotel 3*

It seems the entire time I was here it was extremely windy outside of the hotel. When I went anywhere else, this was not a problem. So I assume it's the particular area creating some kind of wind tunnel effect. Anyway, the staff were absolutely lovely when I visited. They had no problem making special arrangements for me in the morning for an early breakfast, as I had to drive into Cardiff for a meeting both days. They were friendly and professional at all times. Everything was clean, and nice. They had galaxy hot chocolate in the room, and it was delicious! There was also a selection of tea and coffee. The glasses and mugs were all clean. A kettle was supplied in the room, obviously. There are nice looking toiletries lined up in the toilet (shower gel, shampoo, consitioner, soap). I didn't use them, but they looked very professional — and seem unscented for those allergic to things. There is a fan in the wardrobe, though I did not use it. The heating seemed to take a while to kick in, as it seems it was only one radiator with a temperature adjustment slider on it — and it didn't really heat the whole room. The room was not very warm. The curtains were able to block out all of the light, which helpped a lot with sleep. I often find curtains don't block out all of the light or don't close properly. This was not a problem in this room. Food is available throughout the day, though I did not order from the menu or eat at the restaurant. They do, however, have a Starbucks on site for coffee lovers. The best part of the entire stay, however, was the shower. I'm sure many travellers have had their struggles with hotel showers — hard to decipher how to use, low water pressure, etc. I had no problems with this one. In fact, this is better than my home shower. It was extremely easy to use — just two well labelled knobs for turning. And the water pressure was amazing! There didn't seem to be many other people staying in the hotel, as there weren't many cars in the parking lot. (And you really need a car to get to this place, as it's off the motorway). There wasn't really any noise problems. To get out of the gate in the night, you need a token, which can be obtained from a bowl in reception. I have no idea what the purpose of this is. However, no token is needed to enter — just drive up to the barrier and wait. It's also right next to a KFC, a petrol station and a McDonalds.