Old Black Lion
Old Black Lion descritpion
Inn Old Black Lion sells fast on our site. Surrounded by beautiful scenery but just a few minutes' walk from Hay-On-Wye's centre, this charming inn has a traditional wooden-beamed bar. Dating back hundreds of years, Oliver Cromwell is rumoured to have stayed in the 17th century.
The Old Black Lion is close to the Lion Gate, an original entrance to the old walled town of Hay-on-Wye. There is free parking on site, and the surrounding Brecon Beacons National Park offers picturesque walks and views.
Each room is traditional in style, with a carpeted floor and en suite bathroom. Each also has a flat-screen TV for guests to use, and facilities for making tea and coffee.
A seasonal lunch and snack menu is available in the restaurant, and fresh local ingredients are used. The Old Black Lion has been awarded an AA Rosette for its high quality food.
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Facilities of Old Black Lion
Outdoors ：Grounds
Pets ：Pets are not allowed.
Food & Drink ：Restaurant | Bar | Breakfast in the Room | Restaurant with Dining Menu
Internet ：Free!WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.
Parking ：Free!Free public parking is available on site (reservation is not needed).
Services ：Room Service | Packed Lunches
General ：Non-smoking Rooms | Heating | All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)
Reviews for Old Black Lion
Review 1：The noise from the bar downstairs, which seemed to come up through the floor. It was so bad I had real difficulty sleeping.
Review 2：Excellent room, food and staff.
Review 3：Room needs a bit of updating. Bathroom rather awkward to get in and out and shower had poor flow. Not as clean as it could be (cobwebs on light fitting etc.)
Review 4：Friendly and helpful staff. Good food in the bar. Bar area very attractive.
Review 5：All was good :o)
Review 6：Really enjoyed the evening meal on Friday night - accompanied by live jazz music. Non-intrusive but very relaxing. Excellent meal. Breakfast was freshly cooked and very good. Thanks to Stacy for being friendly and attentive, and the other staff (although I didn't catch their names) The double room, situated in the Coach house, was great for myself and my fellow walker friend.Bed was fine, room was fine - a few more tea-bags perhaps?!? First I have to say that the Old Black Lion Inn has a Car Park - a HUGE PLUS in Hay-On-Wye!!!! Be prepared for some careful car-manoeuvring when the car-park fills up. We made the best of some "windy,rainy" weather and had a great time walking around Talgarth and along the Wye.
Review 7：The condition of the facility was terrible! The bedspread had a cigarette burn, the carpet was well passed the point of replacing, the bathroom was in serious need of renovation, and the window in the bathroom was rotting due to years of water damage. Worst still was the charge of €150 for one night.
Review 8：The staff.
Review 9：We had a lovely stay here. Room was comfortable & just what was expected in a 17th century inn; complete with creaky uneven floorboards and low ceilings. Good food and great staff.
Review 10：Noise of other guests in the morning woke us up, but it's an old building and that is its charm, so to be expected.
Review 11：Warm atmosphere and quaint pub, felt very authentic. Really good breakfast.
Review 12：The staff were friendly and helpful. The location was perfect for walking around the town. Access to the town centre with the car park was excellent. Evening meal and breakfast was good.
Review 13：The food was excellent. I didn't know before hand, but there was a jazz band on Friday night and I really enjoyed it - we both like jazz. The room was just as I'd imagined it from the photos - loved the teddy bear.
Review 14：No complaints at all
Review 15：Friendly welcome. Extremely comfortable bed and pillows with lovely clean, crisp linen. Very warm and cosy. Delicious food in the restaurant. Excellent location, close to everything yet very quiet. Slept well, ate well.
Review 16：We were only here for one night . The rooms were comfortable and a family meal in the restaurant was excellent . A good breakfast was served by same smiling staff
Review 17：we did not like the fact we had only planned a four night stay, The whole package was just what tired and weary Londoners needed.
Review 18：The team were helpful warm and friendly, the hotel was unique comfortable warm well presented excellent menu and food service brilliant excellent front of house and kitchen crew
Review 19：I struggle with white noise at night and there was some sort of ventilator going all night long that I could hear from our room. The room itself needs a bit of an upgrade. It was clean and tidy, but just needs modernisation.
Review 20：Location very good, food excellent, helpful staff, if a little over-run at times.
Review 21：The room wasn't very clean. Lot of cobwebs and some mould, wad quite expensive for what you got
Review 22：The location was perfect, the staff were very friendly. Breakfast was delicious
Review 23：TV was very small so difficult to see. Furniture and furnishings very dark and old fashioned
Review 24：The food was good and a good atmosphere in the bar. Bedroom was comfortable.
Review 25：Parts looked a little jaded. Could do with an uplift. Mould in the grouting of the shower.
Review 26：Atmosphere good and bedroom furnishings (room 2) nice. Liked creaky floorboards, uneven floors and stairs! All added to the charm of the hotel.Excellent full English breakfast set us up for the day. My wife said the porridge was the best she's ever tasted!
Review 27：The meals we had were first class. The hotel is very well placed, near to everything but out enough for there to be no noise at night. Bed was very comfortable.
Review 28：Banging head going to the bathroom - because of low roof - though part of the character of an old building!
Review 29：Great location friendly staff and good food
Review 30：Shower in room 9 was by window so a little awkward to shower without flooding windowsill. Perhaps another shower screen would solve problem.
Review 31：Restaurant & service excellent.Busy restaurant, delicious food and great ambience - lived up to it's reputation. Staff welcoming & efficient.Central location.
Review 32：Tight for car parking but they worked it out for us. Dogs stayed in the car safely
Review 33：Everyone was very friendly and helpful. Interesting food, excellent service Nice spot for a quiet stroll down to the river
Review 34：Room looked onto car park. I appreciate this is a lovely old building not a boring chain hotel; however, despite being only 5'3" I bumped my head twice stepping down into bathroom (room 4). Would be pretty hazardous for a tall person. Compote at breakfast was mainly hard and chewy figs.
Review 35：Characterful inn.
Review 36：Our room got a lot of noise (jazz piano) from the bar downstairs on the night we stayed. It didn't go on too late though. The water pressure in the shower wasn't great but I think that's maybe due to the historic age of the building.
Review 37：Lovely, helpful, friendly staff and great quality, delicious breakfast. Fantastic location with car park. Comfortable bed. Good hairdryer. The building has character: it is very old and maintains a good sense of this.
Review 38：The evening meal menu is very expensive at the pub; we had to go out elsewhere for dinner. Some kind of discount for guests would prevent this happening in future.
Review 39：Lovely old building; the stay was very comfortable and welcoming. Excellent location relative to the many wonderful book shops. This place was just what we were looking for!
Review 40：Overpriced for small single room . No decaffeinated tea or coffee available for room. Long wait for breakfast first morning.
Review 41：Convenient location at edge of town centre. Superior evening meals in bar giving excellent value compared to other local pubs.
Review 42：Pressure of water in shower was poor. Bedroom could do with a little bit of freshening up. I found the single bed uncomfortable, but then I'm used to sleeping in a king sized bed. Wifi signal was weak in bedroom
Review 43：Breakfast was excellent. Staff are very friendly and professional
Review 44：Room small with steps down to en suite with low ceiling which despite warning sign resulted in hitting head in middle of the night!
Review 45：Friendly staff, convenient location, good restaurant food.
Review 46：Friendly greeting made us feel comfortable and welcome. Food was amazing, location and town great. The Inn was very interesting and well kept. Would go back again.
Review 47：We stayed at the Old Black Lion on Friday 3rd July as our son was getting married in Whitney on Wye the next day. The staff were friendly and the breakfast was amazing. We were even allowed to have a late check-out to get ready for the wedding. We want to go back again to try the evening meal as the restaurant is highly recommended.
Review 48：There is a small lounge, but it could do with being more loungey. Ie. more soft sofa type chairs. Only a minor issue though
Review 49：Friendly staff, good food, lovely rooms
Review 50：Would have liked a hand carrying my bags up the steep stairs. Couldn't get wifi in my room but with walls a couple of feet thick I wasn't very surprised. Got wifi it in the restaurant no problem.
Review 51：Nice room and very comfortable.
Review 52：Nothing I can think of.
Review 53：Staff was excellent and jumped right in to help when one of our group found they had left a bag in the Welsh highlands. Food was outstanding.
Review 54：The en-suite shower was home standard rather than hotel standard.
Review 55：The breakfast. The winter compote was delicious, the poached eggs were perfect. The toast was made from thin bread and I would have preferred thick. We have eaten here before and the evening meals are good.
Review 56：The shower was that strange British invention - the self contained heating shower. It took ages to heat up, and in the morning, did not heat at all. so we gave up on it. Not sure why it was installed as there was normal H & C water to the vanity basin.
Review 57：The Staff were very, very helpful and went out of their way to try and help us. We could not connect to the WiFi to pay the congestion fee for London but the receptionist did the job on her own cellphone - great. The evening menu was not extensive, but the meals were well prepared and tasty. The room was well equipped, but the floor squeaked with every step - probably an indication of the age of the building.
Review 58：Room furnishings and bathroom fixtures rather basic. Staff variable in speed and friendliness of service. Needs to give more to justify the rates charged.
Review 59：Breakfast cooked to order with fresh ingredients. Generous portions.
Review 60：We were put in the coach house, not a nice place. The door to the outside was 4 foot from our room and the stairs to the other two rooms, it was a grubby carpet as everybody wiped there feet before venturing any further, and felt we were walking dirt into our room constantly, also the door was left open all the time and rain and wind was making it very uncomfortable, an insecure. Very dodgy shower.
Review 61：The staff were excellent,couldn"t do enough for us. The meals were good too, breakfast especially to set us up for the day.
Review 62：What a wonderful place for a warm few days, all your problems will be left behind like a haze, the staff are friendly,the beds are clean, don`t be shy don`t me mean,be nice and keen, Hay-on-Wye`s such a beautiful,beautiful scene!
Review 63：Nothing bad.
Review 64：The highlight was the lovely room, spacious and comfortable. In addition the breakfast was excellent, the welcome friendly, the car parking good, and all in a great location.
Review 65：An option of a softer pillow would have been appreciated (Partners comment), all good for me.
Review 66：Facilities very good. Staff very friendly, professional. Food, evening meal and breakfast, excellent. Attention to detail very good. If you are in the area, call in, you will enjoy your stay. Thank you 'Old Black Lion'.
Review 67：Bed a bit on the hard side and room in coach house. I would request a room in the main hotel if we returned.
Review 68：Staff very friendly and welcoming. Food very good.
Review 69：It was all lovely.
Review 70：The bed was super comfortable and the room very pretty. Staff were lovely, helpful and pleasant,and went to a lot of extra trouble for me. The food is outstanding. Although my rom overlooked the road, it was perfectly quiet at night and sound from the bar only very faint.
Review 71：Hay is a lovely town to spend a long weekend in. The food at the Old Black Lion is delicious (most of it locally sourced) but it's not a budget trip by any means.
Review 72：Showers were poor - a mere trickle and luke warm. After a full day walking good showers are important for me. I expected better from an AA rated Inn
Review 73：Comfy bed and good food
Review 74：The bathroom was not up to the standard of the rest of the room.
Review 75：The food was excellent and the room was spacious and had a huge bed and antique furniture.
Review 76：i loved being able to sit in my window and look up the street. the hotel is well situated for walking to the shopping district and the bus stop to hereford.
Review 77：The fact that the restaurant is on site is always a plus, and the meal was excellent. A very easy, short stroll brings you to all the unique bookshops of this quaint town
Review 78：Being attacked by a dog not being controlled by owners and left running around bar area. Not all persons own or like dogs why do owners assume they do? They should be kept on leads while in public places at least.
Review 79：Dinner was fine breakfast, slow and not so good.
Review 80：shower room could be updated
Review 81：Restaurant decor and comfort Log fire Menu Spacious country styled room Attentive staff The creaky floors and furniture:)
Review 82：peeling paint in showerroom.bathroom had no bath, just a shower and this wasn't 4* quality needed an extra fan heater to keep the bedroom warm. expensive for what it was.
Review 83：nice enough furniture and atmosphere in the room itself. pretty pub and restaurant. good location. breakfast very good.
Review 84：Shower not strong enough or hot enough to wash hair
Review 85：Charming building Great atmosphere Very nice food Good parking facilities Central to most local shops
Review 86：This is a quality establishment, the proprietors and all the staff were very friendly, the inn is only a couple of hunred yards from the shops, cafés and pubs. It has a very cosy feel with beamed ceilings and a roaring fire.
Review 87：bedroom was dreary and the bathroom, particularly needed updating. Bathroom dirty, bedroom carpet dirty, also dusty. Too small a room for all that dark red - depressing!
Review 88：the staff the breakfast
Review 89：There was nothing significant not to like! Wifi reception was poor in our room and shower was a bit feeble but these are minor issues in the context of staying in a lovely old building.
Review 90：Character of building. Comfort and space in the Cromwell Suite. Excellent, friendly staff. Good restaurant. Cosy atmosphere.
Review 91：No negatives. I knew already what to expect hence this return visit.
Review 92：'Have stayed here before and like very much the cosy atmosphere of an old Inn steeped in history. The staff are really pleasant and the food is good. On site parking is very convenient and getting to the town centre on foot is very pleasant.
Review 93：Disappointing breakfast for me, slow service, muddle with order and burnt toast! Husband loved his breakfast!!
Review 94：Evening meal, service, quality were excellent
Review 95：It would have been nice to know that we were going to be in an annexe and not in the main hotel. Room very dark and horrible wallpaper. Food good but not exceptional. Very overpriced.
Review 96：Staff were very welcoming and helpful.
Review 97：I think it is a little expensive relative to B&Bs at £55 for a single room. However, I realise the food is very good relative to some other accommodation in Hay.
Review 98：The breakfast is excellent (winter fruit compote and scrambled egg are both very special) and I am not surprised it has received AA Rosettes and mention in Michelin Guide several times. The dinner is also excellent - this is a good pub for quality food. Try the starter 'Antipasto for Two' - its almost a meal in itself and brilliantly presented.Staff very friendly and helpful. Nice atmosphere.
Review 99：Would have liked more vegetarian options on menu.
Review 100：We loved the old black lion , the restaurant area is really cosy and its a lovely place to eat, the staff very welcoming and we would definitely recommend this as a place to stay in hay on wye that is also really convenient for the centre.
Review 101：room smelt a bit funny, in annex in old creaky building - no sleep once people in room above started using bathroom and going for walks (as far as I could tell) from 6am given location, car park insufficient for need
Review 102：restaurant service and food
Review 103：Dusty,could have been cleaner,shower cramped and low pressure. At 11.35pm had to complain about piano playing and singing from lounge below our room.
Review 104：Had room 6 The Cromwell Suite which looked great with its own balcony seating area in the room.
Review 105：Being out in the coach house - dated and not very comfortable. Noise from the garage next door. Staff were a bit unfriendly. No one explained the facilities - we only found out there was a lounge on the last day. Food we wanted had run out at lunch time.
Review 106：The bed was extremely uncomfortable - you could feel the springs through the mattress. The TV was tiny and the shower was pitiful and only worked on a medium heat. The cooked breakfast was of very poor quality - the worst we've had for a long time.
Review 107：The staff were nice, polite and helpful. The evening meal was nice. It was a well located b&b
Review 108：We ate in the lounge and the food was fine; but we felt a little over charged for the food - would definitely stay again but would dine elsewhere if on a budget.
Review 109：Convenient location to walk into town with lots of parking. Very comfy bed and everything to make us comfortable.
Review 110：The stairs were narrow & there were steps down to our bathroom. The bathroom needed a bit of refurbishment.
Review 111：friendly helpful staff and food was excellent.
Review 112：Tiny shower cubicle.
Review 113：Great location right on the main street of Hay on Wye. Very quaint B&B low ceilings and creaky slopping floors. Superb food in restaurant bar. Friendly and helpful staff.
Review 114：The warm welcome and attentiveness of staff. Both breakfast and evening meal were excellent. We were also able to leave the car after booking out which was very useful.
Review 115：Hotel was being renovated but staff made up for it and were very accomodating
Review 116：Lovely country Inn in perfect little town with great staff and good food
Review 117：Room was nice but the shower was rubbish
Review 118：Staff were very helpful
Review 119：Friendly reception.
Review 120：Accommodation was dated
Review 121：Position and friendliness of staff
Review 122：Perfect location and a beautifully quaint inn. Was decorated wonderfully ready for Christmas and was very warm, cosy and welcoming.
Review 123：the ghosts moving around at night....a bit noisy with the creaky floor boards
Review 124：old worldly pub, nice beer
Review 125：Welcoming staff and landlady. Fab breskfast. Lovely atmosphere abd great location.
Review 126：Food and hospitality first rate couldn't be bettered
Review 127：Fantastic food and atmosphere in the restaurant.
Review 128：Carpet in the bedroom needs a clean. Paintwork and decoration needs attention.
Review 129：Location and staff. Good food.
Review 130：Location in the town was great. Could walk to all bookshops! Fantastic food, and room was quiet!