Idwal Cottage
Nant Ffrancon
Bethesda/Bangor/Gwynedd
LL57 3LZ
Wales (UK)
Phone: (0044) (01248) 600225
Fax: (0044) (01248) 602952
A popular base camp for hikers, Idwal Cottage sits high up on Mount Snowdon. The kitchen here is the best-stocked I have ever seen: four microwaves, four refridgerators and a large freezer, several large sets of utensils, pots, pans and glasses and more dishes than I cared to try counting. The only problem is that the nearst grocery store is several miles away, so if you don't bring your own groceries, you're stuck with the canned or frozen food sold at the reception desk (which are actually reasonably priced, surprisingly enough).
The dining room is reasonably comfortable, but sharing a room with the billiards table makes it a somewhat noisy place to try and hold a conversation. The hostel also supplies a number of board games and the like, so even in the most foul of weather, you haven't any excuse for being bored here.
Showers are always open and always warm. Rooms aren't too crowded, but the beds aren't the best (the springs aren't really adequately tight, so when you sit on the bed, you sink way too low). Bathrooms are all downstairs, whereas at least two of the rooms are upstairs, which is a bit annoying. There is, however, at least a row of sinks upstairs.
One big advantage of this hostel is that it allows camping for half the price of a hostel bed, and you then get full use of all hostel facilities (except, of course, a bed). A hostel bed here runs £7.20.