Ramada Encore Hotel

Recommended. An upmarket, budget hotel in the Premier/Travelodge price range. We stayed for one night for £60 B&B. Booked through Laterooms and saved £10 on hotel 's price. Asked for a double room on the quieter/car park side but were given a room on the road side as there were no doubles left on quieter side . This hotel is right beside a busy road and it was 28 degrees so, as there is no air-con (very surprisingly for a modern trendy hotel), we moved to a twin on quieter side so we could sleep with the window open. Smart, clean but very narrow rooms. Large boxy armchair and standard lamp took up too much space. Comfy bed. Bathroom is minimalist, wetroom style - looks great but floor outside shower gets soaked and slippery (no mat or duckboard) depite glass half screen. No tray in shower to put shampoo etc in. Restaurant was shut (staff shortage) so had to eat at McDonalds next door as there is nothing else within walking distance as it's on a business park. Park and Ride is opposite. Buffet breakfast was included in price - unusual for budget range hotel - and was good. Free newspapers - Independent and local. Filter coffee and tea is available free in lounge (in addition to supply in room). Reception staff busy but very friendly. Ramada 'Encore' hotels are not listed in Ramada's main website - why?. If you search for hotels in Swansea it only shows the more expensive one out of town near M4 so 'Encore' could lose out on bookings. (Holiday Inn lists Hol Inn and Hol Inn Express on same website).

A one night stay for the Festival of Transport which provided a special reduced rate. Last year it was a night of hell at Premier Travel Lodge this was by far superior. Helpful staff, quickly provided extra pillows although why in UK they only provide one each when most folk prefer two I can't understand. Rooms small but clean, although newish the bathroom door was already rotting.Comfortable bed, black out curtain and hardly any road noise, effective galzing but left it hot, opened window 03.30 but people talking outside so roasted! Bouncers on doors in evening tells you about Swansea at night, although a good way from city centre its much safer, wild west in Swansea at night , unless you are under 30 avoid like the plague on Fri / Sat nights. Gower is beautiful area, 40 minutes drive away on tiny roads.Breakfast not served until 7.30 at weekends but they actually started quite a bit sooner bless them, again why so late, some of the guests returning from the razzle could have had it as supper, undergarments in the corridor again say it all about Swansea. A pleasant retreat.

We stayed in this hotel for 3 nights at Easter 2006. The hotel was very new and very clean but the rooms are very small. For two people, it would be cramped but tolerable, but we had our two children with us as well. With the sofa bed set up, and a baby cot (crib) in the room, there was literally no room to move. We had to jam the cot up against the main door as that was the only place it would fit (other than wedge between the main bed and the radiator). Note - we had booked the hotel because it showed up as a room that would fit 4 people. Our booking confirmation received at check-in showed number of guests as 2 - I am guessing they just ignore childre, but it really made our stay very uncomfortable as we had no room to move at all and had to pack the baby cot up every time we wanted to go in or out of the room. The breakfast was good - toast, croissants, pastries, sausages and beans or tomatoes, cereals, yoghurt, canned fruit, juices and coffee. The foyer area where breakfast is served is nice - we didn't eat in the restuarant as it doesn't open until 7pm and our kids are ready for bed by then, but the menu looked ok - pretty standard hotel food. It is served in the same area of the foyer as the breakfast. There is a nice lounge area in the foyer as well but no other facilities like a pool, gym etc. The staff were pleasant and helpful although we had to ask twice for the baby cot even though it was requested when we booked the room. There is free wireless internet access in the foyer or you can pay to use the internet via tv in your room. The location is ok - the hotel is just off the main road coming into Swansea but nothing is really within walking distance - the area is slightly industrial with car yards opposite and the road leading to the port/ferry terminal. Plenty of tourist attractions within a 10-15 min drive though. The shower was good but the rooms do not have a bath.

My friend and I decided to take a trip back to Swansea where we spent 3 years in university. Having trawled the internet for a decent hotel I came across the Ramada. I vaguely remember it being built when I was in Swansea a few years ago and knew the location was pretty much ideal, 5 minutes to town in a taxi. We arrived at 2:30pm on a typically windy day and proceeded to check in. We were greeted by a male receptionist who was very chatty (perhaps too chatty and over tired as he was going off shift in a few minutes) but nonetheless he was polite. I gave him my name and was asked for a swipe of my card to guarantee the room. I gave him my Debit card but was told they had issues with these cards since the introduction of Chip and Pin. He tried a few times but was unsuccessful so he wrote down the number but then the manager arrived and she managed to swipe it through. As I don’t have a credit card if I had been on my own I’m not sure what would’ve happened. I was then asked what room I required even though I had stated this on the booking I had done via the Internet (a twin non-smoking room). When I said this, both members of staff looked at each other as if to say “we have no twin rooms left” but then said they had one left. This did annoy me slightly as I felt they should have allocated the room to me and not wait until I arrive to find me a room. We were also told that the hotel was full due to the Carling Cup final being held in Cardiff and some Irish rugby fans that had come over, obviously taking advantage of the cheap return flights! This was fine though and we had expected this. Having said that, it did not have an effect on the price of the room. We proceeded to our room, first room on the left through the corridor. The room itself was very nice. Very modern with comfortable beds and duvets but there was a lack of space. The bathroom was plush, I loved the powerful shower! After a rather late night we didn’t get up till 10am but breakfast was served till 11am so we managed to take advantage of that. The breakfast area was very full but was to be expected. Some people had even started drinking, rather them than me! Breakfast was average, beans and sausages were the only hot items available. There was a range of cereals, fruit, toast and jams and plenty of juice. Checking out was a slight nightmare. I was told that the room had been paid for (perhaps I should have shut my mouth and left at this point!) but when I asked for a receipt the receptionist seemed confused. I said that I hadn’t paid via my card and hadn’t been given a receipt. She asked if I was with the Brown group and when I said no she proceeded to give me my bill. (I did notice that on arrival they had swiped my card for £100 for any extras so I wanted to make sure that I was charged the correct amount). The bill was settled and off we went. I would stay there again as it was so cheap and the location was great. I would try and avoid it on a match day, I put the teething problems down to this, but my friend and I will definitely consider this hotel on our next trip back.

Stayed at the Encore for one night before a meeting in Swansea. Arrived slightly after 10 pm and was rather disappointed that no meal could be provided, not even a sandwich. No decent places to eat in immediate vicinity (which is a business park) so went to bed hungry. Things brightened up when we saw our room. It was nicely furnished, with a modern bathroom and good TV and computer facilities. Slept very well on a comfortable bed. Good continental breakfast the following day. Staff very pleasant and anxious to please. The whole hotel is modern and clean, with attractive decor making it a cut above a run of the mill lodge. Apart from the lack of food on our arrival (and any self-respecting business hotel should cater for travellers arriving late at might) the whole experience was pleasant and I would recommend it for an overnight stay.

Stayed at Ramada Swansea Bay for the first time in April. Easy location to reach from motorway. On arrival was a little concerned at first because it is a brand new hotel & it seemed a little souless. However pleasantly suprised during our 2 day stay, mainly because the staff are so lovely & helpful especially Cath. Is a good base for visiting Swansea but has little in the way of leisure amenities within hotel itself. Rooms were spotlessly clean, well furnished but a bit cramped. Bathrooms were of a fabulous design. Will definately stay again, decor is fine, not plush but very modern & comfortable. Great for a base for a few days or for the business traveller. 10 out of 10 for staff. If this hotel had leisure facilities would rate it as above average.