Holyhead, Wales, is home to The Haven Guest House, owned and operated by Sian and Phil Tracey. The business is open year-round, seven days a week, and offers seven accommodations. Each of the bedrooms has a private bathroom, radiator, smart TVs, and blackout curtains. Also available to visitors on the property are common areas such as the sun lounge, an outside patio with seating, and a breakfast room. The establishment offers breakfast every day from 7:30 to 10:00 a.m., which includes a continental style and a “full English breakfast,” says Sian. The Breakwater Country Park and the sea are relatively close to the guest house as well as various other attractions and the town center. The owners report that they are willing to make recommendations of places to eat and visit upon request.
The Haven Guest House is located in the town of Holyhead, Wales, and is owned and operated by Sian and Phil Tracey. In the property, there are a total of seven bedrooms available for reservation. Amenities that can be found in the units include private bathrooms that have a shower, toilet, and sink; a radiator; chest of drawers; a kettle with facilities to make tea or coffee; smart TVs; free wifi; noise-reducing windows; and blackout curtains. Apart from these units, there are various common areas, such as the sun lounge, a patio with seating, and a breakfast room. Sian describes the inside of her property as “recently modernized." The owners say guests tend to like the modern feel and the cleanliness of the business.
Bike storage is offered on the premises as well as a lock-up car park. Other services the owners provide their patrons include early or late checkout and a place where visitors can store their luggage so they can walk the surrounding trails. The owners supply certain activities for guests to be able to participate in while on the property. Such activities include books to read and games that are located in one of the hallways in the building.
Another feature offered to everyone staying at The Haven Guest House is breakfast, served every day at 7:30 a.m. and is available until 10:00 a.m. Sian describes the meal as a continental breakfast that serves cereal, coffee, tea, orange juice, fruit, and chocolate croissants. They are then offered a “full English breakfast,” says the owner, which includes sausages and eggs. The business is also willing to accommodate guests with dietary needs or restrictions upon request.
“It’s a mid-terrace property,” says Sian, which means there is space in the front and back of the house. The establishment has a sun lounge that goes around part of the building. Stairs lead up to the front door, which is located in the middle of the building. Gardens are planted in the front of the guest house that feature flowers such as geraniums; other flora on the premises includes palm trees. Sian reports that the property is located on less than an acre of land that is situated on the edge of an “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)." The guest house is located about five minutes away from a beach and is also relatively close to Breakwater Country Park. “Everything is [within] walking distance from our house,” says Sian, "especially to the town center."
A few policies are implemented at The Haven Guest House, and patrons staying on the premises are expected to follow these guidelines. Such policies include quiet time during the night between 10:30 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. and no smoking in the building. Other things to note are that the establishment is pet friendly and that they don’t check people into their rooms past 10:30 p.m. Sian, one of the owners, reports that one goal she and her husband have for the guest house is to be “more sustainable [and] environmentally friendly," such as through recycling. “Comfortable, relaxed, and safe” are how Sian wants patrons to feel during their stay at The Haven Guest House. Sian and Phil try to accomplish this through a “nice warm welcome when [guests] arrive” as well as offering to bring up luggage to their rooms if needed. Visitors also have access to a bell that can notify the owners when something is needed. “From the minute they arrive to the minute they leave” is how much interaction the owners have with patrons, says Sian.
The owners say they are willing to offer recommendations to their guests for places to eat and sites to visit while in the area. Sian’s top recommendations for places to eat in the area include Sea Shanty Cafe, Catch 22 Brasserie, and The Harbourfront Bistro. Places to visit in the area are Holyhead Maritime Museum, St. Cybi's Church, Beaumaris Castle, Plas Newydd, Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path, South Stack Lighthouse, and Caernarfon Castle.
The Haven Guest House is supposedly known for its friendliness and hospitality, reports one of the owners. One previous patron left a review saying, “Possibly the cleanest place I have stayed in a long time, and I have stayed in a lot of high-end hotels with my work. Friendly welcome, easy parking, would definitely return here if we came up again.” Sian also says that a common trend in the comments they get about their guest house has to do with the cleanliness of the building. Another review left by a visitor said, “It’s a classic seaside B&B. Clean, quiet, comfortable rooms. The owners were friendly and welcoming, and the breakfast was great. Lovely location overlooking the harbor, five or ten minutes walk for the ferry terminal.”
The success of The Haven Guest House is attributed to being open seven days a week, according to the owner. Additionally, the guest house is open year-round to visitors. June, July, August, and September are typically the busiest months for the business. “Majority of our guests are people traveling to Ireland,” says Sian. She also says that their patrons come from all over the world, constituting the general demographic of visitors who come to their business. Also common for the property are repeat guests.
Sian and Phil Tracey are the current owners of The Haven Guest House. The guest house has been around for decades, with the previous owners of the property being Sian’s parents. Sian reports that her grandmother and aunts have owned their own bed and breakfast, and that became "a generational thing" for her and her dad to be owners of one as well. Phil and Sian officially bought the house in 2010 and shut it down for remodeling. Such renovations include adding bathrooms to all rooms and modernizing them by refurnishing the rooms and adding new carpets. The current owners reopened it in 2018. As of now, Sian and her husband plan to renovate one more bedroom in the house and possibly extend the dining room to make it bigger.
Sian is unsure of how long the property has served as a guest house, “at least 60 years” is an estimate of how long it’s been in the hospitality industry. As mentioned before, the guest house is relatively older, being at least 200 years old, according to the owners. Before being a guest house, the building was used as a place of residence for families in the area.
Marine Square
Holyhead, Wales LL65 1DG
United Kingdom
Bed and Breakfast
Sian and Phil Tracey
