Rhosgyll Fawr Cottages

It is with much regret that we have been forced to close the doors of our cottage and will no longer be able to take holiday bookings. 

We want to say a big thank you to everyone who has stayed with us over the years, particularly those of you who have chosen to visit us every year, and especially to the people who have regularly visited us several times each year since we opened. 

We are being forced to close the thriving small business that we have built over many years because of changes to Welsh Government policy. 

As you may already be aware, new rules have come into force which have increased the number of nights that a property needs to be rented out in order to qualify for business rating. The previous 70 nights has increased to a massive 182 nights occupancy. 

To make matters worse, Gwynedd council informed us that, even though our cottage is very much part of our home, if we fail to qualify for business rates we will be charged ‘second home’ council tax on our cottage - at a rate of 150%. 

These changes mean that if we are unable to meet the Welsh Government’s vastly increased occupancy rate, even by a single night, Gwynedd council will charge us 150% council tax. We may find ourselves in a position where we have not earned enough money to pay the council tax bill, never mind made an income to live on. To continue under these circumstances would be extremely stressful, and most certainly not economically viable business practice. 

Rather than supporting local businesses through challenging times, Welsh Government and local council policy effectively penalises small businesses that may already be struggling due to increasing running costs and fewer visitors to the area as people have less spare money to take holidays. 

Unfortunately, although we can no longer offer you a place to stay, we can’t suggest anywhere else in the area that you may wish to book instead. Our neighbours are facing the same issues as us and many are being forced to close, just as we are, by the introduction of this punitive legislation. Local communities are being decimated by this situation which will ultimately have a major impact on tourism and the economic stability of Wales. 

This is the end of an era for us. We have made some good friends along the way. Once again, thank you for choosing to take your holidays with us. We hope that you have happy memories of your time staying here.