The Wyndham Arms Hotel

You're walking up Dunraven Place and you can't miss it — The Wyndham Arms is right there in Bridgend's heart, a solid Victorian building that's been doing the rounds for years. It's a Wetherspoon through and through, which means you know exactly what you're getting: decent ales at prices that won't make you wince, a food menu that hits the spot without pretension, and enough space that you won't be squeezed in like a sardine. The hotel rooms upstairs mean it pulls a mixed crowd — locals popping in for a quick one, travellers staying overnight, families grabbing lunch. There's a real sense of it being part of Bridgend's fabric rather than just another corporate chain trying too hard.