Teachers leave behind classrooms to open award-winning Welsh bed and breakfast

Two former teachers from Gloucester have swapped their classrooms for a guest house by the sea in Swansea thanks to a £180,000 funding deal with NatWest.

Husband and wife Cen and Ali Davies used the business loan alongside their own capital investment to leave their stressful jobs and embark on their own business venture, purchasing the Tides Reach guest house on Mumbles Road.

Tides Reach is a Victorian town house that captured the couple’s attention with its stunning interior, picturesque views and peaceful location.

It offers guests a selection of six beautifully decorated en-suite rooms, with views of the Swansea coastline. The guest house has gained a Gold Award from Visit Wales, has been a winner of Swansea in Bloom and rates consistently highly on review websites TripAdvisor and Booking.com.

Cen and Ali now reside in the ground-floor bedroom at Tides Reach and spend their days welcoming guests to their boutique guest house and providing a high-quality breakfast and accommodation experience.

Cen said: “Ali and I have often discussed owning a guest house but never thought it would happen until we visited Devon a few years ago. The owners at the time, who were also former city dwellers, told us how the move was the best thing they ever did, and we never forgot those words.

“We made the decision to up sticks to the coast around Easter time, and since the big move we have never looked back. Thanks to NatWest the purchase went quickly and smoothly and sales so far are doing really well with lots of bookings well into 2018.”

Natasha Hopkins, Relationship Manager for NatWest, said: “It’s a great thing to be able to help people live their dream. Since opening Cen and Ali have had a steady stream of customers; I think it’s down to their passion and welcoming attitude. I wish them the best of luck in the future.”