The Welsh capital is a buzzing, modern metropolis underscored by a rich industrial heritage and a nationalist drive. Still guarded today by the imposing towers of Cardiff Castle, which traces its foundations back to a Roman fort built in the 3rd century AD, Cardiff is home to must-visit Welsh institutions like the Senedd and the National Museum Cardiff.
Learn about Welsh heritage at St. Fagans National Museum of History, catch a rugby game at the Principality Stadium, or dig into Welsh cuisine at Cardiff Market. This is the beating heart of Wales, and you’ll love everything from the repurposed docks to the Welsh ales and craft beers.
With all that sightseeing, it’s a good thing Cardiff is brimming with excellent hotels. In fact, there are so many fantastic places to stay in Cardiff that you may find it almost impossible to settle on just one. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of the 10 best hotels in Cardiff, Wales, for you!
- Short on time and don’t want to read the entire article? Here are our top 3 picks!
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The 10 Best Luxury Hotels in Cardiff, Wales
1. Voco St. David’s Cardiff
One of the most popular 5-star hotels in Cardiff, Voco St. David’s Cardiff allows you to enjoy glorious views of the bay from your luxury room. Overlooking the waterfront in one of the city’s best locations, tall floor-to-ceiling windows were made for the panoramas, while the best rooms also feature private balconies.
Expect chic, modern rooms with luxury linens and plush bedding. Bathrooms offer power showers and branded Antipodes toiletries, while the award-winning St. David’s Spa is home to thermal baths, heated indoor pools, and Ishga spa treatments.
Tir a Môr (which is Welsh for “Land and Sea”) is the hotel’s fine dining restaurant and bar. They serve afternoon tea with a view of Cardiff Bay, while the dinner menu champions Welsh produce and culinary heritage, with the Brecon venison and slow-cooked Welsh beef brisket coming highly recommended.
2. The Coal Exchange
One of the most unique hotels in Cardiff is The Coal Exchange, a boutique property that epitomizes the wonderful redevelopment of the city’s waterfront district. As the hotel’s name suggests, you’ll be staying in the former Coal Exchange building, where merchants and miners once haggled and bartered for Welsh coal.
The original Coal Exchange opened in 1888, and the modern hotel has preserved much of the Victorian nostalgia that sweeps through its aged corridors. Corinthian columns stand by the entrance, while an intricate clock still looms large over the Trading Hall. Luxury rooms have an art deco feel to them, with brass lamps, padded walls, and antique furnishings feature throughout.
At Culley’s Kitchen & Bar, you’ll find that a hearty buffet breakfast is the best way to start the day. The menu makes extensive use of Welsh ingredients, but there’s an international vibe running through the dishes. Try the Welsh beef burger or opt for the vegetarian bhaji burger instead.
3. The Parkgate Hotel
Another one of the top 5-star hotels in Cardiff, The Parkgate Hotel is set within the grand halls of Cardiff’s old Post Office, just opposite the Principality Stadium. Dating back to 1897, you’ll love the art deco vibes and Victorian elegance that pervade this magnificent heritage building.
Drawing on the overstated luxury of yesteryear, each room at The Parkgate Hotel has been individually designed and curated. Utilizing the building’s Victorian design, you’ll love how high vaulted ceilings conform with modern floor-to-ceiling windows.
Marble bathrooms feature freestanding tubs and luxury Elemis toiletries, while the hotel’s spa offers Elemis treatments, thermal suites, and heated plunge pools with a view of Cardiff.
The Sorting Room has not only been awarded 2AA Rosettes, but it’s Michelin guide listed. Cocktails and champagnes are served before dinner, where an eclectic menu offers dishes as varied as Monmouthshire Scotch eggs and Mediterranean octopus.
4. Leonardo Hotel Cardiff
With an unbeatable position in the Welsh capital’s city center, the Leonardo Hotel Cardiff is designed to meet your every need. One of the best hotels in Cardiff, you’ll be staying in a magnificent townhouse dating back to the Victorian era.
You’ll love how the spacious rooms at the Leonardo Hotel Cardiff come with super comfy Dream Beds, with modern decor and amenities aimed at maximizing both comfort and functionality. The Bar & Grill at Leonardo’s serves a mean Welsh breakfast to get you started for a day of sightseeing, while Oddsocks Bar serves Welsh beers, gins, and whiskeys late into the night.
5. Cardiff Marriott Hotel
Less than a five-minute walk from Cardiff Central Station, you can’t beat the Cardiff Marriott Hotel for its impressive combination of luxury and convenience. One of the best luxury hotels in Cardiff, this four-star property offers spacious rooms with a chic, modern design.
Panoramic windows offer stunning views of central Cardiff, while modern amenities like flatscreen televisions and plush beds make for a comfortable stay. Guests can make use of the on-site gym, and if you upgrade to an Executive Room, you’ll have access to the privacy of the Executive Lounge, too.
The Cardiff Marriott Hotel is home to a Browns Restaurant, where you can enjoy fine dining in a relaxed atmosphere. The brunch menu features steak and eggs and lobster benedict, while the dinner menu includes crispy cod cheeks and a chateaubriand for two.
6. Novotel Cardiff Centre
Set in a repurposed dockside building overlooking the capital’s old wharves, the Novotel Cardiff Centre blends history with modern amenities. Spacious rooms feature plush queen beds and comfy sofas, while bathrooms are stocked with luxury toiletries.
Work out in the fully-equipped gym, swim in the heated indoor pool, or unwind in the sauna and steam rooms. In the Customs Shed, you can order pints of beer and glasses of wine in a refurbished conservatory before digging into Welsh lamb and beef burgers.
7. Hotel Indigo
You’ll love how the quirky decor and bright colors bring Hotel Indigo to life, even on the dreariest of Cardiff days. In the lobby, a bright, warm sign welcomes you in Welsh (“Croseo”) to Wales, while maps, artwork, and tributes to the country adorn the walls.
The hotel masterfully draws on its Welsh character, and all of the artwork and materials you see are locally sourced, as Hotel Indigo embodies the theme of “Made in Wales.” Check into your boutique hotel room, and you’ll have views of Cardiff Castle or the Principality Stadium. Each room has a unique design, with some featuring antique rocking chairs while others are decorated with black and white photos of the industrial Wales of old.
Head to the rooftop, and you can enjoy a sumptuous dinner at the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill. Of course, steak is top of this menu, and you can wash down a sirloin with a perfectly paired glass of Bordeaux.
8. Staybridge Suites
Overlooking the historic Bute East Docks by the refurbished waterfront, Staybridge Suites is another one of the top Cardiff hotels.
Featuring colorful apartments and studios decorated in bright shades of turquoise and white, this is the best hotel in Cardiff for a self-contained stay.
Staybridge Suites offers fully-equipped kitchens, as well as spacious lounge and work areas, making this perfect for longer trips to the Welsh capital.
9. Mercure Cardiff Holland House Hotel & Spa
One of the coolest luxury hotels in Cardiff is the Mercure Cardiff Holland House Hotel & Spa. Fabulously modern, this spacious hotel is packed to bursting with amenities.
After checking into your luxury room, which features tall windows and plush beds, don your fluffy bathrobes and make your way to the spa. Soak up the heat in the sauna or steam room, take a plunge in the 18-meter indoor swimming pool, or work out in the gym.
The Urban Kitchen & Bar serves a full Welsh breakfast to start the day, ales, beers, wines, and cocktails as the day progresses, and a full lunch and dinner menu packed with British classics and modern favorites.
10. New House Country Hotel
Located partway between Cardiff and Caerphilly, the New House Country Hotel offers a rural escape that’s just a half-hour drive from the city center. This Grade-II listed country house is rich in Welsh history, having been designed and built in the early 18th century for Thomas Lewis, a wealthy industrialist who founded one of the country’s largest ironworks.
Far from the smelters and coal of the workplace, Lewis constructed a lavish abode where he could retreat at the end of the day. Today, New House Country Hotel has preserved much of its 18th-century character, and you’ll love how period paintings and antique furnishings decorate this boutique retreat.
Perched on a hilltop and surrounded by lush gardens, you’ll have sweeping views of Cardiff from your luxury hotel room’s windows. Stroll through the grounds, enjoy afternoon tea on the terrace, or simply sink back into your plush bed and forget about the outside world.
That completes our list of the 10 best Cardiff hotels! Did we miss any cool luxury hotels in Cardiff? Comment below so we can add them to the list!
Where to Stay in Cardiff
With a population of 362,000 people, Cardiff sprawls across the tidal shores of the Bristol Channel. Located on the south coast of Wales, the city center is focused around famous sights like Cardiff Castle and the Principality Stadium, where you’ll find many of the best hotels in Cardiff.
Heading south from the city center, you’ll find many of the best boutique hotels located within repurposed industrial buildings, like the Coal Exchange or the Old Customs House. Along the old docks of Cardiff Bay, you can even stay in luxury digs on the waterside.
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