Holiday Inn Express Cardiff Bay by IHG

Hotels
•
Holiday Inn Express
8 (5069 reviews)
Longueil Close, Atlantic Wharf , Cardiff , GB

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Paid
Children allowed

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Parking
Non-smoking rooms
24-hour front desk
Restaurant
Heating
Terrace
Family rooms
Pets allowed
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Consistently praised cleanliness
Friendly, helpful staff
Good/bountiful breakfast
Convenient riverside/central location
Quiet, pleasant surroundings for many guests
Cons:
Air conditioning/temperature control issues (rooms hot, fans ineffective)
Limited or paid parking; small shared car park
Some rooms noisy (ground floor near bar/carpark)
Occasional roadworks/difficulty finding hotel
Breakfast area crowded at times

Categories

Cleanliness
9
Multiple reviews explicitly praise exceptional cleanliness of rooms and hotel; rooms repeatedly described as clean and well maintained.
Service
9
Staff repeatedly described as friendly, helpful and attentive (several mentions of helpful reception staff and excellent service).
Location
8.5
Many guests praise the central/tranquil riverside location and proximity to shops/harbour; several notes about roadworks and occasional difficulty finding the hotel or it being not very central.
Room Quality
7
Rooms are generally comfortable and clean but multiple complaints about temperature control (A/C/air coolers not effective), weak shower, occasional wrong bedding allocation and noise for some ground-floor rooms.
Amenities
7
Limited amenities flagged: paid/limited parking, no good facilities to heat baby food, limited tea/coffee in rooms, small shared car park and issues with smoking area affecting rooms.
Value for Money
7
Mixed comments: some guests find the hotel good value while others consider rates (e.g. ~£120/night) a little expensive for an express stay.
Food and Beverage
8.5
Breakfast is frequently praised as good, plentiful and well presented; a few mentions of crowded layout or limited options/staff at peak times.
Overall Experience
8
Overall generally positive and relaxing stays with friendly staff and good breakfasts, tempered by recurring practical issues (heat/AC, parking, some noise and local roadworks).
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-08-11 21:03

Property Description

Waterfront Location and Modern Amenities

Located in the vibrant Cardiff Bay area, our modern hotel offers a convenient stay just a short walk from the city center. With a restaurant, bar, terrace, and free WiFi, guests can enjoy both comfort and convenience during their visit.

Comfortable Rooms and Relaxing Lounge Area

Each room is equipped with air conditioning, power showers, and flat-screen TVs, ensuring a comfortable stay. Guests can unwind in our spacious lounge area overlooking the dock, complete with a full-licensed bar and large-screen TV.

Convenient Meeting Facilities and Nearby Attractions

For business travelers, we offer a meeting room with visual equipment for hire. Additionally, popular local attractions like Cardiff Castle and the Millennium Stadium are just a short distance away, making our hotel the perfect choice for both leisure and business travelers alike.

Book now for an unforgettable stay at Holiday Inn Cardiff Bay!

Important information:

Please note that the card provided to make the payment will be required upon check in at the hotel for a pin validation. If this is not available, an alternative form of payment will be required at the time of check in and the original card refunded.

Please note that the car park is covered by CCTV. A GBP 10 daily parking fee applies per car. Coach parking is not currently available at the hotel. Car parking is on a first come first served basis and cannot be reserved.Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: CWL

Location

Guest Reviews

8
Based on 5069 reviews
Cleanliness: 9
Service: 9
Location: 8.5
Room Quality: 7
Amenities: 7
Value for Money: 7
Food and Beverage: 8.5
Overall Experience: 8
M
Mark • solo_traveller • gb
9
Cardiff holiday inn
Pros:

Very good standard hotel
Friendly staff

Cons:

N/A

2026-09-19 • via Nuitee
H
heledd • solo_traveller • gb
9
Lovely stay
Pros:

Nice and clean

Cons:

The apple and orange juice

2026-09-19 • via Nuitee
L
Lola • couple • gb
8
2026-09-19 • via Nuitee
R
rachel • family_with_children • gb
7
Pros:

Location, clean, breakfast okay.

Cons:

We stayed 3 nights, 2 nights I slept very well. Unfortunately there were some noisy guests at the hotel that did not respect other guest might be sleeping at 3am in the morning. The staff were apologetic, it was not the hotels fault. We would stay again.

2026-09-19 • via Nuitee
J
James • couple • gb
10
Helped make my first ever visit to Cardiff memorable.
Pros:

Clean, well managed with extremely friendly and efficient staff. Location was ideal. Breakfast was excellent.

Cons:

N/A

2026-09-18 • via Nuitee
M
Mary • couple • gb
8
Happy to return when all builldg works in the vacinity are completed and we are able to get about
Pros:

good welsome and staff were good thoughout the visit.

Cons:

location was good but as many access roads were closed and many bus services not running because of building projects in the vacinity we found getting about difficult and had to resolve this by using taxis, which mand it an expensive weekend. As we are both elderly this restriction on getting about was a big disappointment, especially as I had checked the location of nearby bus stops before booking.

2026-09-18 • via Nuitee
B
Bernadette • couple • ie
10
2026-09-18 • via Nuitee
B
Bernadette • couple • ie
10
2026-09-18 • via Nuitee
N
Nathan • solo_traveller • gb
9
Pros:

Great location near both cardiff city and cardiff bay, rooms were very clean and the check in/out was very smooth and fast

Cons:

Mattresses were a little firm

2026-09-17 • via Nuitee
S
Sam • family_with_children • gb
8
I’d definitely return! Beautiful views
Pros:

The location is stunning! Breakfast was great. Staff really friendly & fun

Cons:

Nothing!

2026-09-17 • via Nuitee
R
Richard • family_with_children • gb
9
A nice hotel which met all our needs for a university open day and theatre visit.
Pros:

Location was in a quiet area of the city which was quite easy to get to by car. We walked into the city centre which took about 15-20 minutes. The room was comfortable and quiet and had a pleasant waterfront view. The staff were friendly and helpful and we had a nice breakfast.

Cons:

Nothing

2026-09-17 • via Nuitee
P
Phil • solo_traveller • gb
8
Card issue and unpleasant area atmosphere.
Pros:

Breakfast. Furniture accessibility indoors.

Cons:

Our credit card was debited twice. Staff made a quick refund although this takes days and hassle to appear on our statement.
Room air conditioning would be nice.
Only just found one parking space. Not sure what would have happened if the parking was full??
A lot of homeless people in the area. Intimidating walk into the city centre. The general surrounding atmosphere and unkempt streets was not pleasant.

2026-09-16 • via Nuitee
H
Hazel • solo_traveller • gb
7
Our stay
Pros:

It was very clean. Some staff were friendly.

Good breakfast.

Cons:

The evening meal was over priced and possibly micro waved?

2026-09-16 • via Nuitee
T
Teresa • couple • gb
10
2026-09-15 • via Nuitee
R
Raymond • solo_traveller • gb
9
Excellent hotel 🏨
Pros:

Good environment and room was excellent for relaxing 😌

Cons:

There was hardly anything to complain about.

2026-09-15 • via Nuitee
K
Kevin • solo_traveller • gb
6
Pros:

The Hotel the view was great great breakfast

Cons:

Had a dirty mattress so changed rooms very happy with room then wife slipped in shower very dangerous hurt her toes/knee/back very bruised ' left a day earlier as my wife had difficulty walking

2026-09-15 • via Nuitee
L
Leopold • couple • at
9
2026-09-15 • via Nuitee
R
Rob • couple • ca
5
Disappointed
Cons:

Several Front desk staff were less than helpful, not interested and some even had attitude problem. They had better things to do rather than answer our questions (it even started when we tried to register in)

2026-09-14 • via Nuitee
P
Pauline • solo_traveller • gb
9
Would go there again 🎉🎉
Pros:

Fantastic walk along the hotel. Lovely bedroom!! Fantastic friendly staff. Yummy breakfast.

Cons:

Not keen on the meal for dinner.

2026-09-14 • via Nuitee
M
Mark • couple • gb
7
Pros:

Staff were friendly, room was clean and bed was very comfortable

Cons:

Parking could be an issue amd no mention was made in advance of the £10per night carpark charge

2026-09-14 • via Nuitee