Royal Hotel Cardiff by Belvilla

Hotels
8.2 (4184 reviews)
88 St Mary's St , Cardiff , gb

Paid
Children allowed

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
24-hour front desk
Restaurant
Heating
Luggage storage
Express check-in/check-out
Safety deposit box
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Good location
Friendly staff
Comfortable beds
Cons:
Cleanliness issues
Broken lift
Noise disturbances

Categories

Cleanliness
7.16
Several mentions of grim conditions and sticky floors.
Service
8.63
Staff were friendly and helpful, with several positive mentions.
Location
9.17
Consistently noted as excellent and very central.
Room Quality
7.62
Rooms are mentioned as comfortable but with some issues like soft mattresses.
Amenities
8.15
Standard amenities for this hotel tier; some complaints about lift functionality.
Value for Money
8.11
Good value for money, particularly with breakfast options.
Food and Beverage
8.66
Breakfast was noted as good value and enjoyable.
Overall Experience
8.13
General consensus of enjoyment despite specific issues.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-06 11:56

Property Description

Victorian Charm with Modern Comforts

Historic Elegance: Step into the past at The Royal Hotel, housed in a Grade II listed Victorian building dating back to 1866. Enjoy the blend of historic charm and modern amenities, including air-conditioned rooms with LCD TVs and free Wi-Fi.

Unique Dining Experience: Indulge in a delightful breakfast at the Oak Panelled Scott Room, steeped in history and capable of hosting weddings and events. Immerse yourself in the ambiance where Captain Robert Falcon Scott once dined before his Antarctic expedition.

Cosmopolitan Convenience: Located just minutes away from the Principality Stadium and the train station, The Royal Hotel offers a prime location for exploring Cardiff. Unwind at Fitz's bar with a variety of light meals and handcrafted cocktails.

Book your stay now at The Royal Hotel Cardiff for an unforgettable experience!

Important information:

Guests with heavy luggage or disabled access requirements are recommended to arrive via the Westgate Street entrance, CF10 1TL, which is step-free.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.
Guests under the age of 18 can only check in with a parent or official guardian.
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

8.2
Based on 4184 reviews
Cleanliness: 7.16
Service: 8.63
Location: 9.17
Room Quality: 7.62
Amenities: 8.15
Value for Money: 8.11
Food and Beverage: 8.66
Overall Experience: 8.13
M
Michelle family_with_children gb
2
Cons:

No air conditioning

2026-08-07 via Nuitee
E
Elizabeth solo_traveller au
7
Decent room at the party end of town.
Pros:

The room was small but enough for me, and despite the location on the liveliest street in Cardiff it was very quiet, close to everything and I had comfortable sleep. It is a tad dated and faded, but certainly good value for money.

Cons:

My room was not serviced despite me placing ‘please service my room’ sign on the door, and the parking garage they recommended was difficult to use as a person with limited mobility, and it was expensive; the parking discount code did not work which made the stay more pricey than I had anticipated.

2026-08-07 via Nuitee
J
Jones extended_group gb
10
2026-08-06 via Nuitee
A
Alessandro couple it
1
Pros:

La posizione.

Cons:

Pulizia della struttura assolutamente carente, nessuna insonorizzazione delle stanze, cartacce in giro per i corridoi, cattivi odori nella stanza e nei corridoi, mobili datati e letto scomodo.

2026-08-05 via Nuitee
A
Alessandro extended_group it
6
PUNTA TUTTO SULLA POSIZIONE
Pros:

La struttura all'interno ha un aspetto abbastanza elegante, La posizione è eccellente, nella via principale di Cardiff, in area pedonale nel mezzo della movida, le dimensioni della stanza molto generose, la stanza era al 4° piano e non sentiva nessun rumore provenire da fuori, anche perché l'affaccio comunque non era totalmente sul viale, il letto troppo morbido ma è un gusto personale.

Cons:

La finestra piccola ed alta che non permetteva di guardare fuori.
La doccia molto grande ma priva del doccino, purtroppo avendo solo il soffione superiore eri costretto a prenderti (parzialmente se ci si metteva in un angolo della doccia) un getto di acqua ghiacciata prima dell'arrivo di quella calda.
Mancanza dello spazzolone del WC.

LA COSA PEGGIORE IN ASSOLUTO
Il parquet era appiccicoso, una sensazione insopportabile, le ciabatte che rimanevano attaccate facendo un fastidioso rumore ad ogni passo. probabilmente (voglio sperare) è stato utilizzato qualche prodotto non idoneo.

Ho alloggiato 2 notti ma la mattina la mia stanza non è stata ne pulita ne rassettata sinceramente in un 4 stelle è dovuto.

2026-08-05 via Nuitee
D
David solo_traveller gb
2
D9nt stay here
Pros:

Leaving

Cons:

Noisy location, sticky floor in the room, no shower mat in a slippery shower, no discounted parking, roon door didn't lock properly, rough sleepers on hotel entrance, air con not working, building suffering from lack of maintenance fo ryears, limited help from staff, would've been better off in a travelodge

2026-08-05 via Nuitee
J
Janet solo_traveller au
8
Pros:

We had a comfortable bed and it was nice and quiet considering we were right next to the main shopping precinct. The lady in the reception area was very helpful to our needs. The hotel is a 5min walk to the train station.

Cons:

Nothing

2026-08-05 via Nuitee
T
Terri couple gb
7
2026-08-04 via Nuitee
T
Terry extended_group gb
7
Rooms good but hotel decor needs attention.
Pros:

Location & room was perfect. Decor was definitely not 4 star. 3 at best.

Cons:

Room wasn’t ready to 15.20. Cooked breakfast was cold every morning. Homeless people on steps of hotel every morning.

2026-08-04 via Nuitee
D
Daniel solo_traveller ie
9
Pros:

Place was clean and comfy. My flight was delayed so I had to check in very late but staff went over and above to help

2026-08-03 via Nuitee
V
Victor couple ec
9
2026-08-03 via Nuitee
K
Katie couple gb
1
Will never stay again so disappointed it’s cleanliness is so poor it’s untrue
Pros:

Nothing

Cons:

This hotel use to be fantastic however since it’s switched owners the standards have beyond dropped! Dirty lining & rubbish bags outside the lifts for many hours. No WiFi even though there was supposed to be. Dirty room our feet were sticking to the floor thankfully we both had flip flops! Mold in the bathroom someone’s pubes on the floor didn’t even shower in the morning as it was that nasty. It use to be lovely will never stay there again.

2026-08-03 via Nuitee
X
Xiaoqin couple de
9
Pros:

位置好!

2026-08-03 via Nuitee
X
Xiaoqin family_with_children de
9
Pros:

位置优越!

2026-08-03 via Nuitee
J
John couple gb
8
Very nice and would come again
Pros:

Clean and very spacious room-

Cons:

The restaurant was lovely but really short staffed - but they were working really hard

2026-08-02 via Nuitee
C
Christophe family_with_children be
5
Matige kamer , goed ontbijt.
Pros:

Lekker en uitgebreide keuze van het ontbijt, top.

Cons:

De vloer was vuil en plakkerig , de airconditioning werkte niet naar behoren, de badkamer was bedoeld voor mensen met een beperking ! we konden douchen en naar toilet gaan . Roomservice moest je aanvragen ? en was nochtans inbegrepen in de prijs bij de boeking, jammer

2026-08-02 via Nuitee
B
Beekman couple nl
4
A very, very disappointing hotel which we will never choose again.
Pros:

Not much. Quite old and filthy windows that looked out on very busy and noisy St MaryStreet. Noise went on til 2 am. The so-called superior room was simply two small rooms put together with a bed that had almost no space between it and the wall.

Cons:

See above plus only a small shower head above a very high-walled tub and no hand shower which is most inconvenient. Air conditioning was hardly working. After arrival at about 3:30 we had to wait more than 2 hours for this very disappointing room. The room was not cleaned during our stay, the excuse being that they were heavily under-staffed. Oh yes, parking! The site said there was free parking. Not true. Instead we could park in a garage two blocks away, approaching our car via shockingly filthy corridors reeking of years old urine. The hotel gave us vouchers which would reduce the price by 50%. That too was untrue. Two days there, the voucher unaccepted each time. ‘Free’ parking cost us £60!

2026-08-02 via Nuitee
L
Lydia couple gb
6
2026-08-02 via Nuitee
R
Richard solo_traveller gb
10
2026-07-26 via Nuitee
G
Gill solo_traveller gb
1
Pros:

Nothing, we left after seeing the room.

Cons:

The hotel is right in the city centre, we entered from the back entrance and there was no security at all, anyone could walk in and as the reception was two floors up no one would know. We arrived at reception and there was no one on the desk, another security warning. We were given a room key card and after walking along endless narrow corridors and up two flights of stairs, after the lift we arrived. The room was dark, smelly, the bathroom had black mould and the curtains and bed spread were dirty. The floor was also very dirty in the corners and for some bizarre reason there was a rubber bathmat on the floor going into the bathroom. As two women travelling together we did not feel safe in this hotel or wanting to sleep there, we checked out

2026-07-25 via Nuitee