Higgihaus St Mary's Apts

It’s central and affordable, which helped make up for how little sleep I got. The staff were really friendly and accommodating, and the rooms are large. But the location makes it very noisy. It was fine for a night to rest and leave my bags, though I wouldn’t stay longer than that because of the noise.

The hotel’s close to Cardiff station and the stadium, about the only positives for me. It’s on the main pub street, so there’s noise outside into the early hours, including very loud karaoke that only sounds good if you’re extremely drunk. The room was boiling with the windows shut, but opening them meant even more noise. The closed windows and soundproofing only dulled it a little. The mattress seemed to throw heat back at me, even through the duvet. I ended up on pillows and a spare duvet on the floor just to find somewhere cooler. In the morning there was no hot water, so I had an ice cold shower, and of the four spoons, only one looked clean. I’d never return to this Travelodge. I’d probably try the Premier Inn across the road, far enough from the pubs.

It did the job, and I’d stay again. The location is ideal, just two minutes from the station, the bed was comfy and the staff efficient. It’s the usual Travelodge standard, well used but functional, without being anything special. Noise was typical for the area into the early hours, but didn’t bother me. The one hassle was that they don’t store luggage. The available options were £7 per bag, which was annoying when I wanted to shop the next day.

Cheap and fine for a night, with no frills. The bedding and towels were provided, and the beds were comfortable enough. The bathroom had no working extractor or window, and the bedroom had no bin. There was no soap or body wash in the bathroom dispensers. It was noisy outside all night, though that’s to be expected in a city.