Holiday Inn Express Cardiff Bay by IHG

The service was the part I liked least. It often felt like there weren't enough staff, and housekeeping sometimes seemed rushed or incomplete. The rooms were clean and the Wi-Fi was strong. Breakfast was great, with the usual British options: scrambled eggs, baked beans, cooked tomatoes, sausage, and ham. There was also a station for yogurt, fruit, and pastries, plus a coffee machine with lots of choices. The hotel is right by the bay and around a 20-minute walk from the city centre.

Breakfast was the best part of our stay at Holiday Inn Cardiff Bay, despite the poor things we'd read about it. It was good enough to bring my rating up from one star to two. The rest of the stay was disappointing. The room had only enough tea supplies for one drink each, so we couldn't have a cup in both the evening and the morning, and there were no glasses or plastic cups for water. The pipework was extremely loud whenever someone in another room flushed the toilet, repeatedly disturbing our sleep. At checkout, the receptionist didn't apologize when we raised it, only saying it was a pump issue that would be sorted “soon.” The car park was full when we arrived, so we parked on the road. Before exiting the hotel car park, we asked reception about parking and were told to go to the car at 8am to put on a ticket, and that there was no payment app. We later found an app. You also need a code to leave the hotel car park, so we had to block the exit and go back inside to get one. The stay overall left a lot to be desired.

The hotel felt calm and welcoming, and staff were polite, friendly, and always ready to help. Our spacious room was tidy, and the place was clean, comfortable, and well maintained. It was a great experience with good service and comfort. I'd happily stay at Holiday Inn again and recommend it.

The broken elevator made arrival difficult. My family has mobility issues and can't lift suitcases, particularly up to the third floor. We were told there was no lower-floor room available, but that we wouldn't need to carry our bags at check-in or checkout. At checkout on 11th May at 7:45am, only one person was at the desk. I believe her name was Ankshika. She spoke to us in a very condescending way, became defensive, and didn't let us explain our concerns or ask questions. She denied that staff had offered to lift our suitcases, effectively calling me a liar. She said she couldn't leave the desk for long and could only help if one of us came too because we “looked physically capable.” She was judging by our appearance without knowing our medical history. We weren't expecting her to carry everything herself; we were asking when another employee would arrive to help. The whole checkout felt uncomfortable and jarring and left us feeling like a huge inconvenience, which really tainted our stay. Sam and Andre, though, were professional, courteous, kind, and provided great customer service. Staff need training in communication, de-escalation, and crisis management.