Holland House Hotel Cardiff By Sunday

The hotel itself is nice, which makes the extra charges all the more disappointing. We paid £10 per person to use the spa, with additional fees for parking too. We had a really lovely stay last year, so chose to come back, but this time the added costs made the experience feel less welcoming and more focused on upselling than customer service. Sadly, we'd probably choose somewhere else next time.

A good guy checked us in promptly, but after that it was a bad experience. A group of us had booked seven double beds for one night, and parking was a problem from the start. There are only about 50/60 spaces despite having roughly twice as many rooms, so we couldn't find a spot. If we had, it would have cost an extra 24£. In some rooms there was no shampoo, and two showers had almost no water pressure. The drinks at reception were in a fridge that seemed not to have been plugged in for years, so they were very hot, and there were no other cold drinks. The small room fridges were useless too. There was no real air conditioning in the rooms, just a standing fan, even though I paid 80 pounds per night for a hotel with a spa and shiny decor. The fan made things worse rather than better. I'd suggest installing proper air conditioning. Plenty of other bad details, but listing them feels like a waste of time. I don't recommend it.

Bernadette at reception made what should have been a relaxing visit feel very uncomfortable. I have a disability and support dogs, and although this is a dog-friendly hotel, I was repeatedly questioned about my service dog. It felt intrusive and inappropriate. Guests with disabilities shouldn't be made to feel interrogated or challenged. I was also asked more than 20 times to pay immediately for a late checkout, well before checkout time. That was excessive and stressful, and felt unprofessional, like harassment. Staff should be trained to speak respectfully, especially with disabled guests. The way this was handled left me feeling unwelcome and uneasy throughout my stay. There were practical issues too: the reception desk is easy to miss because it blends into the décor and looks like a small makeshift table, the kettle in my room was dirty, and the cupboards were worn and clearly needed repainting. The stay fell far below expectations. Better staff training and attention to guest care could improve the hotel, but I wouldn't return as things stand.

Holly did my facial during a spa day here, and I felt at ease and comfortable the whole time. The treatment was amazing, with a lovely scalp massage as well. My skin feels incredible. Definitely recommend, and thank you, Holly, for such a relaxing treatment.