Leonardo Hotel Cardiff

The cleaner on the 3rd floor found my mobile phone after I’d left it on a sofa in the corridor, and I’m grateful for that. I also want to call out the two young women at reception when I arrived around 12.00 pm on 22 May. Lily was one of them, though sadly I can’t remember the other’s name. They were both helpful and welcoming, exactly what you need on arrival. I’ve worked in customer-facing service for 40 years and managed a team for 20, so I recognize the kind of service that helps build a company’s success. My stay was excellent, and this will definitely be my port of call next time I’m in Cardiff.

The location was ideal, with a short walk into Central Cardiff, and parking cost much less than at other hotels in the area. The evening meal tasted very fresh, the restaurant service was top notch, and breakfast was delicious and kept well stocked. The staff were wonderful when I arrived, and the rooms were very clean and comfortable. My first stay at a Leonardo hotel couldn’t have been better. I’ll be booking again this month.

Kira spent time chatting with my little boy about his excitement for monster jam, and the bar lady and the woman at breakfast reception were just as warm and engaging with him. Everyone was so friendly, from the reception team to the bar staff. The hotel was clean, lovely, and good value. Its location was ideal for our visit, with everything nearby and the principality stadium just around the corner. We’ve already said we’ll book here again if we return to Cardiff.

I’ve stayed loyal to Leonardo hotels for years, travelling about four times each year and choosing one of their properties. Over the past five years the stays have generally been okay. The air conditioning sometimes switched off before, but nothing like this. We chose Leonardo because the rooms have air conditioning, yet for three nights it shut off by itself about every two hours. I kept waking around 1am, 3am, 5am, 7am, and 8am, and my sleep was badly disrupted. The last night was especially frustrating. I called the front desk three times at 3:18am, and they didn’t answer, even though they knew I was calling. I tried to get back to sleep. By 5am the air conditioning was on, technically, but the airflow was extremely weak and the room was still hot and stuffy. I called again hoping they could adjust it, but nobody answered. The central system is controlled by the front desk, so the hotel could have dealt with it, but it wasn’t addressed. They later brought a fan, but the room was still uncomfortable. The windows don’t open, so there was no ventilation. I don’t understand why guests should have to help the hotel save energy while they’re staying there. We choose Leonardo for comfort and rest, not to save the hotel electricity overnight. Since the pandemic, I’ve noticed what seems to be the same problem at many Leonardo hotels, with air conditioning shutting off automatically at night. The front desk may try to extend it for a few hours, but the experience is still disappointing. As a returning guest who has consistently chosen the brand, I expected better service, real solutions, and a comfortable place to rest. This stay fell well short of what I’d expect from a four-star hotel.