Park Inn by Radisson Cardiff City Centre

The lobby is stunning, with a quaint little bar, and the area felt safe. Shops and restaurants are within walking distance, so the location is great. The rooms are quite dated and need maintenance, a thorough clean and updating. One of the elevators seems to be broken all the time, which can mean a long wait to get up or down. We stayed as part of a Trafalgar Tour: Britain & Ireland Highlights. It was a decent place to stay overall.

The staff were 10/10, so accommodating and friendly, and our room was super clean with a few new touches. The furniture was a bit scuffed cosmetically, but it wasn't broken or unsafe, and didn't look too bad from a distance. We had a lovely Nespresso machine, the usual hot drink facilities, two bottles of water and nice little extras like a shower cap. The location was perfect for us, close to the shopping centre and a short walk from the train station. Try one of their pizzas if you fancy a snack after a night out. Honestly, I think the bad reviews come from people with champagne tastes and lemonade money.

The staff were nice and helpful, and breakfast was decent. It's also well placed for the city. We chose the hotel because it had parking, but it was closed when we arrived and we don't know why. Only one lift was working, and it took ages to arrive. The rooms hadn't been cleaned particularly well, and some furniture needed repairs.

The bed was soft and big enough for two to sleep comfortably, with room for up to three at most. The room itself was clean and tidy, and there was a fairly quiet fan. But the street outside was loud, and I could hear noise above and on both sides even with the window shut, so the walls are clearly thin. In the morning the fire alarm went off for no apparent reason, and it wasn't an emergency, so it needs fixing. I was disappointed there wasn't a fridge in the room for cold drinks and snacks. The door was also very hard to close and would open again unless you shoved it.