Glendale Hotel

There’s a lot of character to the place, which might not suit everyone, but we loved it. Our room was larger than usual, cosy, and clean, and the staff were lovely. The TV signal was poor, and we’d thought breakfast was included, but it wasn’t. We’d definitely stay again.

The hotel has potential, but our room needed a proper clean. There was dust built up everywhere, and while the bed, floor, and bathroom were just about okay, the place needs a deep clean or a new cleaner. A gentleman welcomed us when we arrived, but that was the only time we saw any staff, even though there were a couple of times we needed someone. I wouldn’t stay again.

I wish I’d checked the reviews before booking. The rooms were nothing like the website, so don’t be fooled. I’ve tried several times and in several ways to contact the hotel about my experience, but there were no staff around when I checked out, so I’m leaving this here to warn others. I’m not a sensitive sleeper, which makes the night I had all the more disappointing. In room 11, the bathroom pipes were so loud they kept me awake for an hour and a half. I eventually went looking for staff. The volume was turned down, but the member of staff said he could still hear them, so he moved me to room 21 and said a plumber would look at them another time. When I got there, the bed hadn’t been made, and I had to go back to reception for sheets and make it myself. The staff member was very apologetic, but that wasn’t good enough. The bed in room 21 was so soft and lumpy that I kept falling out when I turned over. On the same floor, a noisy toilet kept waking me whenever it was used. I could hear the flush, the pipes, people talking and snoring, and even bed springs when people got into bed. Neither bedroom looked like the room shown on the website. I work in online marketing and understand that a best room might be used in advertising, but I couldn’t find any sign online of the two single rooms I saw. I believe that was false advertising. The rooms were poorly insulated, and the heating was off all night. I was shivering, even with the hot water bottle I’d packed, and there were no extra blankets. The bed frame was very old, and the pillows were so thin they kept slipping down the side when I tried to sit up against them. The whole bed was uncomfortable. WiFi was advertised online, but there were no details in the rooms, so I had to use my own data. All in all, an unfortunate experience.

The hotel is a couple of minutes’ walk from the town centre, and the train station is across the road, with quick, easy access to Cardiff. We stayed one night for a party in town and found it just right for what we needed. There was a booking mistake, our fault, and the man at reception was helpful and accommodating while sorting it out. The decor and furnishings could do with modernising, but our room was very spacious and clean. The bed was really comfortable, with crisp, clean bedding, and the small ensuite was clean too. We had no trouble with the hot water. We didn’t eat in the restaurant, but it looked really nice, and locals we spoke to had good things to say about it. I’d recommend the hotel for a comfortable night or two, and would stay again if we came to a gig in Cardiff.