Ml Lodge

The staff were lovely. They helped us check in early, and the owner apologized about the lack of a lift and warned us about the top-floor stairs. The beds were clean and comfortable, most of the bathroom was fine, and they supplied clean towels and toiletries. When the heating and hot water gave us trouble, they fixed things quickly and brought extra heaters, though it still felt cold. The gyros shop nearby was nice too. The stairs were the biggest problem: steep, narrow, with very worn, slippery carpet and wobbly handrails. Carrying suitcases up felt dangerous, and each flight seemed worse. The room was dated, paint was peeling, and there was a little mold on the curtains and bathroom ceiling. The carpet covered weak floorboards and holes, while the bathroom floor dipped and felt squishy near the drain. I got quite sick after drinking the tap water. We were satisfied with the service for a short trip and think you get what you pay for, but a longer stay would likely have left us less happy.

The woman who answered the phone was an absolute delight. I don't know her name, but she had a French accent and deserves a raise. The place is affordable and clean, if a bit run down, and fine for somewhere to sleep if you're not expecting luxury. There’s no elevator, and those stairs feel like a Sisyphean task. Some seemed questionable from a health and safety point of view. The hair dryer was the worst part: it hadn't been safety tested since 2014. The blinds were barely hanging on, literally by a thread. Go in knowing what to expect. I was okay with the quirks, but there are other options if you're not.

Handy for Cardiff city centre. It’s not fancy, but it was clean and surprisingly quiet once we were in the second-floor room. The bed was comfortable, and the shower and heating were adequate.

We were in the centre of Cardiff for a concert and stayed the night. The location was great, and the room was clean, but it took more than 100 steps to reach it. The place could use a revamp.