Park Inn Cardiff City Centre

We stayed as part of a Trafalgar Tour: Britain & Ireland Highlights. The location was great, in a safe neighbourhood and within walking distance of shops and restaurants. The lobby is stunning and there's a quaint little bar. The rooms feel dated and need maintenance, a thorough clean and updating. One elevator seems to be broken all the time, which can mean a long wait to get around the hotel. Overall, it was a decent place to stay.

I think the bad reviews come from people with champagne tastes and lemonade money. The staff were 10/10, so friendly and accommodating, and the rooms were super clean with a few new touches. Sure, some of the furniture looked a bit off, but it wasn't broken or unsafe, and from a distance it looked fine. We had a lovely Nespresso machine, the usual hot drink setup, two bottles of water and thoughtful little extras like a shower cap. The location worked perfectly for us, close to the shopping centre and a short walk from the train station. Grab one of their pizzas if you fancy a snack after a night out!

The breakfast was decent, and the staff were nice and helpful. The hotel is well located for the city, but we booked it because it had parking and found it closed when we arrived, with no explanation. Only one lift was working and it took ages. Our room hadn't been cleaned particularly well, and some furniture needed repair.

The room was tidy and clean, with a very big, soft bed that could fit three at most, though two could sleep comfortably. A fan was provided and it was pretty quiet. Still, the street outside was loud, as were the rooms above and beside me. Even with the window shut, it stayed noisy, so the walls must be very thin. In the morning the fire alarm went off for no apparent reason, though there was no emergency, and they need to fix it. I was also disappointed there wasn't a fridge in the room to keep drinks cool and snacks fresh. The door was very hard to close and would spring open unless you shoved it.