Holiday Inn Express Cardiff Bay, an IHG Hotel

We stayed for a gig and have had a very positive experience here.Fab location as an easy stroll to the centre of Cardiff yet far enough away to steer clear of noise.There is a one stop shop next door which is handy.Breakfast catered for everyone and staff couldn’t have been more helpful in providing a gluten free and a vegan option.Beds were comfy and decent quilts provided.Room itself was nice, big shower, large tv, coffee and tea and towels all provided. Loo was quite low so if you’ve issues that could be a consideration?We were located on the ground floor and the only noise we noticed was ignorant guests knocking on each others doors and talking in the hall. You’d get that in any hotel however and that’s the guests, not the hotel.We’d stay here again

Room was decent but the water pressure in the bathroom was way too low. Breakfast was pretty basic compared to all other holiday inn express. Staff were a bit of a hit and miss. Got late check out till 1pm but got broken into by housekeeping. Clearly no communication between the reception and the housekeeping team. Also we were given one drink for the welcome amenity which was quite an unwelcoming experience for a room of two guests.

Good clean room, breakfast quality was average. My only issue was the parking. You have to pay £10 on arrival and if you leave and come back and it's full then that tough..that is awful service.

Sorry to give such low scores but we did have several issues after making this booking and during our stay, namely:1) Lift/Elevator not working for over 1 week and was not advised to me at the time I made my booking. if I knew this I would have chosen another IHG hotel.2) Family Room Size. Although we had a family room, one of the beds was a sofabed. Not ideal and very uncomfortable. As we were in Cardiff Bay to celebrate a birthday I did not want to taint our stay with a load of complaints so I mentioned these issues descretely but was informed quite blankly that these issues where out of thier control3) Parking - There is parking at the hotel but it is run and controlled by contractors. These contractors are incredibly vigilant with CCTV cars patrolling 24/7. There is a barrier to let you in to the parking area but on the exit barrier you need a PIN number to let you out. if your dropping someone off I am sure it won`t be an issue if you have a word with reception to let you out4) 24/7 Factory Noise - from our room (105) we overlooked the old dock. Very nice and claming but just two things to point-out:On the other side of the dosck is a main road, which was quiet at night and there is a recycling plant I believe which emits a low thundering noise all day and very evident at night when you are trying to sleep.5) Windows - They look double glazed but trust me they where not effective at all during our 2 day stay. Wind noise and an obvious breeze was annoying but was reduced with the aid of the heavy curtainsWe visted Cardiff Castle, the Bay itself and has lunch at the View and really loved it. There is a shopping centre with pay and display parking too

The experience at this hotel was great, the staff was excellent both in the morning and in the evening, especially Sabina who helped us and recommended places to visit in this wonderful place. The room was very good, just a little small for a family, but we loved it, we would return to this hotel and I recommend this hotel, if you have to choose a hotel in the area this is perfect!!! And it is pet friendly, which is very important for those of us who have pets to travel with them.

Very good experience in general.Perhaps one or two minor observations... room could do with slightly more storage space for clothes... a drawer or 2. Perhaps a bit more softer seating in the bar areaCan't complain... Next time, now I know, will attempt to get a room overlooking the Bute East Dock.