Where to Stay in Cardiff: Best Hotels and Neighborhoods From the Castle to Cardiff Bay
Cardiff is small enough that almost anywhere central works, which makes the question of where to stay in Cardiff less about sights and more about what kind of trip you want. The castle, the covered arcades and the train station are all within a few minutes of each other. Cardiff Bay, the waterfront, is a separate area a little over a mile south. And if you’re driving on to the coast or the countryside like we did, parking and dog rules matter more than a view.
This guide covers the neighborhoods we’d pick, the luxury hotels worth the splurge, the mid-range and value options we’d actually book, and a few booking tips that are specific to Cardiff.
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We’ll be upfront: we didn’t stay in a Cardiff hotel. Lisa, our friend Katie and I rented a row house about ten minutes’ drive from the center, with Rex along for the trip. It had a dark-painted library with a fireplace and leather couches, and on the wet evenings right after Christmas we barely left that room. For three nights with a dog, a car and a lot of rain, it was the right call.
For this guide, we did the homework we’d want someone to do for us. We compared locations, checked pet policies hotel by hotel and ruled out a historic hotel we liked the look of because we couldn’t confirm it’s currently open. If we go back to Cardiff without a car, these are the hotels we’d look at first.
Quick Picks: Best Hotels in Cardiff
- The Parkgate Hotel, best for a splurge in a historic building
- voco St David’s Cardiff, best for Cardiff Bay stay
- Hilton Cardiff, best for traveling with a dog
- Hotel Indigo Cardiff, best for staying right inside the arcades
- Pontcanna Inn, best for a small, local-feeling stay near Bute Park
- Premier Inn Cardiff City Centre (Queen Street), best for value in the center
Best Neighborhoods to Stay in Cardiff
Cardiff is compact, so the choice mostly comes down to three areas. Here’s how we’d think about each one.
City Center
This is where most visitors should stay, especially on a first trip or without a car. You’re a short walk from Cardiff Castle, Bute Park, the Victorian and Edwardian arcades and Cardiff Central station. It’s also where the Christmas at Bute Park light trail runs in winter, and where you’ll want to be on a rainy day, since so much of the shopping is covered. The downside is noise on rugby and concert nights, when the Principality Stadium fills up right in the middle of town.
Best for: first-time visitors, anyone arriving by train, rainy-day shopping and seeing the city on foot.
Cardiff Bay
The waterfront area a little over a mile south of the center, home to the Wales Millennium Centre and a lot of restaurants along the water. It’s where we’d want to take a boat trip next time. It feels quieter and more spread out than the center. You’ll need a bus, a taxi or a longer walk to get to the castle and the arcades.
Best for: water views, a spa weekend and a slower pace.
Pontcanna and Cathedral Road
A leafy area of Victorian townhouses just west of Bute Park and Sophia Gardens, with a lot of guesthouses along Cathedral Road. The castle is on the other side of the park, so you can walk into the center through Bute Park. This is the area we’d look at first with Rex, since the park is right there for morning walks.
Best for: dog owners, repeat visitors and anyone who’d rather sleep somewhere residential.
Best Luxury Hotels in Cardiff
Cardiff has a short list of high-end hotels, and these are the two we’d choose between. One is about the building and the other is about the water.
- The Parkgate Hotel ($$$$): The Parkgate is in Cardiff’s former main post office, which opened in 1897 for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. It’s on Westgate Street, a short walk from the castle, Cardiff Central station and the Principality Stadium. The hotel says no two rooms are quite the same, which fits a building that wasn’t designed to be a hotel. The spa has a hydrotherapy infinity pool with views over the city, and the restaurant is called The Sorting Room, a nod to the old post office. It doesn’t allow dogs, so this is one for a trip without a pet.
- voco St David’s Cardiff ($$$): This is the big glass hotel right on the water in Cardiff Bay, looking out across the bay toward Penarth Marina. It has a spa with a pool and a sauna, and the restaurant is Tir a Môr (“land and sea” in Welsh). If you want to wake up to water and spend an afternoon at the spa, this is the one. You’re a little over a mile from the castle and the arcades, so plan on a bus or taxi into the center. We’d choose it for a weekend built around the bay rather than a sightseeing-heavy trip. It’s also dog friendly, so this is one we’d consider with Rex.
Best Mid-Range and Value Hotels in Cardiff
This is where most people will end up, and Cardiff does well here. All five of these are within walking distance of the castle, and they range from a full-service hotel opposite the castle to a reliable budget chain.
- Hilton Cardiff ($$$): The Hilton sits on Kingsway, directly across from Cardiff Castle, so you’re in the middle of everything. There’s an indoor pool, a sauna and a steam room, which is a real plus on a wet Welsh evening. It’s also the most dog-friendly of the big central hotels we looked at, which makes it one we’d book with Rex. Parking is extra, so budget for that if you’re driving.
- Park Plaza Cardiff ($$): Park Plaza is on Greyfriars Road, about half a mile from the castle and Bute Park and close to both the St David’s shopping center and Cardiff Central. It has its own spa with an indoor pool and a large gym. It accepts dogs (dogs only, no other pets), which makes it a good second choice for traveling with a pet. We’d pick it for a solid central base at a lower price than the Hilton.
- Hotel Indigo Cardiff ($$): Hotel Indigo is inside the Dominions Arcade on Queen Street, one of the covered arcades that made us like Cardiff so much in the rain. The castle is about a five-minute walk away. It has a rooftop bar and restaurant called Lefel 6 (Welsh for “level 6”). It doesn’t take pets, so skip it if you’re bringing a dog. Otherwise, it’s the most fun location on this list.
- Pontcanna Inn ($$): A pub with ten en-suite rooms upstairs on Cathedral Road, near Sophia Gardens and a short walk from the castle. Visit Wales grades it four stars, breakfast is included, and the pub downstairs serves food all day, including Sunday roasts. Some rooms are pet friendly for a small supplement, so ask for one of those when you book. This is the closest thing on the list to the cozy stay we had, just without the fireplace.
- Premier Inn Cardiff City Centre (Queen Street) ($): Premier Inn is the UK’s big budget chain, and this one is on Churchill Way in the center, about five minutes’ walk from Queen Street station and close to the castle and the shops. It has around 200 rooms and a restaurant and bar. It’s consistent and well reviewed rather than exciting, which is exactly what you want from a value hotel. Only trained assistance dogs are allowed, so it doesn’t work with a pet. Prices can jump on big event weekends, so book early.
Booking Tips for Cardiff
A few things we learned while researching that are specific to Cardiff.
Check the stadium calendar first. The Principality Stadium is right in the city center, and rugby internationals and big concerts push hotel prices way up. If your dates are flexible, look at the event schedule before you book.
Check the pet policy hotel by hotel. Of the hotels on this list, the Hilton, Park Plaza, Pontcanna Inn and voco St David’s take dogs. The Parkgate, Hotel Indigo and Premier Inn don’t. We couldn’t confirm voco St David’s either way, so ask before you book with a pet.
Budget for parking if you’re driving. Central hotels charge for parking, and it adds up. If you’re driving on to the Gower or Abergavenny like we did, a rental or a guesthouse with easier parking can make more sense than a city-center hotel.
Book early for December. CChristmas at Bute Park and other holiday events make December weekends busy. We went the week after Christmas and the city was still busy.
Consider a rental for a group or a longer stay. Our row house had a kitchen, space to spread out and room for a wet dog. The map above includes apartments and houses as well as hotels.
FAQ About Hotels in Cardiff
For most visitors, the city center. You can walk to the castle, the arcades, Bute Park and the train station. Cardiff Bay is better if you want water views and a spa, and Pontcanna is our pick if you’re traveling with a dog.
The city center. Cardiff Bay is worth a visit, but it’s a little over a mile from the main sights, so you’ll spend more time getting around.
From the hotels we looked at, the Hilton Cardiff, Park Plaza Cardiff and the Pontcanna Inn accept dogs. Policies change, so always confirm when you book.
Two or three nights is plenty for the city. We stayed three nights and used one of our days for Three Cliffs Bay. We stopped at Castell Coch and Abergavenny on our way out of Wales.
Not for the city itself. For the Gower coast, Castell Coch and Abergavenny, a car makes things much easier. If you have one, factor in hotel parking costs.
Our Cardiff Hotel Takeaway
Where you stay in Cardiff changes the trip more than you’d expect for such a small city. In the center you can walk everywhere and duck into the arcades when it rains. In Cardiff Bay the whole trip slows down around the water. In Pontcanna you get a quieter base with a park on your doorstep, which is what we’d want with a dog.
For a splurge, book The Parkgate Hotel for the building or voco St David’s Cardiff for the bay. For a comfortable mid-range stay, Hilton Cardiff is our pick, especially with a dog. For something smaller, try Pontcanna Inn, and for value in the center, Premier Inn Cardiff City Centre (Queen Street) does the job.
