Hotels in Cardiff

Book your cheap hotel in Cardiff

An ancient castle and an uber-modern waterfront vie for attention in this stunning Welsh capital. Located on the Bristol Channel coast, near the River Severn estuary, Cardiff serves as a great base for discovering and exploring the broader surrounding region of South Wales. The city's excellent road connections make day trips manageable and very easy. Cardiff nestles on the River Taff and ranks as the eleventh-largest city in the UK. The town boasts numerous historical and cultural attractions, plenty of great shopping and lively entertainment venues.

The city welcomes 20 million visitors every year, so there is plenty of holiday accommodation. You’ll find cheap hotels in Cardiff in the city centre and the suburbs.

Neighbourhoods of Cardiff

Some of the most popular areas to visit in Cardiff include:

  • City Centre: Bordered by the river, university, central railway station and Cooper’s Field park, this is the compact centre of the city. It features a pleasing mix of narrow lanes, wide streets and a range of significant attractions, including the castle, museum, shops, restaurants and clubs.
  • Pontcanna: With Kings Road Yard as its beating heart, this area lies west of and across the river from the city's centre. Even though it's opposite the centre, this riverside area managed to turn itself into Cardiff's main foodie centre, offering a range of craft breweries and local produce stores.
  • Butetown: Rejuvenation turned this once grimy industrial trade area into a cool neighbourhood, with interesting history and many major attractions, including the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Bay Water Activity Centre and the Pierhead Building.
  • The Waterfront: Just a short walk to the city centre, this area splits into smaller subdivisions, such as the Atlantic Wharf, Waterfront Park and Mermaid Quay. Each area is a hub for socialising and family-friendly entertainment. The neighbourhoods sit amid buildings with architecture that reflects the city’s maritime past.

What to see and do in Cardiff

For young, old and young at heart, must-visit local attractions include:

  • Cardiff Castle: This is a medieval keep with Victorian and gothic additions. It's best to view it via a guided tour, as the castle is one of the best attractions to experience the town's rich and detailed history.
  • National Museum of Wales: It's ranked as one of the UK's best museums and housed in a magnificent neo-classical building.
  • Llandaff Cathedral: The contents of this large church contain works and features by luminaries, such as William Morris, Rossetti, Edward Burne-Jones and Sir Jacob Epstein.
  • Bute Park: The park sits between the castle and the river. It contains Gorsedd stones and a footprint of the 13th-century Blackfriar's Friery monastery ruins.
  • Taff Trail: This is a stunning 56-kilometre walking and cycling trail. It starts at the Atlantic Wharf and finishes in the mountainous national park of Brecon Beacons.
  • Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve: This wildlife conservation area was formerly a 20-acre patch of dockland before transforming into a natural haven.

What to eat in Cardiff

International eateries are plentiful, but the best dishes to seek out in this city are the iconic local Welsh foods, including:

  • Cawl: Since the 11th century, cawl has been a favourite in meaty lamb stews with vegetables.
  • Glamorgan Sausage: The perfect vegetarian sausage that meat-eaters love, too. It combines caerphilly cheese, leeks and breadcrumbs.
  • Welsh Rarebit: This pimped-up cheese on toast is great for breakfast, lunch or supper.
  • Laverbread and Cockles: It is eaten with cockles, sometimes with bacon, and is a historical breakfast dish.
  • Welsh Cakes: These flat, round cakes contain dried fruit and are similar to fat biscuits. The locals use griddles for cooking these small, tasty treats.

Typical events and festivals in Cardiff

The city has several sporting arenas, entertainment venues, large parks and a stunning seafront. All are perfect for hosting a spectacular and diverse range of festivals and local celebrations, including:

  • Cardiff Carnival: It has its roots in ethnic communities, but nowadays, the carnival embraces all ethnicities and cultures throughout the region. It takes place over the bank's holiday weekend in August.
  • International Food and Drink Festival: For three days in July, you can enjoy a unique combination of local and international food producers together with independent crafters, artisans and local performers.
  • Welsh Proms: A week-long series of concerts in July, occurring yearly at St. David's Hall.
  • Tafwyl: The annual celebration of the Welsh language finishes up with a two-day open-air festival in May at the castle.

How to move around in Cardiff

It is easy to navigate around the city's centre on foot. It's also just a short walk to reach the waterfront from the town's centre. The buses connect all of the city's major areas, and it also services routes outside of Cardiff. The Aquabus has an hourly bus service operating between the castle grounds and Mermaid Quay. The area also has an international airport and mainline train system, so you can quickly travel directly to London and most of the other major UK destinations.

The climate in Cardiff

Summers in the city are warm and sunny, averaging a daily temperature of around 22° C. Summer is the best time to visit this holiday destination. The spring and autumn seasons are similar when it comes to weather, but the winters in Cardiff are undoubtedly wet. During these months, temperatures rarely fall below the average low of 2° C.

Cardiff today 52°F
55°F | 45°F

In Cardiff we will have heavy intensity rain, warm attire is advised.

    • Monday
    • 54°F | 43°F
    • Tuesday
    • 54°F | 48°F
    • Wednesday
    • 54°F | 48°F
    • Thursday
    • 50°F | 43°F

Locations near Cardiff

140 Accommodations in Cardiff

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Hotel Leonardo Cardiff

Hotel Leonardo Cardiff

497 yd from city centre Excellent location
from50
Hotel Indigo Cardiff
from55
Hotel Clayton  Cardiff

Hotel Clayton Cardiff

709 yd from city centre Excellent location
from55
Hotel Citrus  Cardiff By Compass Hospitality

Hotel Citrus Cardiff By Compass Hospitality

777 yd from city centre Excellent location

Frequently asked questions about Hotels in Cardiff

The most centrally located hotels in Cardiff with the best ratings are: Hotel Park Plaza Cardiff, Hotel Clayton Cardiff and Hostel The Riverhouse.

It depends on the category of the hotel. If you want to stay at a 4-star hotel in Cardiff, the average price per night is 52 , while you will pay an average of 41 for a 3-star hotel, and in a more luxurious 5-star hotel, you'll pay around 67 .

Hotel Holiday Inn Express Cardiff Airport is the closest one to Cardiff-Wales.

You can make reservations at Hotel Voco St David S Cardiff if you´re looking for a hotel with valet service for your visit to Cardiff.

If you need a hotel with disabled access in Cardiff, we recommend Hotel Voco St David S Cardiff, Hotel Clayton Cardiff and Hotel Leonardo Cardiff.

If you´re looking for peace and quiet and want to stay at an adult-only hotel in Cardiff, we recommend Hostel Bunkhouse.

According to our clients, if you´re travelling with children, the best hotels in Cardiff are Hotel Future Inn Cardiff Bay, Hotel Vale Resort and Hotel Holiday Inn Express Cardiff Bay.

If you want to save time, the hotels in Cardiff with express check-in and check-out are Hotel Voco St David S Cardiff, Hotel Clayton Cardiff and Hotel Leonardo Cardiff.

Some of the options for hotels with non-smoking rooms in Cardiff are Hotel Voco St David S Cardiff, Hotel Park Plaza Cardiff and Hotel Clayton Cardiff.

In Cardiff, Hotel New House Country, Hotel Voco St David S Cardiff and Hotel Clayton Cardiff offer 24-hour front desk service.