This was a romantic surprised arranged by my husband so it was a lovely evening.

I've been looking forward to staying at this hotel for a really long time, ever since i heard it had reopened i've been dying for an excuse to stay there so i was very excited by the surprise.

I grew up in Cardiff and remember going to the Royal Hotel when i was young. I remember it was beautiful but very tired and in desprate need of a makeover. Over the last 20 years Cardiff has changed a lot and this hotel finally got a makeover, but not the one it deserved.

A large chunk of the old hotel is now 'Edwards' the bar next door and you can see the granduer of the old hotel there, but you can't see it in the hotel.

You can enter the hotel from the front or the back, but neither leads directly to the reception and you have to go up a couple of floors.

Check in was easy, the receptionist was friendly and efficient, although it took some time to establish there was a room ready.

The room is nicely decorated but it was a bit rough around the edges, the paint was peeling around the window and the walls were a bit grubby (always a danger when you paint a room white).
The selection of tea and coffee was good, the bathroom was clean and the toiletries nice, although the tissue box only contained one tissue stuck out of the top to make it look full, very odd.

The bed was comfortable. The hairdryer was in the wardrobe and attached to it which was a pain.

The most important feature of this hotel has to be the location, it's right in the centre of cardiff, walking distance to all the amenities and a short taxi ride to the bay.

Breakfast was fabulous, continental is included in the room price or £4 extra each for full english. There was a lovely choice in the continental so we didn't bother with the English but if you wanted it it was cooked fresh. It was served in an old dining room with stunning wood pannelling, the only hint of the grand dame the hotel once was.

Check out was quick and easy.

I would stay here again but there are better hotels in Cardiff for the same money.

It's just a huge shame that they covered the old beauty with modern features that don't really work instead of restoring the original features.

Having read some of the other reviews for this hotel I was more than slightly worried about staying here but I found it to be much better than many of the reviews state. The hotel does have an odd layout since the reception is on the second floor and not as you enter the front door, however there is a lift so this is not a problem. The room was small but entirely adequate, with a tv and a very clean and fairly sizeable bathroom.

The main (and only) problem that I can see with this hotel is the noise, it is located on a very busy street in the centre of Cardiff and although this makes it an excellent location for the train station, millenium stadium and the shops it is difficult to get away from the noise.

All in all this is a nice hotel and if you don't mind the lively location it is ideal.

Well, this is an unusual hotel as it is situated from the second floor upwards of a tall building in central Cardiff in a nightclub and restaurant district. It is only a few minutes walk from the station but it does not have its own car parking. If you want a quiet room it may be a challenge. The higher the floor, the less the street noise, so I was on the 6th floor. The wind whistled through the double glazing, which didn't quite fit its frame. It kept me awake. There is air conditioning.

The first bedroom I was allocated had not had any housekeeping that day, with a dirty coffee mug and so on, so I asked to be moved. A very pleasant staff member did this immediately and with understanding once he had been to see the problem. This was good service, albeit it shouldn't have been needed in the first place.

My bedroom had TV, DVD player (with DVDs you can borrow from reception - a nice touch), shower room, hot drink facilities and air conditioning. The bed was comfortable with huge pillows as well as smaller ones.

There is no restaurant, although you can order bar food. I didn't eat here as I decided to go to one of the many local restaurants and eateries.

The decoration and furnishing reminds me of places I have stayed in Belgium - few, if any carpets, rather spartan furnishings, but I found it unusual, tasteful and attractive. If you like opulent furnishings then this won't suit you.

The continental breakfast was simple and predictable, but included cold meats and some cheese, along the truly continetal style.

The only thing which might stop me staying here again is the noise, but this is a city and maybe it is hard to avoid.

We stayed at this hotel for one night on Saturday 8th December. The room we were given was so noisy with doors slamming and hand driers going below us that we just couldnt get to sleep. When we rang the reception they knew exactly what the problem was, our room was apparently above the night club toilets which they had no control over. They refused to relocate us to another room stating the hotel was full!! The noise finally stopped at 2.30 am and started again at 8.00 am, probably the cleaner. When we complained the next morning they just said that this was their problem room and every hotel has one!!! We said that it was only fit for a store room as the noise was appalling. They were not sympathetic at all. We checked into this room before 3pm in the afternoon, probably one of the first people to check in!!! Do not stay at this hotel at all cost. The staff didn't seem to care that we had no sleep and we still after lots of arguing had to pay £60 for the privilege of it. It is disgusting to think that they expect the full fee for a night of no sleep!!!! I asked for the manager to ring me to discuss this as apparently he wasn't there, but as yet he hasnt bothered.