Name: Novotel Cardiff Centre
Address: Schooner Way - Atlantic Wharf, Atlantic Wharf, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, Cardiff, Wales, GB
Price range: $77–$747 per night
Rating: 7.88

What guests think

At Novotel Cardiff Centre, travellers highlight friendly staff and useful leisure facilities like the pool, sauna and gym, along with a walkable location between the city centre and bay, but note dated rooms and some inconsistent maintenance.

Room comfort varies, with several reports of broken or noisy air conditioning, leaky or weak showers, and wear and tear. Cleanliness is inconsistent: many rooms and public areas are tidy, yet others mention stained carpets, dirty bathrooms or changing rooms, and occasional pests. Leisure areas are popular but can be busy or have closures, and on-site parking is convenient yet often described as expensive. Expect a convenient base with welcoming service and good facilities, tempered by variable room quality.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Pool, sauna, steam room and gym are a major draw, though they can be busy, occasionally closed, or cooler than expected; changing rooms sometimes need attention. On-site parking is convenient but frequently called expensive.

Related guest reviews

10

Paul

Oct 2, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great hotel w nice pool, gym and sauna!

4

Mohamad

Apr 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The condition of the changing rooms and bathrooms near the swimming pool and gym was unacceptable. Towels were left all over the floor, there was no shampoo or soap in the shower area, and empty water bottles were scattered around. The space looked completely neglected. Pool water was flowing around the edges, making the area slippery and unsafe. Additionally, the toilet flush in the my room was not working properly. Overall, the cleanliness and maintenance in this part of the facility were very poor.

6

Rob

Dec 7, 2022

·

Stayed 2 nights

The hotel now feels quite tired, particularly the "Exec" rooms - we have stayed at the hotel >10 times and this was the smallest room of this grade we\'d had. Even the toilet was in a separate "room" to the bath/shower but you could barely close the toilet door it was that tiny! The pool water was cool rather than warm, the hot tub was out of action and water in showers was luke warm. Hotel also appeared to be taken over by a private party so restaurant was out of action, having to have breakfast and dinner in the bar with no explanation or apologies. Ultimately way over priced compared to previous visits and for a much lower standard of service.

8

Adam

May 28, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Stayed here for 3 nights on a recent visit to South Wales. In a good central location, but the comfort of the hotel was only average. Rooms were quite noisy and not the most comfortable beds in the world. Pool, gym and bar were excellent. Expensive parking!!

10

A

Aug 20, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Used this hotel several times for business trips in and around Cardiff. Very reasonable for location and facilities. Leisure facilities are good and easy on site parking.

8

Laura

Aug 17, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Lovely stay. Clean, convenient for city centre. Fab swimming pool with lovely jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. David on reception was fabulous!

6

colin

Jan 11, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

A lovely hotel in a great location. Bar area was great, as was the gym. Staff were very good also! BUT not being able to use the pool was a real pain. We received notification about the issue after booking this hotel in December. When we came to stay, 2 weeks later, it had still not been fixed. I don't think this is good enough service! A hotel should not have to close a pool for two weeks+.

8

Christopher

Apr 9, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Enjoyed our 2 days at this hotel. Shame the steam & Sauna wasn't working on the morning we were due to leave

10

Paul

Oct 22, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Good value for money w the health spa and gym.

4

Timothy

Jul 27, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Generally a good stay. BUT - BE WARNED!! the hotel car park is quoted as having "Parking Available". What is NOT mentioned is the fact that on checking out and leaving the car park, a fee of £24.00 is charged just for an overnight stay in THEIR car park. Daylight robbery!!!

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Cleanliness

Feedback is mixed: many guests found rooms and public areas clean, but others reported stained carpets or bedding, damp smells, pests, and untidy pool changing areas.

Related guest reviews

4

Wayne

May 31, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Tired, worn and dirty. Some unsafe parts too such as locker doors hanging off their hinges in the men’s pool changing area. Wet floors where swimming pool users regularly walk through the reception area wearing wet costumes. Breakfast was ruined when a long hair was found in the food. When we complained, the member of staff didn’t understand English. Would not return to this hotel.

4

Sarah

Feb 1, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The located is good. We have stayed in the hotel before but this time the rooms were clean on the surface but old, tired and grubby in the corners. The bathroom smelt damp and there were silverfish. There was old black gum on the carpets. Not great.

4

michael

Jul 7, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The location was good, the property had some nice amenities, but the room was old and gross -- stained carpet and -- really gross -- what appeared to be blood stains on the sheets of the pull out sofa.

6

Sharni

Jun 8, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Found small hairs in bath tub, bedroom carpet had huge red marks on it,

10

Kimberley

Jun 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel itself is beautiful on arrival, gorgeous decor, the bar/restraunt attached is also stunning. Our room was lovely, bathroom felt new, spacious and so so clean! The bed and pillows were one of the comfiest I’ve ever stayed in. Staff were friendly & happy to help, really lovely hotel. Hope to visit again soon.

6

Julia

Nov 19, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

On arrival to the hotel we found the foyer quite untidy but were welcomed by a friendly gentleman at reception. The corridor leading to the room looked like it was last painted 20 years ago, and the overall feel was that the hotel was very outdated. Our room was comfortable and clean, however we discovered that there must have been some kind of leak coming from the bathroom as the carpet by the bathroom door was soaked! we stepped in it a few times and werent sure what it was but when i mentioned it to the reception staff he wasn't surprised at all! That room should not have been in use! He offered us a free car park as a good will gesture... The leisure club could also do with some renovation as the hut tub really smelled of damp, and changing rooms should be cleaned more often as the floor was full of hair! On a plus side, the breakfast was tasty, the restaurant clean and staff very pleasant, although there was no fried egg on offer. Unfortunately, I would not stay there again.

8

Russell

Oct 10, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Room was spacious and quiet. Breakfast buffet was good and plentiful. Gym was good and pool, spa and sauna was probably the best aspect. Overall it looked a little tired in places and felt like some areas could do with a deep clean.

2

Teresa

Oct 1, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Bed was left unmade bathroom unclean.

6

Darren

Oct 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room was clean but really needed a general tidy up and refurb

2

Sophie

Sep 5, 2024

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Stayed 1 night

Dreadful stay. Sofa bed meant for my tiny daughter was riddled with fleas from previous night's dog guest - husband slept in that bed instead and woke up covered in sore fleabites. Swimming pool absolutely filthy with thick clumps of hair and dirty wet tissues surrounding the pool. Given email addresses to contact people to resolve issue but nobody has yet bothered to respond to the several emails we have sent. This review will remain unless somebody contacts us about this very serious matter.

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Rooms

Rooms range from spacious and comfortable to dated and basic, with recurring complaints about faulty or noisy air conditioning, weak showers, temperature control, and corridor noise; some guests also noted limited in-room amenities or connectivity.

Related guest reviews

4

Rebecca

May 2, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was very hot and had no control over the temperature. The night staff member did bring us a fan. The shower had no power and the room could to with a upgrade and change the lighting in bathroom as it was very yellow.

6

Emma

May 11, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely hotel, 10min walk into the city centre. But! Loud people arriving back and doors slamming alllll night!

6

Shaun

May 19, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel looks fresh and new, but the air conditioning wasn't working. It seems thatthey are refurbishing the air conditioning. We asked to change to a room that had air conditioning working, which was done, but then we had a leaky shower. So, nice hotel but needs to look at the detail!

8

Adam

May 28, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Stayed here for 3 nights on a recent visit to South Wales. In a good central location, but the comfort of the hotel was only average. Rooms were quite noisy and not the most comfortable beds in the world. Pool, gym and bar were excellent. Expensive parking!!

8

Lindsey

Nov 11, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Huge room and comfy beds. All staff we spoke to were lovely and helpful. Was a bit noisy in the morning with people leaving their rooms etc...

4

Parveen

May 26, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

No air conditioning which meant the room was so warm that you couldnt relax, had to request a room change to another part of the building that did have air con. One of the two lifts was out of use for the whole weekend.

8

BSH

Jul 23, 2024

·

Stayed 9 nights

bad wifi and aircondition tho

6

Victoria

Jun 2, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Starting to the positive. The service was excellent. The staff were friendly and attentive.The breakfast was very good. My son enjoyed the pool too. Unfortunately our quality of sleep was very poor. We stayed on the first floor and when we first got into our room we noticed a free standing fan and realised that the air con wasn’t working. Didn’t give it much thought, as the temperature was ok at that time, however all 3 of us woke up at about 1am feeling very hot. The windows couldn’t be opened and the fan didn’t help cool the room down. We thought about contacting reception but it was in the early hours so didn’t think we’d be able to swap rooms at that hour so I soaked some towels and lay them on my son to cool him down. None of us got much sleep. When we checked out we were in a hurry as had an event to go to. We informed the receptionist of the temperature of the room and he explained that the air con was getting upgraded throughout the floors and the first floor was the last to be done. Fine, but perhaps we should have been informed of this at check in and given the option to change rooms? If not possible then a better fan / air cooler would need to go into the rooms.

6

Benjamin

May 5, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

4 star foyer and bar. 3 star room. Surprise surprise, not many pictures of the room itself, loads of the foyer. Room and bathroom were tired and old looking. Bed was comfortable. Large TV but no you tube, or connectivity. Should have saved my money and gone somewhere cheaper.

6

Sze Wan

Aug 13, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The hotel is too old (especially the bathroom) and needs renovation.

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Service

Staff are widely praised as friendly and helpful across reception, bar and breakfast, though check-in can be slow or confusing and occasional rudeness or understaffing is noted.

Related guest reviews

10

Simon

Feb 16, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

My wife and myself stayed here for two nights. Easy check-in. The swimming pool was clean and nice to have . The bar and restaurant was clean and the staff were very helpful. Especially Anthony and Sabina. Breakfast was nice and plenty of choice. Our room was on the 4th floor. Which was nice and clean. Would definitely recommend and stay again

8

paul

Sep 15, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Check in was a poor experience - ignored until the staff member completed her task on the computer and then there seemed to be some communication/language barriers?. Paying £10 for parking was another negative. Positives- Rooms were clean and spacious and quiet

6

Hannah

Oct 6, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Positives - comfortable beds, hot shower, excellent breakfast staff, very welcoming and accommodating and helpful even over a very busy weekend. Negatives - hotel is getting quite tired looking, swimming pool changing rooms not clean and front desk staff overall rude and unhelpful. Check in experience really stressful and difficult. Overall, not worth the considerable cost.

10

Victoria

Feb 3, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff were excellent made our stay very comfortable they couldn't do enough

10

Shane

Nov 9, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great location and helpful staff

4

Andre

Aug 7, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Absolut terrible check in experience. Megan should work in a prison but not at the reception of a hotel. Super rude behavior. We were early and asked if we could already check in, which she denied and told us we should come back in an hour and then ignored us. When we came back (1:30h) or so later, we were still 13 minutes early and she asked us if we would like to fill out a membership, which we denied. Then she told us we have to come back another time in 13 minutes even though our room was already ready. Then we basically had to join the end of the line which took us another 30 minutes until it was our turn again. She never told us why we needed a membership, what it costs etc.. Terrible customer experience. The entire hotel is terribly managed. The second elevator didn’t work for the entire duration of our stay, the rooms are not very clean, sometimes you have to fill out some strange paperwork if you want to go to the gym/pool and other times no one cares. All in all it was not a very pleasant experience staying at the hotel.

8

Jason

Aug 30, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel staff were brilliant but they are under staffed! People doing multiple tasks when they don’t have the time to do the multiple tasks!

10

Andy

May 7, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Excellent hotel very friendly staff especially Megan on reception and Lit in restaurant/bar area 10/10 not forgetting all… tbh very well organised and would not hesitate to book again

8

Danielle

Nov 10, 2024

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Stayed 1 night

No remote control in room on arrival did notify staff twice in evening only delivered on morning of departure after notifying for 3rd time. Waiter staff so accommodating and friendly to children.

8

Noel

Jun 7, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Really nice break. Pool is wonderful too.Mary on reception is lovely and really helpful.

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Location

Walkable to the city centre, Cardiff Castle, the stadium and the bay, but several guests felt the immediate area was not the nicest and some routes back at night lacked lighting.

Related guest reviews

8

Anne-Lise

Sep 1, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Excellent location within walking distance of bot the historical center and Cardiff Bay. Very spacious and well equipped room. The swimming pool is quite small and with all the kids there, it was impossible to properly swim. It would also be good if the rooms could be cleaned earlier: On the second day, when I arrived back around 4pm, the room hadn't yet been cleaned.

10

TSZ KIT

Mar 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice location, high accessibility. So close to the Cardiff bay

10

Kris

Mar 30, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Great option for the town centre and stadium.

10

Julieta Yanina

Jul 28, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Hotel was very nice and located very close to castle and city centre. Room was big enough. The area around the hotel wasn't very nice and I didn’t felt 100% safe when walking around. Parking is also very expensive, we decided to leave the car somewhere else. Parking should be cheaper for guests.

10

James

Mar 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great place to stay for matches at principality stadium

6

LEE

Oct 31, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Standard rooms are very basic and need refurbishment, its a short walk to the to the centre of town but to return late at night my wife did not feel the safe as route is via a bridge and not particularly well lighted side street and hotel entrace is arround the back via the hotel car park, there is no entrance from the main road. Also there was a smell of sewage in the car park that could also be smelt in the hotel bar area. For the price there are more modern options in the centre of town that we would choose if we were to stay in Cardiff in the future.

10

Coreena

Feb 23, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very convenient location

10

Gillian

Dec 9, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The hotel was close to downtown and was easy to get to. It was clean and comfortable, and had lots of dining options.

8

Alison

Feb 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

A small walk from the city centre but ideal for parking and public transport not far away for those unable to walk far. Nice bar on site with good selection of drinks

6

mark

Aug 3, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel could do with a paint , new carpets. Room felt a bit spartan. Location not great. Lots of external noise from unsavoury characters and police sirens.

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Dining

Breakfast is frequently complimented for choice and quality, and many enjoyed the bar and restaurant, though some found food pricey or inconsistent and reported occasional issues.

Related guest reviews

10

Paul

Jul 7, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The staff were really helpful and friendly. Great location Good parking Pool The food in the restaurant was delicious and breakfast. Lovely stay and would definitely use again Thank you

4

Wayne

May 31, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Tired, worn and dirty. Some unsafe parts too such as locker doors hanging off their hinges in the men’s pool changing area. Wet floors where swimming pool users regularly walk through the reception area wearing wet costumes. Breakfast was ruined when a long hair was found in the food. When we complained, the member of staff didn’t understand English. Would not return to this hotel.

10

Nicola

Aug 20, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Very friendly staff, great night sleep, pool and spa facilities excellent, and very child friendly. Breakfast excellent, had everything you could want, and more. We would come back again.

8

Lee

Mar 31, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great staff, good location and on site parking. Breakfast was good but a little pricey

10

Chloe

Aug 20, 2023

·

Stayed 5 nights

Room was cosy and comfortable; perfect for a 5 night stay. Good size bathroom and a lovely powerful shower. Daily cleaning and changing of beds/towels was good. Ate at the restaurant on site one night and the food was tasty and good value for money, drinks were also reasonably priced. Hotel was in good walking distance of Cardiff Bay and the city centre. Parking was also very easy with plenty of spaces throughout the week, weekend seemed busier but to be expected. Overall we had a very lovely stay celebrating an anniversary.

10

Kimberley

Jun 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel itself is beautiful on arrival, gorgeous decor, the bar/restraunt attached is also stunning. Our room was lovely, bathroom felt new, spacious and so so clean! The bed and pillows were one of the comfiest I’ve ever stayed in. Staff were friendly & happy to help, really lovely hotel. Hope to visit again soon.

10

Andy

May 4, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

We just spent three nights at this hotel and I can’t praise them enough for our stay. The room was spacious, comfortable and had sufficient amenities and complimentary goods including canned water, Ritual shower gel & shampoo and tea/coffee/milk provisions. The hotel has a very clean swimming pool (although the water temperature could be a little warmer), a jacuzzi (again same temp as the pool), sauna and steam room both great. I also used the gym and weights room, again very clean, well managed and plentiful towels available. We were also very impressed with the Customs Shed Bar/Restaurant which we used mainly for breakfasts. Plenty of options, all very good quality and attentive stafff. I cannot recommend more highly a stay at this hotel, which is also just a short 10-20 minute walk from both the City Centre & Cardiff Bay which we visited for restaurants and cinema during our stay. I would definitely choose this hotel again for my next strip to Cardiff, for business or pleasure.

10

Ingrid

Nov 9, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely hotel. Professional and friendly staff. Bed very comfortable. Great breakfast. Easy walk to town.

6

yobid

Jul 30, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

They committed to give the view room but when we reached there. They said they don't have the view room available. So what's the point for reservation we didn't get what we asked for The rest is everything is fine specially swimming pool facility, restaurant and breakfast was awesome.

8

I A

Apr 24, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel staff very friendly and welcoming. Breakfast at the Custom shed was expense and not great quality.

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Month	Average price
January	$85
February	$149
March	$126
April	$118
May	$121
June	$188
July	$158
August	$128
September	$123
October	$133
November	$133
December	$119

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4 $111	5 $179
6 $93	7 $146	8 $168	9 $151	10 $77	11 $112	12 $187
13 $88	14 $133	15 $175	16 $191	17 $177	18 $103	19 $166
20 $83	21 $120	22 $134	23 $108	24 $89	25 $117	26 $180
27 $81	28 $134	29 $133	30 $117

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $164	2 $449	3 $747
4 $236	5 $107	6 $153	7 $122	8 $118	9 $118	10 $173
11 $80	12 $96	13 $106	14 $114	15 $87	16 $120	17 $156
18 $80	19 $163	20 $201	21 $176	22 $89	23 $121	24 $154
25 $80	26 $135	27 $157	28 $435	29	30	31 $292

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Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

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Good

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What guests think

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