Is parking available at the hotel?

Self parking is available on-site for a fee of GBP 10.00 per day. Limited parking is offered, and reservations are not required.

What type of breakfast is offered?

A complimentary buffet breakfast is included for guests. Breakfast is served daily, and fees apply for additional guests beyond the two adults sharing a guestroom.

What are the check-in and check-out times?

Check-in is from 15:00, and check-out is until 11:00. Early check-in and late check-out may be available upon request, but additional charges may apply.

What accessibility features does the hotel provide?

The hotel offers limited wheelchair accessibility, including step-free entrances and wheelchair-accessible facilities in public areas. However, specific details about room accessibility may vary.

Where is the hotel located in relation to local attractions?

The hotel is situated in Cardiff (Butetown), within a 5-minute drive of Cardiff Bay and Cardiff Castle. It is approximately 2.4 miles from Principality Stadium and 10.1 miles from Barry Island Beach.

Are children allowed to stay at the hotel?

Children are welcome at the hotel. There is no minimum age requirement for children to stay for free when sharing a guestroom with two adults.

Holiday Inn Express Cardiff Bay

Average nightly price at Holiday Inn Express Cardiff Bay by IHG by month, last 12 months (USD)
Month	Average price
January	US$74
February	US$120
March	US$101
April	US$101
May	US$101
June	US$151
July	US$126
August	US$111
September	US$106
October	US$119
November	US$118
December	US$92

What guests think

At Holiday Inn Express Cardiff Bay by IHG, guests consistently praise friendly, helpful staff, clean rooms, and the convenient waterfront location within walking distance of Cardiff Bay and the city centre, with breakfast frequently described as good value.

However, many reviews report uncomfortably warm rooms and ineffective or absent air conditioning, with several mentioning intrusive mechanical noise. On-site parking is limited, paid, and can fill quickly, and the lift has been out of order on some stays. Overall, it suits travellers seeking value and straightforward stays, provided warm rooms and occasional snags are acceptable.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

On-site parking is paid and limited, and spaces often fill quickly; some guests still found it easy. The lift was out of order on multiple stays, and there are four EV chargers.

Related guest reviews

10

Nina

21 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice comfortable room, friendly staff, and a good buffet breakfast. It was difficult to find a space yo park at 6.30 pm in the hotel car park.

8

Alec

8 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Only issue was that the lift was broken

10

Robert

4 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Excellent location for visiting Cardiff - 20 minutes walk to the city centre. Plenty of parking on site. The staff were very friendly and helpful; the room was comfortable and clean. Good breakfast available. Highly recommend this property

8

Marc

2 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Really good location by the bay. 4 EV charging points 55p per KW. Breakfast included however very busy with long queues and everything constantly running out.

8

Stephen

7 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

All good and easy parking

10

William

14 Oct 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The he hotel was very nice. There wasn’t enough parking at the property

8

Deon

28 Aug 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Parking arrangements are not good - 1st come 1st serve basis, BUT you need to pay upfront regardless and no refund if parking is unavailable.

8

Paul

6 May 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Hotel overall good, but parking is a nightmare, unable to park on first night, and not happy with having to park on a road out of sight.

6

Lloyd

19 May 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Ok, pafking was first come first serve do not great. Then being charged £10 a day but cant park your car ax no spaces not great. Lift was out of action for whole visit. Air-conditioning didn't work. Location was nice. Breakfast staff and offering was brilliant. For over £200 for 2 nights wont rebook. Shame as i use Holiday Inn frequently with work in the Bath Road site.

8

Kyla

2 Oct 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great location to the bay. The staff were friendly and the breakfast was good. Parking was minimal and on day 2 we had to find alternative parking.

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Cleanliness

Reviews widely highlight very clean rooms and public areas. Occasional issues include blocked drains, lingering smells, or missed replenishment that suggest minor maintenance or housekeeping lapses.

Related guest reviews

4

Fiona

31 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Something wrong with the drainage system in the bathroom- the toilet and sink kept filling up. Staff not always on front desk to report. Room number 12

10

Andrew

15 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The rooms are clean and quiet. Great for business trips.

6

Virginia

29 Dec 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

We initially had a room where there was some sort of industrial ‘buzzing sound’. We were given a new room where it was worse and finally a room which clearly wasn’t often used for guests. No great. Breakfast however was excellent and the staff tried everything to make our stay pleasant. We were told there was a fault with the heating system - hence the noise.

10

Kim

26 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Comfy stay for a good price. A few notable things were that I did find a nail clipping on the carpet when we came into the room. Also, the pillow covers are of a cheaper material which means my face and ears got way hotter through the night than I would on cotton sheets. I liked the firmness of the mattress and the bathroom was spotless, although the tap placement was really awkward as you could not turn it to cold as it clashed with the sink. Free breakfast was good, the croissants were dry but the warm breakfast elements were tasty and filling.

4

Paul

13 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Despite what is stated on their website there is No air conditioning in the rooms which were unbearably hot, making sleep nigh impossible. No fans were available from the hotel. Our rooms were not made up on the second day and we had to ask for fresh towels. The shower tray surround was broken and dirty.

10

Sian

24 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

As soon as we entered the hotel we were hit by a lovely clean , fresh smell :) Room was clean, breakfast we great. All food was fresh and of high quality. Staff were very helpful and warming . Would highly recommend this hotel.

8

Robin

2 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Spotless room staff very helpful and friendly

10

Malcolm

19 May 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Everything was clean and comfortable.perfect for an overnight stay fairly close to Cardiff bay amenities

8

Michael

1 Jan 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

We have stayed in this hotel 6 or 7 times so know it well This time the first Rome the bathroom light switch was broken so moved to a nother room This room the shower drain was blocked with human hair so it had to be cleaned Both I put down to bad house keeping Which isn't very good publicity for the hotel

8

Amanda

30 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The hotel was lovely. Very clean. Rooms were comfortable and again very clean. The staff were so helpful and friendly always smiling. Nothing was a problem for them. Breakfast was really good. Nice choice and tasty.

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Rooms

Rooms are generally comfortable and some offer waterfront views, but many report uncomfortably hot conditions due to ineffective or absent air conditioning. Several reviews mention mechanical noise and small family rooms, with occasional complaints about mattresses or pillows.

Related guest reviews

6

Virginia

29 Dec 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

We initially had a room where there was some sort of industrial ‘buzzing sound’. We were given a new room where it was worse and finally a room which clearly wasn’t often used for guests. No great. Breakfast however was excellent and the staff tried everything to make our stay pleasant. We were told there was a fault with the heating system - hence the noise.

8

Wendy

28 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Breakfast was amazing. So well looked after. Room was okay, but it was so so hot with very little air conditioning. Should have asked for a fan.

6

Joel

2 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

It was bad enough the room air conditioning didn't work at all, but one hotel clerk tried to claim we had purposely designed "room cooling" that just just wasn't supposed to be as effective cold as "air conditioning' - an insulting fabrication especially since they advertise air conditioning, Another clerk was nice enough to bring a small fan to my room, but since the windows barely opened, that didn't help much. They apparently have had this problem quite a while. You might expect that at an old B&B, but not at a modern hotel,

4

Andrea

14 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice hotel, clean and with polite staff, but if you list air conditioning among the amenities, it can’t just be a “cooling system” — and above all, if this is pointed out, you can’t simply say the technician won’t be able to come before tomorrow. The room was nice as well, but the fundamental duty of a hotel is to ensure a good night’s rest, and in this it failed because the room was too hot and the air conditioning (listed among the hotel’s amenities) was not actually there.

6

Martin

31 Dec 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Nice location for walking to the city centre. Charge for parking is very cheeky, and the lack of spaces difficult. Our room was on the top floor,by the lift machanisms. It was very noisy all night.

6

Tim

31 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Everything was fine apart from the temperature of the corridors and room, very hot and stuffy We were on the 3rd floor so can’t comment on the other floirs

4

Shamim

16 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room had no air condition and was boiling hot

6

N

24 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The mattress wasn't too comfortable. Didn't sleep that well on either night. Room was clean and a decent size

4

Richard

27 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room was clean with a comfortable bed, although not so comfortable pillows, it was also too hot in room despite adjusting the air cond to the lowest setting. The room itself was very noisy, it sounded like you were travelling on an aeroplane all night with 15 minute intervals of loud rumbling (not sure what it was but it kept us awake most of the night). The room was also right next to the lift but on the plus side, it was out of order so we didn't have any additional noise to have to put up with. On the negative side, we'd requested a QUIET room and we'd been put on the 3rd floor meaning a lot of steps to our room....not ideal for someone with chronic lung disease! We did complain to reception and they apologised with no offer of any sort of compensation and said they'd ask maintenance to look into it. Breakfast was ok, no fried eggs and no jam for the croissants. Also had to wait for cutlery to be replenished before you could to eat. Our first stay 2 years ago was good but this time was the opposite. We would definitely not return again.

8

Kristopher

17 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The staff were all excellent, friendly and helpful. The hotel was pretty clean all things considered. Slightly concerning about the number of warnings in the car park about keeping cars locked and valuables out of sight, made me think we were in a high crime area. Unfortunately as a family of 4, with 10 and 7 year olds, the rooms were very cramped. Would be fine if it was for 2 people. Beds weren't the best and the pillow was either too thin or the other was hard and lumpy. No sweet spot. Air con / fan system was noisy too. Location was overall good, a one stop shop 2 mins away, 20 mins walk to Cardiff city centre and Cardiff bay areas.

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Service

Staff are consistently described as friendly, welcoming, and accommodating, with several guests praising individual team members. Some experienced late room readiness, mixed responses to problems, or bar/service missteps.

Related guest reviews

2

Limna

3 Mar 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

It's in a beautiful location. This was the worst Holiday Inn i have been to, i always prefer to stay in Holiday Inn but this one disappointed us. Staff were rude, wasn't ready to give us meal at 08.00 and the food was terrible. Coffee machine broken in the morning, there wasn't any alternative.

10

Donald

29 Nov 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff were really friendly. Challenge to get a parking space but thankfully a very kind staff member gave me their space. Comfy rooms and a good breakfast too.

6

Lyndsay

23 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room not ready at check in at 2.10pm, despite being able to check in from 2pm. Room not ready until after 3.20pm. Staff friendly, hotel and room clean and quiet despite being busy.

10

Sian

24 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

As soon as we entered the hotel we were hit by a lovely clean , fresh smell :) Room was clean, breakfast we great. All food was fresh and of high quality. Staff were very helpful and warming . Would highly recommend this hotel.

10

Lisa

25 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great service, lovely friendly staff. Clean rooms and great breakfast.

6

Joel

2 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

It was bad enough the room air conditioning didn't work at all, but one hotel clerk tried to claim we had purposely designed "room cooling" that just just wasn't supposed to be as effective cold as "air conditioning' - an insulting fabrication especially since they advertise air conditioning, Another clerk was nice enough to bring a small fan to my room, but since the windows barely opened, that didn't help much. They apparently have had this problem quite a while. You might expect that at an old B&B, but not at a modern hotel,

10

David

2 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

From start to finish - the staff were super helpful and friendly

4

Lesley

13 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Room wasn’t available until 3pm so delayed us going to our event. Purchased 2 gin and tonics and was shocked at the price. When I asked why so expensive the barman said they were doubles even though I didn’t ask for doubles. This is awful as a person may have been having one drink and possibly driving shortly afterwards not knowing if they didn’t question the price of the drink. H the barman told me he always serves doubles! I had to warn the man at the bar in case he got caught out also. Car parking was full after check in time so I’m glad I arrived early to nab a space despite having to wait an extra hour for the room. Hotel where fine with you parking before check in and using the bar area whilst you waited. There was no charge for the car park before check in time. At breakfast there was no coffee cups and by the time I gave up after a good 5 mins wait in a queue my cooked breakfast had gone cold so I had to get another one. Clean hotel. Staff seemed friendly but some of them stressed when it was busy in the morning.

10

ray

8 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

From walking through the door, the young man on reception was polite, explained everything and with a smile. The room was clean, tidy and the bed was comfortable. At breakfast the experience continued to be brilliant, the lady explained the way Breakfast was a buffet and where things were. Wonderful view looking out over the wharf. Food was of a high Standard. Room 114.

8

Amanda

30 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The hotel was lovely. Very clean. Rooms were comfortable and again very clean. The staff were so helpful and friendly always smiling. Nothing was a problem for them. Breakfast was really good. Nice choice and tasty.

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Location

Waterfront setting between Cardiff Bay and the city centre, typically 15–20 minutes’ walk, with bus and train links nearby. A few guests found the immediate area somewhat run-down or remote, but most considered it convenient.

Related guest reviews

8

Justine

29 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We arrived at 2 pm as our email prior to the stay stated this time for check in. However, the hotel only offer check in from 3 pm and our room was not ready. The reception staff member was very helpful and prioritised us so that we could Check in as soon as possible . All staff at the hotel were very friendly and kept the hotel clean and tidy. Great location by the water.

10

Gillian

6 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

The hotel was very clean and the staff were friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. It was right by the wharf, and had a beautiful view of the water. It’s close to the city centre, about a 10 minute walk, so that was convenient.

10

Aneta

23 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Lovely peaceful hotel on the waterfront. Do ask for the waterfront view (otherwise you’ll be facing car park). Comfortable room, large bed, kettle, iron. The breakfast is basic, but all in all good value for money. Cardiff Bay/city centre are 20 minutes walk in opposite directions. Bus stop is 5 minutes away, train station 10. So great location.

10

Robert

4 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Excellent location for visiting Cardiff - 20 minutes walk to the city centre. Plenty of parking on site. The staff were very friendly and helpful; the room was comfortable and clean. Good breakfast available. Highly recommend this property

8

Andreas

17 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Convenient location for both the city and Cardiff Bay area, whether to see a show or just visit for a break and enjoy great food. Very friendly, motivated and helpful staff.

6

Sharon

20 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Location unusually admits houses with the main entrance not clear and only accessible by car not on foot( no pathway) The location I thought was closer to Cardiff bay however on arrival feels quite remote and 20 mins walk.

8

Karen

27 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel was nice and the staff friendly but the aircon in the rooms not working (it was a hot weekend in August) although, bizarrely, it was working in the bar area. They did supply a plug in fan but it was not very effective. The area looked a bit run down.

8

Sally

17 Apr 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Convenient for the bay and the town centre and the bus stop

10

Jeff

4 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Easy to locate and easy walking access to town centre and the bay , defo stay again

10

Martin

16 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

We were stopping off in Cardiff for a visit and were looking for an overnight stay. This hotel was perfect, 15 min walk into the city centre and a 10 min walk to Cardiff bay. Staff were extremely helpful, room was comfy and we both slept well. Great breakfast in the morning which helped for our onward journey. Would definitely recommend.

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Dining

Breakfast is frequently praised for being included and tasty. It can be very busy with slow replenishment and occasional equipment failures, leading to inconsistent experiences.

Related guest reviews

8

Alison

19 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Easy check in and pleasant staff. Room appeared clean but had a mild smell of tobacco, this appeared to get worse each time we returned to the room despite leaving windows open. Breakfast was good however they ran out of eggs and it took 20 minutes to replace them by which time we had eaten our bacon and sausage. Staff didnt appear to be overly bothered even though several people kept asking where eggs were. I raised at check out and was told they were busy!! Oh thats ok then!!

8

Helen

3 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Comfortable stay. Breakfast busy & staff struggling to keep up. Shout out to Scot & Lisa who were amazing, friendly & helpful. Poor choice for decaf coffee. Should have decaf coffee beans in machine as well as caffinated. Instant is awful.

4

Stuart

4 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Stay was good, breakfast was awful, ovre 3 nights more and more food items were unavailable....staff were doing there best but when you don't have things such as jams, marmalades plus hot items its pretty poor

8

Marc

2 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Really good location by the bay. 4 EV charging points 55p per KW. Breakfast included however very busy with long queues and everything constantly running out.

10

Sian

24 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

As soon as we entered the hotel we were hit by a lovely clean , fresh smell :) Room was clean, breakfast we great. All food was fresh and of high quality. Staff were very helpful and warming . Would highly recommend this hotel.

10

Tracey

30 Oct 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Really good overall. Breakfast was chaotic with no plates, cups glasses etc and things not working eg pancake machine, hot chocolate and juice. Receptionist was working extremely hard to help out in the breakfast room.

8

Victoria

29 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 6 nights

Breakfast was really good

10

ray

8 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

From walking through the door, the young man on reception was polite, explained everything and with a smile. The room was clean, tidy and the bed was comfortable. At breakfast the experience continued to be brilliant, the lady explained the way Breakfast was a buffet and where things were. Wonderful view looking out over the wharf. Food was of a high Standard. Room 114.

8

Amanda

30 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The hotel was lovely. Very clean. Rooms were comfortable and again very clean. The staff were so helpful and friendly always smiling. Nothing was a problem for them. Breakfast was really good. Nice choice and tasty.

8

Daniela

13 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

There was only one coffee machine at breakfast which was broken. No other coffee was offered

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
1 $72	2 $92	3 $120	4 $125	5 $84	6 $119	7 $263
8 $69	9 $98	10 $182	11 $93	12 $78	13 $242	14 $430
15 $69	16 $86	17 $230	18 $112	19	20 $121	21 $271
22 $82	23 $93	24 $116	25 $106	26 $95	27 $148	28 $179
29 $72	30 $78

Holiday Inn Express Cardiff Bay by IHG

Prices for Holiday Inn Express Cardiff Bay by IHG

Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Standard Room, 1 King Bed (With )

Standard Room, 2 Twin Beds (With )

Standard Room (With )

Standard Room, 2 Twin Beds, Accessible (With )

Standard Room, 1 Double Bed (With )

Guest reviews of Holiday Inn Express Cardiff Bay by IHG

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property policies

Check-in instructions

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about Holiday Inn Express Cardiff Bay by IHG

Prices for upcoming dates

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25 $94	26 $110	27 $127	28 $117	29 $96	30 $105	31 $163