Cardiff Marriott Hotel

Very comfortable stay. Efficient check-in. Room clean and nicely furnished. Service pleasant and polite - would have got a 5 Star rating but for the fact I had to ask staff chatting at the end of the bar with colleagues who had come off shift to wipe down a table for us. Unfortunately there were several that needed attention and full of empty glasses. Bar and lounge area practically empty - not good for a first impression. Hotel handy for town, however, and was pleased to get parking on site.

Visited Cardiff for our Friend’s Birthday, hotel of choice when in Cardiff is the Marriott Hotel, situated perfectly for the Shopping, restaurants, Bars and Cafes, close to the Railway Station and simple access in from major roads, with the added plus of onsite secure parking (£18) per night, the Hotel is perfect for every aspect, as soon as you walk in to the Hotel, the Foyer area is resplendent, the Front of House staff supremely professional, as polite and helpful as can be, the rooms always superb and spotless, with easy access via numerous lifts and stairways, theHotel bar is relaxed, airy and spacious, and as soon as you walk out of the Hotel doors, your smack bang in the Centre of Cardiff, with John Lewis on your doorstep, theSt David’s shopping mall too, shops, Bars, restaurants within 100yds, if you visit Cardiff, choose the Marriott Hotel, you’ll not be disappointed.

The hotel is based in a great location, with restaurants and shopping malls literally next door to it. However, it seems like the hotel has a policy of when it breaks don't fix as one of the three lifts they use seemed to have just broken before we arrived and there was a sign asking us to use the other lifts or the stairs. The room itself wasn't too bad, but bathroom was in a state with the bath panel peeling and under the sink showing damp creeping up the wall. Outside our room also showed the same dampness going up the wall. We went into the swimming area and the same lack of maintenance was evident all over. The Jacuzzi was boarded up, tiles were falling off the swimming pool and the steam room and sauna were in very poor conditions.

The hotel is right in the centre of the city almost adjacent to John Lewis so a great location. Car park is right next door but look carefully when trying to find the access road. There’s an exec lounge which we didn’t get time to use. Staff in bar and restaurant very good. Seems to be some air conditioning issues but we were quickly moved. Basically hotel is what you’d expect from a Marriott.

Standard Marriott might sound a bit poor, but this is what Marriott does so well, so standard is pretty fair. Reception was efficient & welcoming. Room was clean, quiet, spacious & comfortable. Breakfast was good &, although a buffet, pretty good. Check out was again smooth, Marriott staff are usually first class. Any downsides? Just the parking fee of £18! Somewhat steep & without it would have given it an excellent.

The hotel definitely has some perks - the location is very central and the breakfast was nice in the morning. However, we paid the best part of £250 for one night in an Executive room and it far from what I expect from a Marriott hotel. The whole hotel is extremely dated (think 90s Italian Villa vibes) and the exec lounge is definitely not what I would describe as 'Executive'. We were on the 9th floor and were still disturbed by the extremely loud music from the bars opposite until the early hours of the morning. On top of that, we had to pay £18 for the onsite parking, which when you've paid a lot for the room felt like they just squeezing you for all the money they could. Would not recommend.

All the staff I dealt with were courteous and helpful. The quality of the bedding and the comfort of the mattress was very good. The room was a decent size. The overall quality was quite good. I was on the 7th floor and facing south towards train tracks. There was some noise as a result but it wasn't terrible. I agree with other reviewers that front facing units are subject to late night noise from bars as I passed that way on my late arrival and noticed a lot of activity and loudness from patrons milling about on the street. I have to mention that all three elevators were operational when I checked in. By check out the next afternoon only one was working. This didn't inconvenience me personally but I can imagine it did to others. They posted a notice indicating their willingness to assist any guests who required it so I assume they did the best they could under the circumstances. The only real complaint I have is if you want to use their network, you'll pay 12- 14 GBP (daily) for access. This may be a Mariott issue and not limited to this particular hotel but it's absurd. In this day and age internet access is almost an absolute requirement and there's no reason to charge anything let alone this much. Bury it in the room rate if you must. If Delta can offer free wifi on an airplane, there is no excuse for these kinds of rates.

Check in time is stated at 4pm. We arrived at 12.00 just to see if the room was ready but it wasn’t not which is fine as we were early. However the lady in the desk did say she would get cleaners in it next as we had a 8 month old and it would be perfect t to have a slightly earlier check in. We then came back at 5:15 for it to still not be ready! And with a 8 month old it is not ideal! The lady we spoke to then said the room was still in “dirty status” and was not overall apologetic even tho I reminder her that check states it is 4pm. She hardly went above and beyond to get it sort she just sort of shrugged it off as if it was the norm.

I enjoyed my stay here. Room was a bit tired and the air con control didn’t seem to be working but the room was a good size with everything I needed. Bed was comfortable and everything was clean. The view over Cardiff Bay was a bonus. My big disappointment was the expectation that I would pay for Wi-fi in my bedroom which is pretty unusual. Breakfast choice pretty good. I’d stay here again.