Park Plaza Cardiff – a hotel review

Last updated: 29 June 2023

Park Plaza Cardiff is a 4-star hotel situated on Greyfrairs Road, right in the heart of Cardiff. The hotel overlooks Gorsedd Gardens to Cardiff’s Edwardian Baroque civic center, which houses a 194-foot clock tower which is visible from higher floors of the hotel.  

The location means most of the bustling city center’s attractions are within easy walking distance; a stone’s throw away is Cardiff Castle, which is certainly worth a visit.  Don’t discount Bute Park behind the castle which offers 130 acres of rambling riverside landscaped parkland, and just 10 minutes walk to the Millennium Stadium and the nightlife of St Mary’s Street. Visitors to the city should also spend some time exploring Cardiff Bay and the National Museum of Wales.  

Ultimate Guide to Weekend Break in Cardiff, Wales

From the busy street, the facade may appear a little dated, bland, or some may even call vanilla. Step inside to be greeted by modern finesse, the aura of a polished and sophisticated hotel.  Designers made the most of the ample space by dropping three oversized frusta frames dressed in lights from the high ceiling.  The open plan reception includes a fireplace, bespoke art and oversized monochrome sofas with an accent of red.

Rooms

Park Plaza Cardiff has a comfortable 129 guestrooms with 3 suites and 8 junior suites scattered throughout the hotel. Rooms can be arranged as twin, double, or accessible to meet the needs of guests and are decked out in earthy tones with dark throws and cushions as well as floor-drop block-out curtains.  All bathrooms are well-appointed with charcoal-slate tiles, modern square counter top basins and miniature amenities.  

Rooms are spread across four floors, with the better options; Superior City Hall, Executive and Suites all facing over Gorsedd Gardens to City Hall.

Executive rooms feature a King-size bed, welcome tray, larger bathrooms with separate bath and walk-in shower, slippers, robes, wine, water and Chef’s selection of sweets all included. Combine this with the quieter aspect and view over City Hall, guests certainly get value for money on the upgrade.  

For most hotels, they’re either business or leisure focused.  Park Plaza Cardiff straddles both realms and strikes the fine balance between the needs of both business and leisure travellers surprisingly well.  With ample desk space, plenty of power sockets and free fast WiFi it’s certainly a great option for a millennial or business traveller.  

Restaurant: Laguna Kitchen & Bar

Restaurant Manager, Gianni D’Aniello knows what he wants from the Laguna Kitchen & Bar. Hiring a new chef, moving towards locally sourced ingredients and making everything in-house is changing the way the Laguna thinks about food. Maintaining the large windows to ensure plenty of natural light, the Laguna is refocusing its menu, minimising choices to focus on what it does really well, British, particularly Welsh, cuisine.

In addition to the standard a-la-carte, a very affordable two-course set-menu lunch is offered on weekdays at the Laguna for £12.95.  With its proximity to Cardiff’s New Theatre, it makes sense that the Laguna would also offer a pre-theatre menu, 3 courses for £15.95 is very reasonable.

Our next stay at Park Plaza Cardiff I’m keen to try the six-course tasting menu which ranges between £49-£59 including wines!

Two interesting takes on the very British pastime of Afternoon Tea were well underway when I visited.  Both concepts I’ve not seen anywhere else and seemed to be in full swing and high on the wish list of guests based on the number of iconic three tier stands on tables.  

Gentlemen’s Afternoon Tea, a more manly take on the traditional affair. Foregoing the conventional delicate finger sandwiches and macaroons in favour of savoury meatier options. The Gentlemen’s Afternoon Tea features the likes of a seared Welsh sirloin steak with caramelised red onions & garlic mushrooms on toasted ciabatta (yum!), venison sliders and Sirloin stuffed Yorkshire puddings. Enough to make your mouth water isn’t it?

Don’t Take My Word For It:  TripAdvisor reviews of Park Plaza Cardiff 

The second is a Gin inspired afternoon tea, aptly named Hendrick’s Gin Afternoon Tea. The traditional fair of finger sandwiches (including smoked salmon, cucumber, egg mayonnaise & cress), freshly baked scones with jam and clotted cream and a selection of sweet treats and pastries. All combined with a refreshing Hendrick’s gin cucumber or elderflower cocktail served in a vintage Hendrick’s teapot.

Unsurprisingly, as summer approaches more diners will move to the Terrace for an alfresco dining experience, afternoon tea included.

Health & Fitness: The Laguna Health & Spa

The Laguna Health & Spa has excellent facilities for both Cardiff locals and hotel guests.  Offering a 20m indoor swimming pool, spa, sauna, and day-spa offering 8 (7 single, 1 double) Elemis treatment rooms.

The two-storey gym is an air-conditioned space with an array of modern cardio and resistance machines, free weights, and an extensive timetable of classes, all which come at no additional expense for hotel guests.

Popular spa breaks and afternoon tea packages combine some of Park Plaza’s best features.  Guests need not change out of their spa robes to dine on Afternoon Tea, guests can make use of the Spa’s dedicated dining area or relaxation room.  

Meeting & Conferences

The Park Plaza Cardiff is well equipped to cater for corporate meetings and large scale events. Featuring two large event spaces just across from Reception, the Plaza and Park suites. Additionally, a series of five corporate style suites with breakout space are located on level 1.

By strategically moving the ambulatory walls, the Plaza can comfortably accommodate up 200 guests,  depending on the layout.

Plaza suite features bespoke lighting which can be customised to complement corporate colours or wedding themes.  Whereas the Park Suite is slightly smaller, best suited to working lunch or would make a break out space or bar for larger weddings. 

The Park Plaza’s former nightclub, The Kuku Club, has been reinvented as a meeting space. Across one and a half floors, decked out in an ornate Moroccan theme detailing hanging lanterns, a private copper bar, and candle-lit copper tables. I’s a good choice for evening events or parties as it lacks any windows or natural light.  

Final Thoughts on Park Plaza Cardiff

With double rooms available from £89, the Park Plaza Cardiff is a solid choice when seeking a hotel in the Welsh capital. Spend the extra cash for a room upgrade for the extras and also to keep some distance between you and the noisy clubs on Greyfrairs Road, especially during Freshers week!

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Disclaimer

Roaming Required was not commissioned to publish this post.  We did not receive any financial incentive nor a complimentary stay in exchange for a review.  This post was written for the sole purpose of helping our readers choose where to stay during their visit to Cardiff.