With our trip to Paris in September in tatters, we thought we’d take advantage of the cheap hotel rates available at the moment and book a night away. Brighton was our first choice, but with the weather looking a bit dodgy, we chose Cardiff for a bit of shopping and a change of scenery.

We stayed at the Clayton Hotel Cardiff, and opted to treat ourselves to an upgrade to an Executive Room!

The room was very comfortable, REALLY comfy bed, which was a standard sized double (which is fine, but a little surprising considering it’s an executive room).

The room was supposed to come with a Nespresso coffee machine, but ours didn’t have one for some reason. Also there were no electric sockets next to the bed which is a bit odd considering this is a brand new hotel.

For me though, it was all about the view.

We asked for a room on the 11th (top) floor, for the best view of the city, and it didn’t disappoint. The window is floor-to-ceiling, making it even better.

^ This photo shows how close to the city centre this hotel is – the brightly lit street on the left has a huge selection of restaraunt and is the entrance to the St David’s 2 Shopping Centre.

As for COVID-19, the hotel do seem to be taking it seriously. There are hand sanitisers in all the corridors, and even inside the lifts. We definitely felt safe staying here during COVID.

Overall, it’s a good hotel. Thanks to the special offers they had on throughout August, we paid £70 which included breakfast and the upgrade to Executive, which was a very good deal. However I’m not sure I’d be quite as happy with the room if it cost much more than this. Don’t get me wrong, it really is a good hotel, but I couldn’t help compare it to the comfort, convenience and value of one of the newer Premier Inns, which this Clayton Executive room wasn’t any better than in all honesty (other than the amazing view!)

With the enormous, even taller Premier Inn being built directly opposite the Clayton, I’d be tempted to book there in the future considering the view will likely be just as good, and they offer a Kingsize (equally comfortable) bed as standard, plus the same amenities, for a much lower price.

I’d definitely recommend the Clayton Hotel Cardiff if you can get a good price. It’s quiet and comfortable, they do a great breakfast, and has great views in the rooms on the higher floors. I wouldn’t recommend the room upgrades though.