CardiffWalesMap

While there are threads for individual projects, I couldn't find one for general hotel provision.

I'm struck by the rapid growth in the number of hotel rooms available in the city either already opened or in the pipeline.

There are the two new Premier Inns in Cardiff Bay and the city centre, Hotel Indigo, the Westgate Hotel along with an extention to Sleeperz. The Friary Travel Lodge and Maldron/Clayton are also fairly recent additions and the Indian owned chain OYO have bought and are refurbishing two existing hotels.

Is this growth in provision standard for comparable UK cities or are the particular factors driving it in Cardiff?

Generally, I'd count it as a good thing as hotel operators will help market the city to fill their rooms. There has to be a danger of over-provision though.

Don't forget about the interest from Qatar to open one. Plus John Street phase 2 will require a new hotel.

This is a long-term trend going all the way back to the early 90s. I can remember the days when if you wanted a hotel in Cardiff the choices were the Park, the Marriott, the Angel, the Trusthouse Forte or a B&B on Cathedral Road. In the last 25 years we've had the Hilton, St David's, Holland House, Park Plaza, Premier Inn, two Travelodges, Sleeperz, Clayton, Big Sleep, the Radisson..... There doesn't seem to be any end in sight at the moment.

It seems partly to be driven by people from outlying areas like the valleys and the Vale finding it cheaper and more convenient to book budget accomodation in Cardiff on Friday and Saturday nights rather than taking a late night taxi home.

I suspect it's no coincidence that the two city centre Travel Lodges are located in St Mary Street and the Friary, town's two main vertical drinking districts.

What puzzles me more is who stays at places like the Future Inn or the Holiday Inn Express, neither of which are in particularly convenient locations.

Future inn and Holiday Inn:
1. Handy for Millennium Centre, which draws visitors from a wide area;
2. Have on-site parking (possibly free?)
3. Will be quieter at night than city centre hotels.

I can tell you for sure that the Future Inn is very popular with my work. We also book lots of conferences there, and so do the council. No doubt they use it for housing their guests too.

The Future Inn does very well.

Lewisbeecham wrote:Don't forget about the interest from Qatar to open one. Plus John Street phase 2 will require a new hotel.

If wonder if either will happen?

The John Street phase 2 is going to need JR Smart to find a hotel operator, and over the last few years they seem to just sell on plots earmarked for anything other than offices. I'd love to know what is going on because it's a lovely looking building and I hope it happens, but it's a real step up for them. I can imagine they'll be happy to speculatively build the office part as they always do, just curious if anyone is interested in the hotel. It's a big building for them.

For the Qater project, it's been quiet for ages and other than the above mentioned JR Smart plot and Central Quay I don't know where else is realistic. Rightacres have gone very quiet on the hotel earmarked for Central Quay and are working with Celtic Manor on the Westgate. Do the Qataris have any other hotel investments, some hotels in London I think?

Maybe the Howells redevelopment on St. Mary's street? Is there anywhere else realistic?

There is that very last plot on Central Square. Not the ideal shape for a 5 star hotel however. The Qatar project has gone quiet, I would like to think it's part of the wider discussion in evolving Howells. Who knows.

I think Lewis is probably on the money with the Qatar /Howells comment. Thanks for the comments regarding the Future Inn and the Holiday Inn Express. I'm always surprised at how busy they are given their locations but the availability of car parking is probably a large part of the explanation.

I notice that Celtic Manor have entered the budget market with the Welsh "Tŷ Hotels" brand. They've taken over the former Hilton at Magor and are building a second near the Caldra. I suspect we may see one in Cardiff to compliment the more upmarket Westgate.

The Ty Hotels brand is very focused on the area around the Celtic Manor for a reason. Celtic Manor decided that if they are bringing thousands of people to the area for ICC events, they may as well be the ones to profit from giving them all a place to stay.