ML Lodge

Very nice location, the rooms were adequate and had tea/coffee as well as nice beds. Staff were lovely when we checked in and checkout was easy too. Our only problem was a chicken smell in the bathroom area and the shower not draining, but other than that very good value for money and we enjoyed our stay.

The water in the shower wouldn't drain; the hot water suddenly stopped flowing and then came back on again, causing burns. The room smelled musty, the chair legs buckled unexpectedly, and the stairs were life-threatening for elderly or disabled people. Even if it only cost €40, I would never do it again.

Now I will state from the off that this isn't going to be a positive review. I'll also add that I don't think ML Lodge are entirely to blame for this. The accommodation is what it is, a basic room for a cheap stay. However, we booked this through "Buy a Gift" as we had been given vouchers for a "Charming 2 Night Stay". Charming it was not. The stair carpet I have to say is awful. It's torn and threadbare in places and a potential trip hazard. There were broken boarded up windows in the stairways too. The automatic lighting didn't come on until half-way up the first flight of stairs which isn't ideal when ascending at night (ascending at 3 in the afternoon was tricky). Our room was very basic but functional. There was an en-suite (not the cleanest I've seen but useable); tea/coffee making facilities; clean bedding and towels. Those are the plus points. There were several visible stains on the carpet; the linen cupboard door was damaged; paintwork was in need of a refresh; the furniture was in a poor state of repair with sizable patches of wood veneer missing from surfaces. When I sat on the bed I could feel the bed base through the mattress. The chair provided looked dirty and had threads hanging from beneath. After leaving our bags and exploring Cardiff for the afternoon my Partner and I decided that we didn't want to stay there. We were fortunately able to arrange to stay with relatives nearby, so we still had an enjoyable couple of days in Cardiff. On a more positive note, ML Lodge is ideally situated for exploring the city, and all the landmarks and places of interest are within an easy walking distance. If you're going in with your eyes open and not expecting a hotel-type experience, then I suppose it's good value for money and a good base for a 1 or 2- night stay. The check-in staff were also very polite and welcoming and took time to explain where everything was. As I said at the outset, I don't think ML Lodge is to blame here. Buy a Gift needs to accept some responsibility and ensure that the accommodation offered on it' voucher schemes, is suitable and as advertised (I expect charming if I'm sold charming). I'll be taking up this issue separately with Buy a Gift.

Signed in and back out within minutes a total nightmare from the time I opened the front door so many steps to climb the carpet was filthy the walls were no better the room had a dirty toilet dirty plugholes and no Internet please please don't stay here I had to book into another hotel that morning and thankfully it was a lovely place

I booked this accomodation last minute after finding my previous accomodation unsuitable. The staff were incredibly friendly and happy to help us check in. We arrived earlier than check-in time and were happy that the staff let us in early as opposed to having to store our luggage. The owner warned us about the steps as we were situated on the top floor, and was apologetic about there being no lift. The steps in question were steep and narrow. We understood that the building was considerably old and therefore the architecture could not be helped, however, the carpet was slippery and extremely threadbare. Carrying suitcases up the stairs was quite dangerous and the state of the steps seemed to get worse with each flight we climbed. Fortunately there were handrails on one side, however, these were quite wobbly. The room itself was dated and had paint peeling from the walls. The curtains and bathroom ceiling had small amounts of mold on them as well. The carpet seemed to cover flimsy floorboards and small holes on the flooring. The drain in the bathroom had similar issues with the floor dipping and feeling squishy in the middle. On the upside, the beds were clean and comfortable, as was majority of the bathroom facilities. Towels provided were clean and it was nice to have toiletries provided. Unfortunately we had issues with the heating and hot water, however, these were quickly fixed and we were given additional heaters if the main one did not work. It was still quite cold even with this. Overall we were satisfied with the service, however, we feel that if our stay were longer we would not be so happy. Also do not drink the tap water. I did this and was quite sick. Would recommend for short trips and believe you definitely get what you pay for with this property. The gyros shop is also quite nice.

Booked this hotel last minute and oh my god. The stairs were annoying and there was no elevator, but getting up to the room wasn’t terrible. The room itself was nice, with comfortable beds, ensuite, heating, TV, towels provided, etc. for two days, it was fairly decent and the hotel being above a restaurant was even better. Very quiet and convenient location, close to shops and cafes. Do recommend.