I have been to this guesthouse before and been impressed with the service, friendliness and helpfulness of the staff. I was surprised on this occasion to hear a lady moaning very loudly in front of all other guests at breakfast about her shower pressure The guesthouse was full and I did notice a slight change in pressure, but not enough to be a problem. I will definitely be returning on my next visit to Cardiff as I always get good value for money at the Avala.

I traveled to Cardiff to run in the half marathon. Most hotels were requiring a two night stay, but I was only staying one night. The Avala also required two nights, but that was fine as it was still cheaper than most of the other hotels for just a single night. The guest house is in a fairly residential area and on a main thoroughfare. The center of Cardiff is a short ride away and several buses stop just outside and head into town. Honestly, I spent about 7 hours in this place. I met with friends the night before, got in, slept and was up and out at dawn. I returned 5 hours later, showered, packed and left.

The bed was comfortable and clean. The shower was also clean and had good hot water. It was not a forceful shower, but it was enough to provide a good shower. The bathroom was actually in two parts (room #8). The shower was in one and the toilet and sink were in the other. The Sink and toilet were pretty cramped, you could easily sit on the toilet and brush your teeth or just about any other sink type chore. This is what you get when you take a family home, break it up into 10 rooms and put a bathroom in each room.

Don't stay here if you expect any luxuries, but if you want a place to sleep and shower...this place is a good value.

Visited Cardiff with a group of friends and stayed at the Avala for a weekend. The guest house is located on Newport Road, one of the main roads leading into Cardiff. The location is a little bit out from the centre of Cardiff but has good transport links. Walking takes about 20-25 minutes to the centre of Cardiff. There is a bus stop right outside with regular inexpensive buses and a taxi costs about a tenner. There is parking at the rear of the guest house for residents.

This guest house has a modern, neutral and uncluttered interior which was refreshing to see. The rooms are clean and contemporary. Comfortable beds with two pillows each - our room had 3 single beds and plenty of space. A wall mounted flat screen television with freeview channels. Tea and coffee making facilities. Shelves for storage and a clothes hanging area. The bathroom was very clean and white with a good hot shower.

The guest house staff were not intrusive during our stay, in fact, we hardly saw them but they were available if we did need anything. It gave a sense of staying in a hotel or a travel inn instead of the quirky awkwardness you sometimes get when staying in a bed and breakfast establishment that is essentially someones home. We didn't have breakfast during our stay but it was available in the form of a continental breakfast.

The guest house feels very safe and secure and the local area felt the same. My only complaint was that there was a little bit of road noise even with the double-glazed windows shut. It's worth keeping in mind if that sort of thing bothers you. I did sleep okay but I could see that it might be bothersome to some people. It wouldn't be a reason not to stay here.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Cardiff, what a great city and the Avala guest house just added to that positive experience. Would recommend without hesitation.

I stayed at the Avala with 12 athletes who were competing in the Welsh 10km road running championships and were the bulk of the North Wales team. The hotel staff were very helpful and arranged for an earlier breakfast than usual, as the team were racing at ten a.m. and needed to eat more than 2 hours before the race. The rooms were comfortable, clean and the price was very reasonable for a city hotel. I will definitely use the Avala again when next we come to Cardiff and am very happy to recommend it to anyone.