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4.5
#6 of 65 hotels in Cardiff
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
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Sleep Quality
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
The Coal Exchange Hotel is a historic, luxury hotel situated 450 yards from Cardiff Bay. The Grade II* listed heritage building stands tall today as an integral piece of Cardiff’s history. Renowned for helping to shape the city into the cosmopolitan Welsh capital, the building is treasured by locals and a must-see for those visiting the city. While its walls were once filled with the ambition and passion from local trade negotiators, its role as a shipping industry hub was left in the past, and the building was left to deteriorate. Bringing a breath of fresh air to Cardiff Bay and assigning the building a lasting role in the city, the Coal Exchange was born, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the results. Rooms at the Coal Exchange are stylish and contemporary with a touch of elegance and tradition. Our spacious rooms feature everything from large flat-screen TVs to whirlpool baths and free WiFi.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to VisitWales.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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The Coal Exchange Hotel in Cardiff is often celebrated for its spacious rooms with unique decor, set in a historic building that enchants guests with its character. While its prime location near Cardiff Bay's attractions is a highlight for many visitors, some have expressed concerns over maintenance, cleanliness, and value for money.
The hotel's amenities, including jacuzzi baths and grand event spaces, receive applause, but issues with Wi-Fi and water temperature have been noted. Reviews of the service are mixed, with commendations for friendliness but occasional lapses in attention.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
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Stayed at the Coal Exchange overnight for an event. A very impressive building with beautiful architecture, inside is a warren of corridors and I was often lost, every room has a name associated with Cardiff’s trading past so that makes interesting reading. My room was large, quirky, a bit dated and with tired decor but it was clean, the bedding and towels were super white, the bed was super comfortable and I had a huge jacuzzi bath! My room was at the rear of the hotel so no view but, considering we were in the middle of a busy city, I didn’t hear a sound all night. Breakfast buffet was standard, plenty of food, apparently in a temporary set-up but all adequate.
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Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Ieuan Davies, Guest Services / Front Office at The Coal Exchange Hotel Cardiff
Responded 16 Sept 2024
Hi Beetlejui, Thank you for sharing your experience at the Coal Exchange and the 5/5 review! We're thrilled to hear you appreciated the impressive architecture and unique character of our hotel. It's great that you found your room clean and comfortable, and we’re glad the jacuzzi bath added some extra relaxation to your stay. We appreciate your feedback regarding the decor, and we'll certainly take it into consideration for future improvements. We're also glad that you had a peaceful night’s rest despite the bustling city outside. Thank you for your understanding regarding the breakfast setup—our goal is always to provide a satisfactory experience. We hope to welcome you back soon for another stay! Safe travels!
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Just returned from two nights at the Coal Exchange. Normally we stay in the city centre but this time wanted a more relaxing weekend. We had two packages, 'Friday Fizz' & 'Brunch Saturday' and extra 15% off due to the reopening deal. Our room was 206 which was in the eaves of the hotel, lovely and warm, nice carpet and had an extra seating area with tv. Due to the hotels location there are no 'views' out of the windows but it didn't matter. We encountered small problems (tv not working, and the whirlpool bath had a build up of soap scum when the jets were on) but all sorted very promptly and didn't take away from our enjoyment. We had a bottle of 'Fizz' in our room on the Friday and enjoyed a 2 course meal on the Sat afternoon with 90 minutes endless fizz - a fantastic deal and very good value for money. We never had an empty glass of fizz, it was constandly topped up! We both opted for the burger for the brunch and it was delicious. The breakfasts were plentiful, due to covid there wasn't a buffet but you were given a sheet with a selection of items and circled what you wanted. Very good choice and very tasty! There was a young lad called Ethan in the restaraunt who was at every sitting we had, he couldn't do more for us. Extremely pleasant and just what a guest needs is a helpful and friendly staff member. No doubt he will be going onto bigger and better positions in the future. He should be commended for his guest services! To be critical, A full length mirror would have been nice and perhaps a table and side lamp in the seating area of our room. It was a little dark but that is the character of the hotel (i've stayed in darker!). We had a double bed (used to a SK at home) so was quite snug, there would be plenty of room for a king or larger in our particular room. I understand that bath robes & slippers are not provided due to covid but that would be a really nice touch. Also there was no luggage rack in the room which I generally use when staying in hotels. The bathroom was very spacious and light, with the rain shower over the bath, a shower curtain or screen would be advantagous as there was no barrier to stop the water splashing onto the bathroom floor when showering. We opted for a housekeeping service and our bed was remade & fresh towells along with a general clean. We were able to park outside to unload/load our bags without any problem and took the car to a local car park for the weekend, only a 5 minute walk away. It has the potential to be a really exclusive hotel in the future once all the building works have been completed as it looks as if only 1/2 the hotel is occupied at present. We will definitely return in the future!
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Date of stay: November 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Lecoq, Guest Services / Front Office at The Coal Exchange Hotel Cardiff
Responded 14 Dec 2020
Dear n1colastar, Thank you for taking the time to write this lovely feedback. I am delighted to hear that enjoyed your visit. We look forward to welcoming you back to The Coal Exchange in the near future. Kind regards.
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A lot to digest? Read an AI-generated summary of recent traveller reviews.
Had a wonderful weekend break away with a friend who I haven't seen pre-covid. Lots and lots of positives to this fab, classy hotel.
First off the building it's in is amazing, the architecture is incredible and they've kept a lot of the original features in, including the ballroom which was amazing. The rooms themselves are well decorated and clean, I really liked the individual features like the stone sink in the bathroom and our super comfy double bed.
Secondly the staff are fantastic. I have specific dietary requirements and they made sure I had a fridge on arrival- even though it was a bit of a pain to have to ask to access my food, all of the staff were very accommodating and were always there when I needed them to access it. Special mention the the night manager Thomas for all the water! He was very friendly and professional and its great to see the hotel in such good hands at such a young age.
Lastly it is in such a great location to access the bay, it is a nice little walk over to Mermaid Quay and easy to drive to.
Only negatives were that the parking is about a fiver for 5hrs so you'll need to move your car if you plan on not using it whilst you're there. Also although we didn't eat in the restaurant not everything was available on the menu- I could only eat the tenderstem broccoli for example but they did accommodate me with a different veg which was fab. We ordered coffees from the bar which weren't quite as nice as the local independent cafes from down the road but I'm just being picky!
Overall it had a very friendly, trendy vibe to it with live music on the Saturday night and for the price and to see the friendly staff again I'd definitely stay here next time I visit Cardiff.
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Loads of parking all along Mount Stuart Square but be prepared to lay about a tenner a day for it.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Paul Knight, Guest Services / Front Office at The Coal Exchange Hotel Cardiff
Responded 11 Jul 2021
Dear Culture530697 Thank you ever so much for your lovely feedback. I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us, The Coal Exchange really is a fantastic building with lots of original features and bespoke furnishings. The team really are fantastic, all doing their best to offer a friendly and helpful service, I'll be sure to pass your kind comments on to Thomas. We are looking forward to seeing you again soon. Kind regards.
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After arrival we were given our room which happened to be a disability accessible room - once we explained we did not ask for this we were accommodated for the mistake. However the room we were moved too clearly had not been cleaned for some time. Everything was covered in dust, the bed looked like it hadn’t been changed for a while, copious amounts of flies on window pane - disappointing for the price. Cleaners came the following morning and seemed to do a better job although cleaning not still thorough - deep clean seems necessary.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from PaulKnightExchange, Guest Relations Manager at The Coal Exchange Hotel Cardiff
Responded 7 Jan 2020
Dear Dow2020, Thank you for taking the time to leave us with your review. From time to time there may be confusion with room types when booking, I am happy to see that the staff were able to help you with this matter. I am concerned about your feedback and would like to investigate the matter in more detail. Please email me directly on paul.knight@exchangehotelcardiff.co.uk to discuss your stay further. Kind regards.
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I find that the Exchange hotel still has a long way to go to be considered a high standard hotel. First of all, it does not have a telephone in the room or eventually any other app that can make up. That makes impossible: to report any problem in the room, contact the reception for help or suggestion, receive early morning wake up or room service, etc. without showing directly in the reception. The second point that I want to report is that in my room minibar was neither present. The problem could be partially overcome through a bar, but in their case, it closes really early in the evening. In addition, as a personal opinion, the lighting in my room was really low and I find very difficult to have a proper vision without natural light. I also ask for help to clean my shoes after a rainy day but no cleaning kit was available in the reception neither a shoe shine machine in the hallway. The building is certainly fascinating, but you can see here and there the signs of carelessness: wallpaper torn somewhere in the room, the windows of the upper floors not well cleaned, the fingerprints on the doors and mirrors of the elevator, etc.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Rooms
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from PaulKnightExchange, Guest Relations Manager at The Coal Exchange Hotel Cardiff
Responded 6 Feb 2020
Dear Geoffrey, Thank you for taking the time to review our hotel. The Exchange is undergoing continued renovations and we currently do not have any official star ratings. We do not have phones in the rooms at present but the vast majority of guests have mobile phones. The number for the reception desk is provided on your key, key wallet and the information card found in each room allowing our guest to contact us with ease. We do not offer a mini bar service. The public bars close at 11pm and the residents bar is open until 2am at the night managers discretion. We do not provide shoe shine kits. However when a member of the team offered to polish your shoes you politely declined. We also offered a wake up call by knocking on your door at the desired time, again you politely declined. We may have a way to go, but the staff will do everything they can to assist with any needs you may have during your stay. Kind regards.
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Myself and my partner seen a Facebook post about the reopening of the hotel. They were doing a package deal called the bae-cation. This included breakfast, two course meal and Prosecco in our room. When arriving at the hotel we were temperature checked and asked to use sanitiser and all staff were wearing masks. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. Our room was lovely and clean and most items were bagged eg: tv remote, tea/coffee, soap for our safety. Cups and all cushions/throws had been removed from the room which I thought was great as it showed how much our safety meant to them. Masks had to be worn throughout the hotel and restaurant. Our evening meal and breakfast was really nice and the staff were lovely. Our night away from the crazy life we’re all living at the moment was definitely needed. Even though we stayed about 10 minutes away from our house, it was a lovely get away as Cardiff is currently on lockdown. We’d definitely do this again. Thank you for a lovely staycation!
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Lecoq, Guest Services / Front Office at The Coal Exchange Hotel Cardiff
Responded 14 Dec 2020
Dear heather-iles, Thank you for taking the time to write this lovely feedback. I am delighted to hear that enjoyed your visit. We look forward to welcoming you back to The Coal Exchange in the near future. Kind regards.
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From the moment I made the booking to the time we left the customer service at the Coal Exchange was brilliant. When we booked it online, we had a call to book our table for dinner and for breakfast during our stay and we had explained to us about parking in a nearby car park. We were greeted on arrival with a very pleasant member of staff, we were able to check in advance which sped up the whole process. The remote control for the room was handed to us with the room card and was all sterilised and in a sealed bag. Our room was lovely, the bed very comfortable and a lovely printed card in our room to congratulate us on our wedding anniversary which we thought was a lovely added touch. Everything was spotless and the jacuzzi bath was lovely. There was tea, coffee, water , disposable cups, toiletries etc in the room. The evening meal was superb, we took advantage of the £25 per person offer for 3 courses and there was a lovely choice and the food was amazing and the staff and customer service again was excellent. Some lovely cocktails to be enjoyed too. Breakfast the next morning was the same 10/10. A very welcoming, COVID friendly hotel with all staff a credit to the hotel. We will definitely be returning.
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Paul Knight, Guest Services / Front Office at The Coal Exchange Hotel Cardiff
Responded 14 Jun 2021
Dear Labradoodle27, Thank you ever so much for this great review! The staff here really are a credit to The Coal Exchange. i am delighted that you enjoyed your anniversary stay with us. We look forward to welcoming you back soon. Kind regards.
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This was my 3rd visit to the exchange. On a positive note the gentleman on the door very kindly moved his car to allow me to park right outside. On previous occasions I’ve been able to check in earlier in the day when the parking is less of a problem. The restaurant experience was also very good.
Sadly the room was very disappointing. I booked through booking.com and didn’t realise that not all hotel rooms are amendable. Firstly I was unable to move the date of my stay. Which meant my original friend was unable to join me. Very inflexible considering either way the hotel would be paid. Secondly I inadvertently booked “an accessible room” I assumed this meant lower floor? Near a lift maybe?? But no it’s the new word for disabled. Would you believe they can’t use the word disabled?? Unaware of my mistake I emailed the hotel straight away asking if I could ensure there was a jacuzzi bath. Considering previously we had no electricity in our room for almost all of our stay I thought this wasn’t much to ask?? On this occasion to be fair the duty manager didn’t charge us for the room. How could he really? 4 ladies trying to get ready for a night out in the dark with no power. It took until the day before our stay for the receptionist to contact me to say as I had booked an “accessible room” a jacuzzi bath would not be possible. I let her know we certainly were not disabled and this was a mistake and she said she would try and move us if it was possible. It wasn’t. My friend (whose first stay it was) was mortified by the appearance of the bathroom, which looked like a public convenience. So much so she wouldn’t use the shower. Sadly the manager was not forthcoming with any way of helping and didn’t offer any recompense. Which was disappointing as it was my third stay. The exchange is a lovely building to attend an event but for me the total lack of flexibility regarding booking and the misleading description of an accessible room means that despite the offer of 25% off my next stay (not helpful if you don’t want to return) sadly I won’t be returning. For me it’s a case of 3rd time not lucky!
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Date of stay: January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from DavidLecoq, Front Office Manager at The Coal Exchange Hotel Cardiff
Responded 20 Jan 2020
Dear Mrspjontour, Thank you for taking time to write a review about your stay in our hotel. Like I explain to you, we couldn’t move you to a room with Spa Bath because we were fully booked. There is no misleading on Booking.com website, “accessible room” is the proper expression to use according to Equality Act 2010, also the room description state that there is a shower only in the room and no bath. You booked a non-refundable rate and therefore that why we couldn’t change the date of your stay. Finally, I did offer you a recompense, with a 25% OFF your next stay event if we haven’t done anything wrong. We check you in the room you booked, and we couldn’t move you because the hotel was full. I can’t see anything wrong with that. I already send you an email yesterday with the 25% OFF offer on your next stay and I hope I will have the pleasure to welcome you again. Kind regards
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My husband and I stayed for one night during local lockdown. Upon arrival we were temperature checked and talked through the hotels safety measures for covid. All very simple and easy and felt very safe. Masks are required in the open spaces in the hotel and all staff were wearing them.
The room was immaculate, remote controls and toiletries all in sealed bags and freshly sanitised. The bathroom smelled wonderful and had obviously been deeply cleaned prior to arrival. Decorative cushions and throws had been removed from the room due to covid which was actually really encouraging to see the hotel is taking the safety of guests so seriously.
We had both Sunday Lunch and breakfast in Culley's restaurant which was nothing short of exquisite. The Sunday Lunch platter was the nicest food my husband and I have had out for a very long time. Plentiful and filling.
Thank you to Danielle, Ieuan and the lovely Frenchman on the front desk (who's name I don't know) for making our stay so wonderful. We will definitely be back.
Only one thing that could be improved is the room service app, it took an hour for our prosecco to come to our room but when I visited reception this was resolved immediately.
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Lecoq, Guest Services / Front Office at The Coal Exchange Hotel Cardiff
Responded 14 Dec 2020
Dear Aloufol, Thank you for taking the time to write this lovely feedback. I am delighted to hear that enjoyed your visit. We look forward to welcoming you back to The Coal Exchange in the near future. Kind regards.
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My wife and I have stayed in this hotel multiple times now and wouldn't think of staying anywhere else. The rooms are clean and individually styled with the added bonus of your own individual spa style bath/jacuzzi. The staff are always warm, welcoming and can't do enough for you. The Bar & Restaurant has a wide selection of drinks and food which are reasonably priced and tastes outstanding. Located in the bay means a 2 minute walk and you have access to all the amenities the bay has to offer yet still close enough to walk into Cardiff center. The hotel also offers a large and spacious function room which is the perfect setting for any celebration. No matter what your visit to Cardiff is for, you will find it difficult to find a hotel as interesting, quirky or accommodating as this
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Multiple car parks in the bay where its safe to leave your car overnight. Closest one is Mermaid...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Lecoq, Guest Services / Front Office at The Coal Exchange Hotel Cardiff
Responded 15 Aug 2021
Dear Matt C, Thank you ever so much for your lovely review. I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us, the staff here really do go the extra mile to make everyone feel welcome. We look forward to welcoming you back to The Coal Exchange in the near future. Kind regards.
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They don't have a car park, the nearest car park is a 10 min walk (Pierhead St car park) there is a drop off/pick up point at the hotel. The Pierhead is modern well lit, and has CCTV on all floors. The Hotel will give you a discount code but its just £12 for 24 hrs and you can pay in advance and get a pre paid ticket. This is much cheaper than the car parks in the city eg parking in John Lewis will cost you £20 for the same 24 hr stay!
There are more places to choose from in the Cardiff area.
PRICE RANGE
₹6,754 - ₹12,917 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
United KingdomWalesSouth WalesCardiff
NUMBER OF ROOMS
82
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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