ML Lodge

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.

3 months ago · via Google

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.

2 months ago · via Google

The ML lodge is located right in the centre of Cardiff city. This is all the positives I can give. Before we entered we got the key from the owners. The key had a fob Celo taped to it. This tape was yellowed and clearly been in many hands before us. The stairway to the room had carpet which may never have been replaced. Some stairs there's little carpet left and the runners are fully visible. Would be dangerous to go up without shoes on. It was honestly dangerous to go up with shoes on as well as the motion lighting kicks on and off at inconvenient times during your assent. The room itself was filled with furniture that was all wobbly. And I do mean all of it. I went to lie on my bed and the headboard just went back so I almost bashed my head on the wall. The lamp didn't work. The window had a ledge full of dust on it. The bathroom had holes in the top of the taps. In there was calcium deposits I've never seen the likes of ever before. The worst part about the whole experience was not that there was a brown finger stain next to the toilet paper on the wall. The worst part was the smell from the bathroom floor drain. I'm not fully sure how to best describe it but I can only imagine Satan himself designed the plumbing to allow the horrid smell up from below. I assume it was from grease from the Gyros shop going into the same plumbing but can't be sure. The good thing about this is you can just shut the smell in the bathroom... except the door latch is broken and the door stays ajar. You also can't lock the bathroom door as there's no latch. There is a mark on the door from where the latch has been. I think I could point out more things like the fact the lights flicker as if you are in a scene from the shining but I wouldn't want to subtract from my other points When we entered it was also about 29oC in Cardiff. It had to be +10 to that inside but I fear it was more... This in combination with the smell had me genuinely looking for another accommodation. Metallica was on and everywhere else was £350 a night so we stayed. But let me be clear I would never do it again and it was almost for the challenge and story that we decided to stay. If you want a 3/10 stay look elsewhere. I'm no prude and have stayed in hostels...this was a real 1/10 where horror story's are based on.

a month ago · via Google

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.

7 months ago · via Google