voco St. David's Cardiff

About voco St. David's Cardiff

The glass-prowed building on Havannah Street has been the landmark of Cardiff Bay since the waterfront was rebuilt, and it remains the city's flagship address. Every bedroom has a private balcony, most of them facing the water, and the seven-storey atrium that runs the length of the building gives the public areas an airiness few British hotels manage. A recent refurbishment brought the rooms in line with the voco brand's warmer, less corporate style.

The spa is the reason many guests book. It occupies its own floor with a hydrotherapy pool, sauna, steam room and a long list of treatments, and it is one of the better hotel spas in Wales. Tir a Môr, the restaurant, leans on Welsh produce — Carmarthen ham, Pembrokeshire seafood, salt marsh lamb — and the bar terrace is a good place to watch the light go over the barrage.

Practically, it works best for visitors whose plans centre on the Bay: the Wales Millennium Centre and the Senedd are a five-minute walk, Mermaid Quay's restaurants slightly less. The city centre is a mile and a half away, reached by a four-minute train from Cardiff Bay station or a pleasant walk along the waterfront. There is on-site parking, which makes it a sensible choice for anyone driving.