Cardiff: Indigo vs Hilton

[Aston100]

3 nights in early May.
I understand the Hilton is going through some refurbs but is well located.
Don’t know anything about the Indigo.

I’ve got Diamond with both, so breakfast should be included, and presumably lounge access at the Hilton.

Anyone got any knowledge of one or both of these properties?

Thanks.

EDIT: cash price at the Hilton is very good; points price at the Indigo is not bad.
I would prefer to use up my IHG points.

[stevenhp1987]

Stayed at the Indigo for 2 nights last year on points (26k pn in September).

Great Hotel and decor like you’d expect from a Hotel Indigo. Centrally located. Minutes from Cardiff Castle.

Breakfast was disappointing though. Just standard buffet selection of overfried sausages, poor baked beans etc. Nice cheeses though. Marginally better than a standard HI breakfast.

Parking is expensive but many hotels offer cheap parking on JustPark. We parked at the Ibis Budget a good 10 minutes or so walk away via JustPark for a fraction of the price of a nearby car park.

[Aston100]

Thanks Steve.
I trusted your recent description of a Sainsburys Garlic & Mushroom pizza.

[jj]

From a location perspective, the two hotels are within 2 minutes walk of each other. The Hilton has a pool if that’s important, and, unlike the Indigo, some of the rooms overlook the Castle. The Indigo is less staid inside, but the Hilton is architecturally more attractive.

What do you want to do/see in Cardiff. You might be better in a boutique hotel out of the centre like the Holm House in Penarth – it’s 10 mins by train (4 per hour) into Cardiff but it would be easier to access surrounding attractions by car, Penarth has a decent set of restaurants in walking distance including the Michelin starred Home by Sommerin, and the hotel has a fabulous location overlooking the esplanade.

[The Savage Squirrel]

I’ve stayed in most central Cardiff hotels thanks to regular visits when doing a part-time uni’ course.
Those two are both fine if not amazing – much of a muchness.
The Park Plaza is uglier than the Hilton on the outside but far nicer on the inside – my first choice in that area (even though I hate Radisson now).
Don’t cheap out at the ugly Holiday Inn opposite the castle. It’s a crime against both architecture and hotel management.

[stevenhp1987]

Aston100 wrote:

Thanks Steve.
I trusted your recent description of a Sainsburys Garlic & Mushroom pizza.

I was referring to the range in general. Not had the garlic and mushroom one! Can’t expect much from a quid though!

[kai]

Hilton has a great pool, jacuzzi and a decent executive lounge. As a Diamond members you are likely to receive the Junior Suite which is quite big. It’s a no brainer for me really.

[Aston100]

Thanks everyone.

[tw33ty]

Indigo can be noisy depending on which side you’re on and day of the week.

Rooms are nice and funky / quirky as you’d expect from indigo, our room was decorated with Welsh pop music things, not sure it’s the theme in all rooms.

The one niggly thing for me was it wasn’t carpet on the floor, it was wooden effect laminate flooring.

The food is slow in the restaurant, brekkie is cramped and not as good as other indigos imho.

It is nice, and I would stay again myself, but I would go elsewhere for dinner, and the flooring while it’s annoying for me, it’s not a deal breaker, maybe in s cold winter it would be lol.

Parking is just to the rear in the NCP car park, which you can use a general code to get the cost down to £12 or £15 a night, the code can be used by anyone at any hotel or overnight stay, just pop in at the terminal when paying hotelindigo2023 and it bring the price down.

I know you said indigo vs Hilton, but have you considered the Marriott? It’s got a nice lounge, newly opened or about to open browns restaurant attached to it, and there is an ivy Asia and the ivy just outside the front door.

[mark2]

We stayed at the Indigo in about May 2022. The location is a bit strange and the rooms are certainly quirky but we liked that. The food in both restaurant (Marco Pierre White) and breakfast was poor.
Indigo Chester was in a completely different class.

[Aston100]

tw33ty wrote:

I know you said indigo vs Hilton, but have you considered the Marriott?

Unfortunately it has to be one of those two I’m afraid.
Thanks for your report though.

A common theme here about the food being subpar at the Indigo.
It’s driving me to the Hilton. I do wonder about the impact of the refurb at the Hilton though.

[TGLoyalty]

Isn’t St David’s an option thought it was the best of the bunch?

[Aston100]

TGLoyalty wrote:

Isn’t St David’s an option thought it was the best of the bunch?

Stayed there in 2021; would rate it at about 8 out of 10.
Alas, I need a reasonable IHG or Hilton option close to the castle this time, for reasons I don’t want to bore you with.

[jj]

tw33ty wrote:

…have you considered the Marriott? It’s got a nice lounge, newly opened or about to open browns restaurant attached to it, and there is an ivy Asia and the ivy just outside the front door.

Cardiff city centre is surprisingly poor for food with many dull chain restaurants that cater to students or the drunken-night-out-on-the-town brigade. I’m not sure which is cause and which is effect, but few locals head into the city for an evening meal, and the best restaurants are in the suburbs.

My own pick of the central restaurants is Casanova near the stadium, an unpretentious place run by two Venetian brothers. Other good choices include Asador 44, Bar 44 and Le Monde. The Ivy is perfectly fine, but ranks well below those four in my view. Pasture is attracting a cult following but I can’t vouch for it myself, and Curado is a great spot for casual nibbles.

For drinks, consider Gin and Juice or Rum and Fizz for cocktails. Tiny Rebel normally has a good choice of real ales.