Great price, clean, amazing location, free coffee, free breakfast. This place is great. Make sure…read moreyou thank Charlie when he checks you in, he's the coolest.

I was in Cardiff for a conference and chose Riverhouse Backpackers as my choice...plus it was cheap…read morefor three days it was £60. It is run by a friendly brother and sister team. When they told me what room I was going in and it was all male....I was like nah! The were prompt to change and gave me an all female room. The did say keep bedrooms clean, so you knew you wasn't going to get a cleaner every day to change your bedding hence why I saw long stringy hair in my bunk bed that I had to pick off. I enjoyed the breakfast especially a paticular Peanut Butter I was raving to the owner about. It was from Costco! Obviously you get all sort of people- but mainly a young crowd. The have a cute small living room with plenty of choice if you wanted to watch a DVD! Also coming into the entrance of Riverhouse their are lots of information on what to do in Cardiff and the rest of Wales. I love the fact Riverhouse is near the River Taff and really close to the city centre . It was a pleasent stay overall.

My first reaction after getting into our private double at the YHA Cardiff Central: "This looks…read morejust like a room at a Holiday Inn Express!" Not that I can compare to other YHA locations, but private rooms at other hostels I've stayed at weren't nearly so nice to feel like a hotel. Later I found out the hostel was formerly a Mercure Lodge Hotel, so it makes complete sense. Anyway, so yes, the room is very nice for a hostel. The location is also very good for exploring Cardiff -- about 15 minutes of walking gets you to the Cardiff Central Library and the shopping arcades, and with another 10 minutes you'll be at the castle. The price is also right, at 80GBP for 2 nights with free parking. Why haven't I rated this 5 stars? Two words: Rubbish Wifi. First, you have to register with Sky UK to log onto the wifi network, which is annoying and probably data-mined to bits. Second, for one of the two nights we were there it was impossible to connect to the access point -- it was so overloaded it wasn't even handing out IP addresses. Third, even when we did connect to the access point, the connection was fairly pokey. I don't have any speed measurements, but it definitely felt slow just browsing the web. To sum up, it's a good inexpensive base camp for checking out Cardiff. Just expect to use your own 4G data if you really need internet.

They're all about looking good to the public, but in reality they don't deliver what they promise…read more In 2013, I was 17 years old. I was stuck in a house with constant domestic violence. Bear in mind that this came after years of childhood abuse. I contacted another helpline in confidence first and they suggested that I contact Llamau. I did so. The way that I was treated from that point onwards was absolutely shocking. One of their workers sat down with me for a 'risk assessment'. She laughed at me, mocked me and told me that my situation was not 'violent enough'. She belittled me and asked really insulting questions. She accused me of lying and fabricating. I'm Indian and she told me that what was happening to me was just a 'my culture'. Worse still, she suggested that I MEDIATE with my abusers and sit down with them over tea and biscuits. Then, worst of all, she told me that she would contact my abusers herself directly. I told her that I did not consent to this and that this could place me in danger if they found out that I was trying to get help. I also told her that if she felt I was in danger (which she already belittled and denied) she could only refer onto social services and let them make whatever decision they deem fit. This is standard protocol for any situation. But she told me that she had the legal right to contact my relatives herself directly, without the input of social services, and against my wishes, due to me being 17 years old and a minor. I have never, ever heard of an organisation contacting the perpetrators of a victim of domestic abuse. Do you have any idea how much danger that could place a person in? The next day, she casually phoned me on my mobile and told me that she'd changed her mind (of her own accord) about contacting my relatives, and that she would refer me to social services. This woman seemed to think that my life was in her hands to do as she pleased with! Clearly, she was aware that she could legally get away with anything and that I was powerless. I was a very vulnerable young girl and this left me even more vulnerable. Then, recently, I sent in a complaint to Llamau by email describing this experience and asked for an apology. They refused to apologise and just sent me a long letter by post justifying what they did (can be seen in photos) and insisted that what the staff member did was OK. I told them that I would expose my experience to the public they threatened me not to (seen in photos), "Until you have completed the processes around appeal though, I am not able to give you permission to broadcast the response I sent to you." I can't believe that this organisation has so many positive reviews. On Facebook, they get all negative reviews deleted and only allow positive reviews. I left a review on Facebook and they deleted it and sent me a message saying' we've emailed you a complaints form. If you're not happy, use that to complain to us'. This is their way of maintaining control. They silence anyone who speaks negatively of them.

Llamau is a charity working with homeless people in South Wales, providing them with the advocacy,…read moreadvice and support that enables them to live interdependently in supported accommodation. This includes young people leaving care, young offenders, and young people who are homeless or living in temporary, vulnerable housing. The aim of their housing projects is to help these young people gain the skills they need to be able to maintain a tenancy. They do this through teaching practical skills such as budgeting, cooking and housework as well as offering support and advice on other issues that have an impact on their lives such as training, education or employment opportunities, substance misuse, relationships and health issues.

The handful of 'central' backpacker hostels in Cardiff include Nomad Hostel on one edge of the city…read morecentre, and a couple of hostels in the Riverside area on the other side of the cty centre. Each location and hostel has its own unique advantages and disadvantages, of course. Nomad has plenty of facilities for true travellers on a shoestring budget, for starters- including a kitchen so you don't have to eat out, and a pool table and TV room with DVD library if night life doesn't fit into your travel budget! A basic breakfast is included in the price of a bed, which costs from about 20 euros a night, and there's free tea and coffee available all day, as well as free wireless broadband internet access. The main shops on Queen Street are only a few minutes' walk from the hostel, and from there the main city centre attractions are all within easy reach, including Cardiff Castle and the Millennium Stadium - though these are not quite as close by as they would be if you were staying at the Riverhouse Backpackers or Cardiff Backpacker on the other side of town. Nomad has a reputation for pleasant staff and clean bathrooms, which is always a big bonus when you're travelling - and its other big advantage is that it's close to Queen Street train station if you fancy hopping on the train direct to Cardiff Bay, to explore the waterfront part of town.

My first impression was that this is a very basic hostel (which was partly still under…read moreconstruction). The private room I stayed in only had two plain beds and a small wardrobe. There were neither a table nor chair nor a sink in the bedroom. Though a trash bag was provided, there was no actual Trash bin to attach it to. However, with several extra blankets stored in the wardrobe, they made sure that you won't be cold at night. Our floor had one shared bathroom. The bathroom itself was very clean, but the shower showed signs of black mold. A big plus is that the bathrooms and the showers provided liquid soap, so no carrying around your soap every time you have to go to the bathroom. Breakfast is included, but it's as basic as the rest of the hostel; they only offer bread and two types of marmalade, as well as coffee and tea. I would have liked a bit more variety in the choice of spreads and drinks. The kitchen is fully equipped, and you're welcome to cook yourself some dinner in the oven or in the microwave. The common rooms were very basic as well, but since there was still a lot of construction and renovation going on, it would be unfair to judge them now. The big common room has several tables and chairs, a billiard table and a book exchange. There's also another room for TV and internet. The staff were all very nice and helpful whenever we had questions or requests. Wi-Fi is completely free and works in the rooms. The hostel is located about 3 blocks from the main shopping street of Cardiff, Queen Street and from there most of Cardiff's attractions are easy to reach by foot. Queen Street Rail Station is also not far, from where you can catch a shuttle train to Cardiff Bay every 10-or-so minutes.

Located on the end of Bute Street nearest to the city centre, Ty Gobaith is a Salvation Army Social…read moreServices Centre that, according to its website, provides accommodation and services for vulnerable people who want to address their support needs within a supportive environment. With more than 60 units of accommodation, Ty Gobaith offers a variety of services that encourage individuals to meet their full potential and become independent. Ty Gobaith also offers the "Bridge Programme", which is a joint working initiative between the Salvation Army and the Community Addictions Unit in Cardiff which aims to address the complex needs of homeless people with substance misuse issues. An in-house Resettlement Team is available to provide advice on the following: * Drugs and alcohol * Mental Health * Tenancy support * Housing issues * Offending issues * Life Skills * Education/employment * Family and relationships * Domestic abuse * Refugee issues More information can be found on the Ty Gobaith website or by calling 02920 480187.

NosDa (meaning 'good night' in Welsh) is a youth hostel which looks out over the River Taff and…read moreMillennium Stadium in Cardiff. Since being refurbished a couple of years ago, it has become a popular spot with tourists and locals alike, and has an international reputation for being one of the best hostels in the UK. And rightly deserved, I say! Now, as a Cardiff local, I clearly have not stayed in this hostel. But I have been smuggled upstairs a couple of times (shh...), and the space is wonderful and modern. They provide basic amenities, but you get everything you might expect in a hostel, and to a high standard. In short, you're not going to find yourself sharing a room with 32 other people on mattresses that once upon a time had something resembling stuffing. No, at NosDa, you will have a very pleasant and comfortable stay. The fame of NosDa in Cardiff, however, is created by its fantastic bar area. Complete with heated outdoors area, pool tables and Pokémon-inspired art (although it claims not to be), this is a great space always bustling with energy. The staff are some of the happiest I've ever met and will welcome everyone with a smile. If you're looking for somewhere to stay in Cardiff on a budget, you'll get everything here, and probably lots of friends. And apparently there's a gym somewhere too...

If you want to join a gym, but you're on a very tight budget, the Nos Da Gym is a relatively new…read more'staffless' establishment that keeps costs down to pass on savings to its members. A month's membership is only £20 (or £17.50 for students), or you can pay £4 per session (£3.50 for students) - but remember to have cash with you as they don't accept cards or cheques. It's not huge or terribly swanky, so it probably won't suit those who wish to pose during their workout - but if you're familiar with similar equipment, and don't need to be shown the ropes, it's perfectly adequate for an all-body workout. There are running machines, free weights, cross trainers, exercise bikes, ab racks, resistance equipment and yoga balls. The gym has chosen the most user-friendly machines they could find: new Lifefitness equipment - with instructions displayed on the gym walls. All this is fine if you're already in the swing of a gym routine and understand the equipment, but for those starting out they may want to find a gym with a bit more hand-holding on offer!

Attempting to find somewhere on a Saturday night in Cardiff that doesn't require a bodycon and 8…read moreinch heels can sometimes be difficult. Which is probably one of the main reasons as to why, (despite being a hostel) Bunkhouse is my favourite bar. Aside from the Free Wi-Fi and amazingly Instagrammable décor - what I love most about Bunkhouse is that you can wear Skinny Jeans and Flats without feeling like the girl who has forgotten her P.E kit. They have board games, books, a pop-up cinema and they serve their hot chocolate with Nutella and toasted marshmallows - What more could you want from a Saturday night?! Note, If you are planning on staying in the Hostel you can book a bed from as little as £15 per night and a basic breakfast including tea, coffee, cereal, toast and jam is included. Linen is also included and there are lockers provided underneath each bed.

The Bunk House is situated smack bang in the centre of Cardiff on St Mary Street and is not just a…read morehostel. I love this place and often pop in on my lunch break for a coffee as the bar is open to the general public regardless of whether you are staying in the hostel rooms which are located upstairs. One of the reasons I like this place so much is that when you walk in off of the street you notice immediately the calm and relaxed atmosphere. You won't find a sleek modern designer yuppie bar here, all of the furniture has an antique, old fashioned feel and you will notice yesteryear items around that give the bar a grannies attic appeal. The staff here are extremely friendly and have a varied taste in music which you will notice is playing in the background, adding to the atmosphere. I think I could happily spend all day here simply drinking coffee and working on my laptop. On top of that, the accommodation is great value offering beds from only £15 per night. When you realise the cost of a bed in the heart of the capital can cost you as much as 4 times that amount, or even more, you can't deny that they offer excellent value for money.

My wife and I stayed at the Church B&B on Cathedral Rd for 5 nights this week. We have stayed in…read moremany B&B's in the UK including London, Ireland and Scotland but this is our first one in Wales. It is important to note that the things we didn't like about our experience here may be prevalent throughout Wales (or Cardiff) so Church may be on par in these areas. Nonetheless we felt that based on our experiences throughout the UK, this B&B did not meet our expectations in certain areas. There were some positives, so let's discuss them first. Pros: - nice and safe neighborhood - close to Bute Park which was very nice to stroll through - close to pubs & restaurants (we particularly liked the area up the street - to the North and away from city center (Pontcanna St) - Reasonable price for lodging - Andrew (host) is very nice and a pleasure to talk to Cons: - pretty far from downtown (about 15-20 min walk but a scenic one) - Room (#9 - 2 twin beds) and bathroom were both small (shower very tight for me because I'm tall and lanky) and hard to regulate water temp. The sink water had separate cold and hot faucets (may be standard for Cardiff but we still hate it!) We would have paid more for the King room if we had known how small ours was - Extra £ for hot breakfast (not toast and porridge though), which we've never seen before. If that's their model then the continental needs to be much more extensive (basically cereals, fruits and yogurt) - Thin walls and bedroom door rattled when other room doors open/close. In general it was very loud - like I said Andrew was very, very nice and tried to help us (called a taxi), but he really don't know much about Cardiff. For example, he didn't know the information center had moved to a new part of town and not close to the City Center or that the restaurant he recommended was closed on Monday's. Or the name of landmarks that we wanted to learn about. We are accustomed to our host being an expert in every detail when it comes to their city and providing more assistance in acclimating ourselves In summation we felt that we received a reasonable value for our stay and we did like the neighborhood. By giving it 3 stars we aren't necessarily recommending it or not recommending it, but you should know what you are getting into before booking here. If the issues mentioned above aren't a concern you will probably love it here. They were quite full with business travelers so maybe they aren't used to tourists or because they are doing so well they don't need to step up their game. I doubt we'll come back to Cardiff because we want to see Northern Wales, but if we did return we would consider staying here again after looking at other options, but we wouldn't get the twin room again. Again, maybe this is all totally standard for Wales so it may not be Church B&B's fault. Feel free to let me know if you have any specific questions.