This is a relatively new hostel but extremely nice! The staff are spot on, friendly but not…read moreoverbearing, helpful, and sociable. Ended up playing poker with the owner and a few of the other guests, it was great craic. Breakfast is included in the price and is basic but works for fueling before heading out for a day of sightseeing. The location of the hostel is also fabulous, close to many of the big tourist attractions and lots of the great pubs/bars. Not too loud over the weekend and even when full like this weekend was still extremely pleasant. Beds so comfortable I'd take them with me if I could! The building itself has recently been redone and the style is Victorian-esque without being cold or stiff. Cute theme with lots of safes everywhere. And CLEAN! Not messy or grungy like many other hostels where you really FEEL like there's thirty other guests packed in. Tidy and comfortable. Several little lounges/sitting rooms, and the bathrooms are well-kept too which is the biggest plus in my opinion! The kitchen is small but functional and also well-maintained. Love love loved it and would recommend to anyone and everyone.

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.

This youth hostel I found adorable. My son and I stayed here in August. The manager Andrew was just…read moreone of the best managers I have come across - friendly, warm, knowledgebale, a real gem. The hostel is old (it was one of the first) and basic but it adds to its charm. There was a real communal spirit here and everyone talked to everyone. There was a big box of sporting equipment and plenty of space for the kids (borders national trust land). Camping also available. Highly receommended for the simple life and peace and quiet.

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.

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.

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.