Jolyons Boutique Hotel, South Wales
Bute Crescent, Cardiff Bay
Reviewed by Helen
Jolyons is a lovely friendly townhouse boutique hotel, right in the heart of the buzzing Cardiff Bay.
Great for afternoon strolls around the bay, evening drinks and dinner in bar Cwtch,and handy for all the city centre attrections. Such places in great locations are few and far between!
Jolyons Boutique Hotel, Cardiff, South Wales, is perfectly located in the heart of the exciting Cardiff Bay attractions. Following extensive developments, Cardiff is fast becoming one of the most popular destinations for UK city breaks, and unlike many other UK cities, this is also a great base for coastal exploration along the winding shorelines of South Wales.
This little gem is right in the centre of Cardiff Bay's bustling waterfront, set amongst an array of galleries, boutiques, cafes, restaurants and bars. Jolyons also has its own renowned bar and restaurant Bar Cwtch. ( meaning hug in Welsh). Here you are spoilt for choice with the wide choice of speciality beers and the accomplished wine list. Alternatively, you can sit back and relax with a cocktail or a glass of Champagne. Bar Cwtch is always busy with locals and visitors alike so this is a great way to chill out and absorb the buzzing ambience of this vibrant City and in particular the Cardiff Bay area. The restaurant is famous for its wood fire oven Pizzas and Rosmary bread mezze platters around the cosy big open fire. Breakfasts too are a special treat here, giving you the choice of full Welsh, English, vegetarian, continental or organic breakfasts, using locally sourced produce combined with a selection of breads, fruits and cereals.
Jolyons has 6 beautifully furnished ensuite rooms and faces out on to the Cardiff Bay wharfs overlooking the Millennium Centre across the way. All rooms are lavishly furnished with sumptuous decor, flat screen TV, WiFi, Ipod stations. The rear room on the first floor has a large spacious balcony overlooking the Cwtch outdoor terrace. This is perfect for an afternoon or early evening drink before you head out on the town, although it may be noisy later so it's best to go down and join them at that point or book a room to the front.
Cardiff Bay has been turned into a vast freshwater lake with the introduction of a barrage 10 years ago. It is now Europe's largest waterfront development and it has a wealth of leisure activities available both on and off the water. There is plenty to do in Cardiff, my favourite is the water taxi from the Mermaid Quay which takes you from the Bay right into the heart of the city. From here you can visit the Castle, art galleries, theatres, the Millenium Stadium as well as numerous bars, coffee shops,, restaurants and designer shops. The Comedy scene is flourishing too, with the Glee Club now a firm part of the UK circuit. Cardiff is now one of the leading hosts for UK sporting occasions and also holds many top flight concerts in the new Millenium centre.
All in all, Cardiff is changing quickly and is evolving into a vibrant and cosmopolitan waterfront city. Jolyons boutique hotel Cardiff is a great choice for a buzzing boutique city break!