Taking over two historic buildings — the old post office and county court — Parkgate has already staked a claim as Cardiff’s best hotel. It brings sophisticated, grown-up design to the city, with high-end fabrics, leather and wood in the bedrooms, and brasserie styling in the restaurant.

In a city where so much is made of proximity to the water, it makes sense that someone has devised accommodation that floats on the stuff.

Hotel Indigo is a terrific value option in Cardiff city centre. It’s a playful place that celebrates Welsh design and heritage in little touches; there are sheepskin footstools and headboards made out of Welsh blankets in the rooms, and prints featuring corgis and Dame Shirley Bassey in the social spaces.

The bed and breakfast once known as Cathedral 73 was reborn as No 73 by CoffiCo in 2021. The rooms and suites occupy a handsome Victorian townhouse in an area of the city where there are delis, coffee shops and gastropubs.

You can’t miss this striking five-star hotel on Cardiff Bay, with its sail-shaped roof and ground-to-roof glass atrium.

A central location within a drop kick of the Principality Stadium (formerly the Millennium Stadium) is a big draw for this old stalwart.

Owned by the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the hotel overlooks the waters of Cardiff Bay. Each suite has a full kitchen; move up the price bracket from standard to get a balcony and living space, too.

Just a five-minute walk from city-centre attractions including the National Museum Cardiff, the Park Plaza hotel and spa is an excellent choice for a weekend break. Rooms are spacious, with large, comfortable beds and decent showers.

Occupying a 19th-century building once used by merchants and traders to buy and sell coal, this is now a relaxed, cheerful place to stay, with individually designed rooms and suites.

The seven cosy studios at 62 Plantagenet north of the city centre bring something a little different to Cardiff’s hotel scene, with styling that draws influences from the Sixties and Seventies.

Formerly a Jurys Inn and now part of the Leonardo hotel chain, this one has 142 bedrooms in an imposing Victorian building; rooms range from standards to suites, each with eminently comfortable beds with fat mattresses.

This is a great choice for families in the heart of the city. Family rooms include a double and single bed, with the option to add extras or a cot, and there are adjoining rooms available too.

If you like to mix urban and rural on a break, this is just the ticket. A Georgian country pile, it feels a world away from city life, but it’s only a 15-minute drive to central Cardiff; indeed, you might be able to see the Welsh capital over the fields and woods from your room.

This is a solid offering from the Hilton group, with service and amenities that guarantee a comfortable stay. Classically styled rooms are spacious and well equipped, and some have views over the castle.

On tree-lined Cathedral Road, a 15-minute walk from the city centre, The Beverley is owned by the Innkeepers Collection chain. Smart rooms sport a rich blue colour scheme, Hypnos mattresses and wooden headboards, with metro tiles and rainfall showers in the bathrooms.

With everything you need and nothing you don’t, Sleeperz makes the perfect city crashpad. The smallest rooms (or “cabins”) come with built-in bunk beds and en suite shower rooms, while the larger superior rooms come with queen-sized beds and more space.

West of Cardiff, you roll into the fertile countryside of the Vale of Glamorgan, close to the capital yet sporting its own special set of attractions. Here you can stay over at one of the attractions themselves, Llanerch Vineyard, which is 20 minutes’ drive from the Welsh capital.