voco St David’s Cardiff has marked a successful year in 2025, welcoming 67,463 guests to date and generating record turnover.
The Cardiff Bay hotel recorded a 5% increase in total revenue year on year, alongside a 25% rise in corporate room nights, reflecting strong demand from conferences, business travel and major events. July proved to be a standout period, delivering the hotel’s highest revenue month of the year, boosted by a busy city events calendar including Oasis performing at the Principality Stadium.
The hotel invested around £225,000 in refurbishments and upgrades. Improvements included new door locks, refurbished public area bathrooms, a new accessible lift providing step-free access to the gym and treatment rooms, and the introduction of a new on-site gift shop.
The arrival experience was further enhanced through the rollout of electronic check-in via iPads, streamlining the welcome process, alongside the introduction of RFID key cards, offering guests seamless, contactless access to their rooms.
The hotel’s performance and guest satisfaction were recognised at the Cardiff Life Awards, where voco St David’s Cardiff was named winner in the Leisure and Tourism category, in addition to receiving a Booking.com Traveller Review Award.
The hotel hosted at least one elite sports team every month in 2025, including Premier League football clubs and international rugby teams, alongside major conferences and events for organisations such as Welsh Government, Huawei, Arla, CGI and Suzuki. The hotel also welcomed more than 2,000 room nights from TV and film productions, including Quay Street Productions during filming of the BBC drama The Guest, as well as accommodation for the casts of Mary Poppins and Hamilton.
Strategic partnerships remained an important part of the hotel’s role within the city, including collaborations with Christmas at Bute Park and Techniquest.
Sustainability remained a key operational focus in 2025. All gas kitchen appliances were replaced with electric alternatives, contributing to reduced gas consumption, while the installation of variable speed drives on pumps over 1.5KW, new energy-efficient pool equipment and ongoing LED lighting upgrades delivered further efficiencies. The hotel also continued to work closely with the Cardiff Harbour Authority to support environmental initiatives across Cardiff Bay.
Community and charity engagement continued to play a central role in the hotel’s culture. Over the year, the team raised £2,155.77 for charities and community partners including Cardiff Mind, Cardiff Dogs Home, Springboard, and The Wallich. Staff took part in a wide range of fundraising and volunteering activities, including a Pen y Fan hike in partnership with Cardiff Mind, Springboard work placements, litter picks, charity cycle rides and participation in Hospitality Action’s Walk for Wellbeing. During IHG’s annual Giving for Good Month, team initiatives also resulted in 48 meals donated to local charities.
John King, Director of Sales at voco St David’s Cardiff, said:
“2025 has been a hugely positive year for voco St David’s Cardiff. Welcoming more than 67,000 guests and generating a record turnover reflects both the strength of Cardiff as a destination and the breadth of demand we attract, from conferences and elite sport to leisure breaks and film productions. Continued investment in our facilities, our people and our partnerships has been central to that success, and we’re excited to build on this momentum as we move into 2026.”
