An iconic Cardiff hotel, which has welcomed over 1.5 million guests, is celebrating its 25thanniversary.
voco St David’s Cardiff, the five-star hotel and spa in the heart of Cardiff Bay, is one of a handful of iconic landmarks in the Welsh capital celebrating 25 years in 2024.
Opened in 1999 by Rocco Forte Hotels, St David’s was the first five-star hotel in Wales. It launched in a momentous year for the country – dubbed the year of Cool Cymru – which saw Wales’ first parliament in more than 600 years open in Cardiff Bay, the completion of the Cardiff Bay Barrage and the opening of the Millennium Stadium, now Principality Stadium, to audiences of three billion worldwide for the Rugby World Cup.
Over the last twenty-five years, the award-winning hotel, which is renowned for its service, distinctive architectural building and unparalleled views across Cardiff Bay, has cemented its position as one of Wales’ leading places to stay and a desirable destination for dining, spa days, meetings and events.
The 142-room hotel has welcomed 1,628,354 guests, including a number of top celebrities and sport stars, and hosted over 800 weddings.
In 2018, the hotel was acquired by InterContinental Hotels (IHG) and rebranded under its new upscale voco brand. The voco St David’s Cardiff was the second property in the world to open under the new voco brand and the first in Europe. The voco brand has gone onto become IHG’s fastest-growing premium brand.
Thanks to investment from its owners, in 2021, the hotel’s restaurant, bar and outside terrace underwent a significant refurbishment and relaunched as Tir a Môr. Meaning land and sea in Welsh, the restaurant, takes its cue from its bayside location, serving the very best produce Wales has to offer.
Earlier this year, the hotel unveiled its new Tiger Bay floor following a substantial £650k refurbishment. Drawing inspiration from the rich cultural heritage of Tiger Bay, the refurbished rooms, junior suites and suites, located at the very top of the hotel, mark the inaugural phase of an extensive room renovation project, with all floors planned for completion by 2026.
The renovation is part of a wider multi-million-pound investment plan which has included a £300k upgrade of its spa and a £190k upgrade of its meetings, events and gym facilities to date.
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the hotel has launched a ‘25 years of making memories’ competition, where guests are asked to submit a photo from their favourite time visiting the hotel over the last 25 years to be in with the chance of winning an overnight stay for two people. The hotel is also running a ‘25 for 25’ campaign, where on the 25th of every month, it unveils a special promotion. This month, guests can enjoy the hotel’s delicious Bay View afternoon tea for just £25 per person.
Konstantin Grimm, General Manager at voco St David’s Cardiff, says: “We’re delighted to be celebrating 25 years of our hotel. It is a real milestone not only for us but for Cardiff as a whole.
“Our anniversary coincides with an exciting chapter for us as we continue to invest to elevate the entire hotel to a new level of lifestyle-luxury, whilst also taking our responsibility of creating a sustainable future seriously.
“Over the last 25 years, our guests have entrusted us with countless memories, from weddings and anniversaries to birthdays and other special occasions, so it felt apt to launch our ’25 years of making memories’ competition. We’re excited to see people’s entries and look forward to building many more memories with our guests for years to come.”
