Citrus Hotel Cardiff

Funky and inexpensive is a combination that’s difficult to pull off; but when it works, it’s a recipe for success. Every city needs a place like the Citrus, and a franchise is in the works for London, a city that needs budget accommodation more desperately than any other. But for now, Cardiff is ahead of the game.

The mysterious John Malkovich connection — the American actor is a major shareholder in the hotel venture — turns out to be merely a distraction from the real story about the Citrus. What’s remarkable is not who owns the place, but the place itself: a sort of cheap-chic budget boutique, minimally serviced yet smartly designed, offering stylish rooms with en-suite bathrooms for well under a hundred pounds per night.

At these rates, of course, there’s little in the way of marble and velvet. Instead think white formica, retro shag carpets, and a spare Seventies feeling to the décor. All-white looks and feels cheap in this price range; the Citrus dresses itself up in wood veneers and pastel blues, greens and oranges.

As for entertainment, you’re limited to fourteen channels of television, pay-per-view movies, and the views of the city from the windows of this centrally located Sixties office block. No restaurant and no room service, true, but in the newly thriving heart of Cardiff you’ll find plenty of ways to spend the fortune you’ve saved on accommodation.