NosDa

I was here for the 2012 Summer Olympics and this location was PERFECT. It is right across from Millennium Stadium and a walk away from the train station, pubs, shopping areas, etc. I did not use public transportation at all during my stay (everything is within walking distance) Beds are really comfortable and rooms are fairly big. The only cons: There is no wifi in rooms but if you go downstairs there is a great lounge area were you can use it. Also, males and females share the same restroom but there was no one there every time I would have to use it. Restrooms were also very clean.

Not willing to sign up for a monthly gym membership for £40 a month that I will stop using after 2 weeks and a standing order that will take me 6 months to get around to cancelling the Nos Da is the perfect solution. I’m the stereotypical gym person — I’ll eat and drink to excess for months, realise I look like death and then go to the gym for two weeks and convince myself I’m a fully rejuvenated beacon of health once more. I’ll then repeat the whole nasty cycle, having pacified my fears.
That’s exactly what happened with the Nos Da. You can pay a one off £20 fee and get a card which is valid for a month, with no recurring fees or contracts to buy in to. Weirdly, signing up for the gym also gives you 20% off all drinks at the Nos Da bar. You have to walk right past the bar on your way out too. I found it hard to resist a quick, cheap pint every single time, having become parched from the workout.
It’s completely no frills inside. There’s a small, completely unheated, ice-​cold changing room which only serves to give you a magnificent pair of erect nipples as you’re trying your best not to look ridiculous while you’re doing bench presses. There’s a few running machines, a couple of exercise bikes, a bench and some weights, two rowing machines and leg press machines. All that is crammed fairly tightly into two mid-​sized rooms. Every time I was there it was pretty quiet which I liked as there’s nothing I hate more than people waiting for you to finish on a machine.
If you aren’t looking for luxurious surroundings or the possibility of a quick sauna session after a workout, the Nos Da is perfectly adequate for the casual gymmist (?) but anything more specialised and you’d have to look elsewhere.

Few places in Cardiff make me wish I lived elsewhere as much as this.
Now, please understand that this statement isn’t intended as an insult. It’s just that every time I stumble into here, either to check their fabulous What’s On information point or to get a pint on the way into town, I find myself longing to be one of the weary travellers who finds themselves walking into this hall loaded with suitcases and the odd bum-​bag and ready for a few weeks or days of exploring our fine city.
The décor is bold yet non-​offensive, and the seating seems engineered to make conversation with strangers, or should I say ‘new friends’, as easy as possible. The result is a communal area which is friendly, welcoming and incredibly sociable. And, needless to say with a service of this kind, it is packed with people with interesting stories.
For those visiting the city for the first time, be sure to ask the bar staff about the beers on offer here. Nos Da is well stocked and, from my experience, the staff extremely knowledgeable.
Providing an admirable range of drinks, the experience to meet fascinating new people and offering a bed just minutes away from the town centre, Nos Da has all the ingredients for a memorable stay in Wales’ capital.
URBAN CHALLENGE: Make friends with someone on a gap year… then book a date to go stay with them

If you want to join a gym, but you’re on a very tight budget, the Nos Da Gym is a relatively new ‘staffless’ establishment that keeps costs down to pass on savings to its members. A month’s membership is only £20 (or £17.50 for students), or you can pay £4 per session (£3.50 for students) — but remember to have cash with you as they don’t accept cards or cheques.
It’s not huge or terribly swanky, so it probably won’t suit those who wish to pose during their workout — but if you’re familiar with similar equipment, and don’t need to be shown the ropes, it’s perfectly adequate for an all-​body workout. There are running machines, free weights, cross trainers, exercise bikes, ab racks, resistance equipment and yoga balls.
The gym has chosen the most user-​friendly machines they could find: new Lifefitness equipment — with instructions displayed on the gym walls. All this is fine if you’re already in the swing of a gym routine and understand the equipment, but for those starting out they may want to find a gym with a bit more hand-​holding on offer!

NosDa Hostel is the largest independent hostel in Cardiff. With approximately 170 beds, it’s massive! It’s got all of the amenities you could ever ask for too… and there’s no curfew!
The reception is attached to a good sized bar with plenty of comfortable seating, and the vibe is always sociable. There’s a pool table, TV and internet access, (free wi-​fi if you’ve brought your own laptop, and a few desktops if you haven’t). Offering a good selection of drinks as well as hot and cold food, it’s entirely feasible to pitch up for a few days, and never have to leave the building!
Everything operates on a keycard, so there’s no pin numbers to remember, (oh how I remember being locked out of the Glastonbury Backpackers at 4.00 a.m. on a cold autumn evening, all for the sake of four little digits that I just couldn’t remember…)
There’s all the usual help-​yourself facilities including a good sized, well equipped kitchen, and a lounge with TV etc…
Prices vary depending on whether there’s a big event on in town… like a big rugby match at the Millennium Stadium which is only five minutes walk down the road. Tariffs include breakfasts.

NosDa (meaning ‘good night’ in Welsh) is a youth hostel which looks out over the River Taff and Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Since being refurbished a couple of years ago, it has become a popular spot with tourists and locals alike, and has an international reputation for being one of the best hostels in the UK.
And rightly deserved, I say! Now, as a Cardiff local, I clearly have not stayed in this hostel. But I have been smuggled upstairs a couple of times (shh…), and the space is wonderful and modern. They provide basic amenities, but you get everything you might expect in a hostel, and to a high standard. In short, you’re not going to find yourself sharing a room with 32 other people on mattresses that once upon a time had something resembling stuffing. No, at NosDa, you will have a very pleasant and comfortable stay.
The fame of NosDa in Cardiff, however, is created by its fantastic bar area. Complete with heated outdoors area, pool tables and Pokémon-​inspired art (although it claims not to be), this is a great space always bustling with energy. The staff are some of the happiest I’ve ever met and will welcome everyone with a smile.
If you’re looking for somewhere to stay in Cardiff on a budget, you’ll get everything here, and probably lots of friends. And apparently there’s a gym somewhere too…