The Welsh Rugby Union will open its first hotel, located next to the Principality Stadium, in October.
The 170 guest bedroom venue on Westgate Street, which will be operated on its behalf by the Celtic Collection group, whose portfolio also includes the Celtic Manor Resort, will be called the Parkgate Hotel.
The project, which is being delivered by Cardiff-based developer Rightacres and has been forward funded by financial services giant L&G, has transformed the former listed Post Office and adjoining former County Court buildings - those facades have been maintained and enhanced.
L&G provided £45m of forward funding for the project with the WRU entering into a long-term lease.
The WRU is confident, after costs, of generating an annual profit of several million pounds a year from the hotel.
As well as 170 bedrooms and suites, the Parkgate Hotel will also provide a signature restaurant and bar, a tea lounge, as well as a rooftop spa overlooking the skyline of the capital.
The hotel, which is expected to have a high four star rating, will be open in time for Wales’ first autumn internationals series clash against New Zealand on October 30th.
WRU chief executive Steve Phillips said: “We have very much missed welcoming people to Principality Stadium and we are extremely proud to have this fantastic new hotel on show right beside the stadium when we are able to welcome them back
“The Parkgate Hotel will put guests right at the heart of the match day action and is the perfect location for exploring the city centre. It is another fantastic addition to what we are able to offer our visitors for rugby matches and other sporting fixtures, music concerts and corporate events.”
The Celtic Collection chief executive Ian Edwards said: “At a time when we are beginning to reopen and bounce back in tourism and hospitality, we are delighted that The Parkgate Hotel will open this October in time for the autumn internationals.
“The Parkgate is going to be a fantastic, year-round addition to Cardiff’s hotel landscape and it will be an extra special place to be on the big match days that create such an amazing atmosphere in the city.
“In keeping with the new hotel’s stylish luxury, we will be bringing The Celtic Collection’s reputation for delivering world-class hospitality to our packages for international rugby matchdays.
Chief executive of Rightacres, Paul McCarthy, said: “The city centre of Cardiff has been lacking a luxury hotel for a long time and it is especially pleasing to incorporate two iconic but unused buildings in the hotel.
"As well as the connection to Principality Stadium, the significant commercial regeneration going on in this part of the city will only add to the appeal of The Parkgate Hotel.”
