THE organisation behind the five-star Celtic Manor Resort invited the Argus for a very sneaky peek of their newest hotel seven months before it opens.

Just a stone's throw from Celtic Manor Resort and ICC Wales, Tŷ Newport - run by The Celtic Collection - will have 146 spacious bedrooms, two 12-person meeting rooms, a Mediterranean-themed restaurant and small gym they are calling the “Activi-tŷ Suite”.

The name of the hotel (house in Welsh) is not the only thing homely about the place. Rooms will be fitted with a desk, coffee table, tea and coffee making facilities, hairdryer, ironing board, 49-inch Samsung TV, complimentary WiFi and air conditioning.

South Wales Argus:

The home theme extends to the “Casa” kitchen and bar on the ground floor, to be headed by chef Adam Whittle who joins from the Celtic Collection’s 2 AA Rosette award-winning Newbridge on Usk.

Though this is a hotel that will pride itself on getting the basics right, it is the result of very deliberate design – that much is clear even in the building’s current, unfurnished state.

The corridors are wide enough to allow two golf parties to pass each other comfortably, no side-shuffling necessary, and there is a mini roundabout in the car park which allows guests to drop off their bags before they find a space.

This hotel, the team believe, will go a long way to plugging the “demand for bedrooms” in the area, facilitating ever-bigger events at the ICC whilst doubling up as a not-so-far getaway for people who live in and around south Wales.

South Wales Argus:

Guests can look over the lobby from all three floors above ground level and enjoy a healthy amount of natural light. All rooms are accessible and some will be equipped with wet rooms.

Lucky visitors attended the Par-Tŷ in the Foundations last night, Friday, November 24, where live music, Spanish and Italian bites and a warm and fuzzy welcome were enough to keep the building site shivers at bay.

Cluster hotel director Matt Barnby took us for an exclusive look upstairs.

The meeting room on the first floor – currently just a table and chairs – will be called Tredegar House, he revealed, a local reference and another nod to the theme of home.

We also stepped inside a finished sample room, where the director revealed the cost of Covid, bumping the hotel’s price tag up to £20 million from around £13 million before 2019.

With a prime location and trusty track record on their side, staff hope Tŷ can become a favourite for sports teams, corporate and leisure guests – and the “number one” option for those visiting the ICC, with the team even drafting an application to build a bridge between the two sites.

“I don’t know when it’s going to happen, but that’s the vision,” he said. “We want to make ICC Wales, Celtic Manor, Coldra Court and Tŷ Newport here an island site.”

Tŷ Newport opens in June 2024.

  • Click through the gallery above to see a full set of pictures of the new hotel.