Morgans occupies one of the handsomest buildings in Swansea: the old Swansea Harbour Trust offices at Somerset Place, built in the early years of the last century to a design by Edwin Seward, who won the commission against 100 rival entries. It is a listed baroque pile of red brick and white stone topped by a clock cupola ringed with statuary, and inside it has kept its maritime soul — stained glass full of ships and exploration, and a mural by Robert Morton Nance showing tall ships on the River Tawe. Swansea’s docks made this building, and you can still feel it.
Today it is a boutique hotel in the middle of the city, and the wedding spaces make good use of the original architecture. The Banqueting Hall is the main event, taking up to 110 for a ceremony and making a strong claim to being the most striking ceremony room in central Swansea. Next to it sits the Atrium, a glass-roofed dining space seating 40 with its own bar and a stained glass window, while the Sir Galahad Suite handles smaller ceremonies of up to 40 beneath original sash windows. A champagne bar links the main bar to the Banqueting Hall for the in-between moments.
Overall the hotel takes up to 150 for a wedding breakfast, up to 200 for an evening reception and up to 300 when hired exclusively. There are 20 bedrooms in the main building and 22 more in the Regency townhouse nearby, so the wedding party stays under the same roof, and the city’s restaurants, the marina and Swansea Bay are all a short walk away.
Where the band plays
The Banqueting Hall is the room for live music, and it is a good one: period height, decorative detail and the sort of proportions that make a band look like an occasion. With up to 200 in for the evening there is a proper crowd, and a four or five-piece will fill the space without having to shout. City-centre hotels do have bedrooms overhead, so this is a venue where a band with some dynamic range — able to drop down as well as lift — is worth more than sheer volume.
The evening, and the practical bits
A wedding here flows naturally from ceremony to champagne bar to dinner to dancing without anyone leaving the building, which in a Welsh winter is no small thing. Being in the middle of the city, guests can spill out to bars afterwards and walk home to their rooms, so the night tends to end well. Confirm the finish time and any limit on amplified music for your date when you book, and ask whether live music stops earlier than the bar does. Load-in needs a moment’s planning — this is a city-centre street rather than a country drive — so check parking and unloading arrangements with the hotel and pass them on, and note that guest parking runs at £5 for 24 hours.
Bands available in Swansea and perfectly at home in a venue like this.
More live music in Swansea.
- Swansea Wedding Bands
- Swansea Events Bands
- Tribute Acts in Swansea
- Wedding DJs in Swansea
- Corporate Entertainment in Swansea
Worth reading before you book: Sound Limiters Explained. More questions answered on our England & Wales FAQs.