If you've ever wanted to spend the night inside your very own private cinema, a family-run business in South Wales could help you out. A cosy cinema pod that went viral on TikTok is now set to expand in Cardiff.
The original Cosy Cinema pod site in Dinas Powys, run by husband and wife team Sian and John Colderley, was set up the couple's own garden. The cinema pod in Bro Morgannwg - which expanded to three pods in the couple's garden - allowed guests to stay overnight and stream their favourite movies, box sets, or sporting events for a private viewing experience.
"We have three pods in the Dinas Powys site. It was originally just the one pod which was almost like a test we put on Airbnb and a then TikTok we had had millions of views and it took off from there," Sian told WalesOnline.
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Since then, the couple has expanded their business to Cardiff Caravan Park with two more cosy pods, and they hope to add even more. Sian added: "In Pontcanna in Cardiff, we’ve got two and four more being built at Cardiff Caravan Park - Cardiff Council have helped.
"We’ll have six up and running by the middle of June at the latest and the toilet and shower facilities are all there. Our aim is to have a Cosy Cinema pod park." Sian added that they are considering expanding even further due to the demand that they have had from across the country.
"It’s a family business and we would like to keep it in Wales if we can. We’ve had such a strong demand from up north [in Wales], Manchester and Liverpool way as well. It’s just seeing how the Cardiff park takes off to see where we go next," Sian added.
The pods are decked out with a king size bed, heating and air conditioning. You are able to log into your own Netflix account, as well as similar streaming services, such as Disney+, Prime, Sky TV and YouTube. You can also log into your own PS4 account. The new pods also allow people to bring their Nintendo Switch to connect to play games.
"People have travelled seven hours from Glasgow to stay overnight. People are travelling from all over the country to stay in [the pods]. We've even had a proposal [in one of the pods]."
Two of the pods at the Cardiff site have been up and running since December and, while Sian says that there is not yet an official opening date for the four further pods, they hope to be up and running by the middle of June.
The family-run business started just over a year ago, celebrating its anniversary at the start of the month. Sian said that the business took off after it went viral on TikTok. She said: “We basically had over five million views and messages from all over the world. Lots of people in Australia, America, South Africa, asking where we were. My husband and I aren’t social media savvy, but we literally had hundreds and hundreds of messages that took days to get through.”
“It’s come from my husband. He made the first one and took it to the Gadget Show and things like that. We put it up in our garden, and the TikTok and putting it on Airbnb for overnight stay did really well.” The business has become so successful that the couple now runs it together full time, with their three children aged 14, 16, and 19 even helping out.
"I was originally an estate agent and I gave my job up to work full time with my husband," Sian said. The pods are available to hire both at the Dinas Powys and Cardiff sites. They are also available to rent for three hours showings for up to four adults or two adults and two children.
John and Sian said: "The Cosy Cinema has been designed to create an uplifting experience. We are a family business. There isn’t anything else like it. All our guests love the experience and we have all five-star reviews. People are travelling from all parts of the UK to stay at The Cosy Cinema. One couple travelled seven hours from Glasgow. The Cosy Cinema hopes to attract more people to Wales especially Cardiff. “
Guests can either book Bundle One for £115 (a stay from 7.30pm until 10am the next day) or Bundle Two for £135 (a stay from 5pm until 11.30am the next day). A third bundle for a two-night stay is also available for £265. Find out more about the Cosy Cinema or book a stay or showing here.
