Where to Stay in Leeds: The Best Hotels by Area
An art deco railway hotel, a Victorian Liberal club, a terracotta landmark and a rooftop bar over the canal: the Leeds hotels worth your money, and which part of town to pick.
By Only Leeds Editorial
If you are visiting Leeds, stay in the city centre, ideally around City Square, Boar Lane or Granary Wharf, because almost everything you will want to do is a ten minute walk from the station. The Queens Hotel is the classic, Quebecs and The Met are the characterful old buildings, Dakota and Malmaison are the smart boutique picks, and the DoubleTree has the rooftop bar. If you are heading to Headingley, there is a decent option up the Otley Road too.
The Queens Hotel, City Square
You walk out of the station and there it is: the Queens Hotel, the white Portland stone art deco block that has been the city's front door since the Princess Royal opened it on 12 November 1937. It was designed by W. H. Hamlyn, with the art deco interiors by William Curtis Green, and it is Grade II listed. There are 232 rooms and three suites, and it has been run by QHotels since 2003. Book it for the location and the lobby. Even if you stay elsewhere, have a drink in there one evening, just to feel like you are in a 1930s film.
Quebecs
Round the corner at 9 Quebec Street, Quebecs is a boutique hotel in an 1891 building that was once the headquarters of the Leeds and County Liberal Club, and became a hotel in 2002. It is Grade II listed and small, with 44 rooms and seven suites. Look up at the two storey stained glass windows, which carry the coats of arms of the main Yorkshire towns. Good for a couple's weekend.
The Met
The Met on King Street is the red terracotta building with the cupola. It opened in 1899 as the Hotel Metropole, and the cupola on its roof was rescued from the White Cloth Hall that stood on the same site. It was renovated and renamed The Met in 2005, is Grade II listed, and has around 120 rooms. Fans of a certain age will want to know it played the Marble Arch Hotel in The Darling Buds of May. You are welcome.
Dakota and Malmaison
Dakota Leeds, at 8 Russell Street, is the moody, low-lit boutique option, with rainfall showers, a cocktail bar and The Grill restaurant. It is close to the station, Victoria Leeds, the Playhouse and the First Direct Arena, and the hotel's own site offers dinner, bed and breakfast from £240 per room per night.
Malmaison, at 1 Swinegate, is in a restored Victorian building with 100 rooms and suites, a short stroll from The Calls and Call Lane. Downstairs, Chez Mal Brasserie runs a two course prix fixe at £24.95 for lunch and early dinner between 5pm and 7pm, which is a solid pre-theatre move.
Leeds Marriott, Boar Lane
The Leeds Marriott at 4 Trevelyan Square, off Boar Lane, is the reliable big hotel: 244 rooms with proper desks, an executive lounge, and a Gino D'Acampo restaurant with a 160 seat dining room, a cicchetti bar and a terrace. It is the one to book for a work trip, or if you want to be two minutes from the Corn Exchange and Briggate.
DoubleTree by Hilton, Granary Wharf
Right by the station's south entrance and the canal, the DoubleTree at 2 Wharf Approach has 333 rooms and the Sky Lounge, a rooftop cocktail bar on the 13th floor with views across the city. It does weekend brunch and afternoon tea, and turns into Sky@Night with DJs later on. Ask for a high floor and a canal view. It is also handy for the water taxi to Leeds Dock and the Royal Armouries.
Headingley: Village Hotel Leeds North
If you are here for a match at Headingley or visiting students up the road, the Village Hotel Leeds North at 186 Otley Road is out in Headingley with a heated indoor pool, gym, sauna and steam room, a pub and grill and a Starbucks. Parking is free for the first four hours, then £7.50 a day Monday to Thursday or £5 a day at weekends, which beats any city centre car park.
How to choose
For a first visit, the Queens or the Marriott: you will walk everywhere. For a romantic weekend, Quebecs or Dakota. For history, The Met. For a night out on Call Lane and The Calls, Malmaison is closest to the action. For the view, the DoubleTree. For sport or family swims, Headingley. Whichever you pick, Leeds is compact, so do not overthink it. Book the room, then spend the money you saved on a better dinner.