Best hotels in Leeds 2023: From luxury spa breaks to city centre hostels

Ten years ago, you may have thought that Leeds would have made a very dour weekend away, but this old Yorkshire industrial city is becoming quite the 21st-century dynamo. Heritage red-brick mills and warehouses have been reimagined as craft-beer bars and modern British restaurants, street art is filling cracks in the urban fabric and a web of Victorian covered laneway arcades make atmospheric shopping thoroughfares.

Leeds city centre is compact and walkable, which makes it an excellent destination for a short city break. In a couple of days, you can stroll between the canalside wharfs and docks, visit the UK’s repository of military history at the Royal Armouries, delve into experiential art with a side of Henry Moore at the revamped Leeds Art Gallery and taste test the city’s microbreweries in between. But where to stay during your visit? Here’s our pick of the city’s hotel scene, from luxury hotels to purse-friendly hostels.

Neighbourhood: City Centre

In the days when Leeds’ clubs were synonymous with gentlemen and politics instead of dancers and drinkers, Quebecs was home to the prestigious Leeds and County Liberal Club. Starting at the wrought-iron gates guarded by Corinthian columns, many reminders of its 1891 origins remain intact, giving the hotel both gravitas and grace that regulars love. Inside the lobby, a broad oak staircase sweeps up to a sumptuous communal gallery with stained-glass decoration. No two rooms are alike, but all take inspiration from the Victorian era in which the building first came to be. Ceilings are high and windows are large, with sweeping drapes. Rooms in its turret are particularly lovely; there’s one in the eaves and another on the second floor with a three-sided balcony for pre-dinner cocktails.