Best Hotels in Leeds City Centre – Honest Comparison (Stayed & Reviewed)
Leeds is one of the easiest UK cities for a short break. It’s compact. Walkable. Well connected by train. And packed with good restaurants, bars and shopping. But where you stay changes the feel of the trip.
We’re often in Leeds for swimming competitions, which means we’ve tested hotels not just once — but multiple times, across different types of stays.
This guide compares the Leeds city centre hotels we’ve personally stayed in, breaking down:
Location
Parking
Rooms
Facilities
Food
Value for money
Who each hotel suits
This isn’t pulled from brochure descriptions, it’s based on actually staying there.
We’ll continue adding to this guide as we try more options — but for now, here’s our honest take on Crowne Plaza Leeds and Novotel Leeds Centre.
Crowne Plaza Leeds
We’ve now stayed at Crowne Plaza Leeds three separate times, usually when we’re in the city for swimming competitions.
It’s become a reliable base for us — but it isn’t perfect. Here’s the full breakdown.
Location
Crowne Plaza Leeds sits just outside the core city centre. It’s around a 15-minute walk into the main shopping and restaurant areas. It’s not central in the truest sense, but it’s close enough that the walk is completely manageable.
If you’re arriving by car, the location actually works well. It’s relatively accessible as you drive into Leeds, without navigating the tightest parts of the city centre.
It’s slightly further out compared to some other Leeds hotels, but still absolutely classed as city centre.
Parking
There is on-site parking, which is a major advantage in Leeds.
However:
It’s approximately £18 per night
Spaces can feel tight
It operates with a ParkingEye system
Make sure you enter your registration number at reception. If you forget, you’ll get charged.
There are a decent number of spaces, but manoeuvring can be snug if you have a larger car.
First Impressions & Style
The hotel feels fairly modern but leans more classical in tone. When you walk in, it does feel slightly more premium than some other Leeds options. It’s not boutique or trendy — it’s more traditional upscale leisure /business hotel in feel.
The bar area is strong. It feels like somewhere you’d comfortably spend an evening.
The restaurant space also feels properly laid out rather than squeezed in.
Rooms
Rooms are modern enough and maintained to a good standard.
We haven’t stayed in a room that felt tired to the point of concern. Yes, like most city hotels, some areas are beginning to age slightly — but nothing that affects comfort.
The main weakness? The bathrooms, specifically — water pressure.
On every stay where we’ve been placed on floor four (where family rooms are typically located), the water pressure has been consistently poor. The rest of the room is solid. But the bathrooms do feel like the weakest element and could benefit from updating.
Important: Christmas Party Season Warning
If you’re staying during Christmas party season, request a room away from:
The lift area
The section directly above the function rooms
Some rooms on floor four sit directly above event spaces. We didn’t personally experience disruption because our room was further down the corridor, but other parents staying with our swim club did struggle with noise and had difficulty sleeping.
It’s worth requesting a quieter position when booking.
Leisure Facilities (Major Advantage)
Crowne Plaza is currently the only city centre Leeds hotel with proper leisure facilities.
It includes:
Indoor swimming pool
Small children’s pool
Sauna
Steam room
Jacuzzi
This is a genuine differentiator. For families, or anyone wanting downtime between city exploring, this adds real value. It’s one of the main reasons we’ve returned.
Restaurant & Bar
The bar area is strong and comfortable.
Food quality from the restaurant has generally been good, with a well-balanced menu offering solid choices.
However, service has been inconsistent. On some stays, it’s been exceptional. On others, it’s been genuinely poor.
To be fair to the hotel, whenever we’ve raised an issue, it has been resolved professionally. But it’s worth noting the inconsistency.
Breakfast
On our most recent stay (December 2025), we had breakfast as a family.
Pricing:
Around £16 for adults
Half price for children
It’s not cheap — but the quality was strong.
Breakfast included:
Full English options
Multiple bread choices
Jams, marmalades and spreads
Cereals
Gluten-free bread
Self-serve coffee machines (good quality coffee)
Everything was hot and regularly replenished. It’s at the higher end pricing-wise, but the quality backs it up.
Overall Positioning
Crowne Plaza Leeds is a solid four-star city option.
Its biggest strengths:
Leisure facilities
On-site parking
Calm location
Reliable room standard
Its weaknesses:
Bathroom water pressure
Slightly inconsistent restaurant service
Slightly further walk into the centre
For swimming competitions or family stays where pool access matters, it makes a lot of sense.
We’ve also filmed a full walk-through and honest review of Crowne Plaza Leeds, including the pool and restaurant experience. You can watch that here:
Novotel Leeds Centre
We’ve stayed in Novotel hotels across the UK multiple times, as part of our wider review series and you can read the review below":
“Novotel – A Family’s Journey Through the UK’s Premier Mid-Range Hotel Chain.”
On this Leeds stay, we were unexpectedly upgraded to an Executive Room on the seventh floor — and that made a noticeable difference.
Location
Novotel Leeds Centre is significantly closer to the core city centre than Crowne Plaza.
If Crowne Plaza is a 15-minute walk straight down Wellington Street, Novotel sits just one street behind it — and roughly a five-minute walk into the heart of Leeds.
Walk out of the hotel, turn right, and within minutes you’re outside The Queens Hotel and directly into the main shopping and restaurant areas.
It’s positioned next to Premier Inn Leeds City Centre Whitehall Road and directly opposite Wellington Place.
Directly across the road you’ll find:
Sainsbury’s Local
Café Nero
Sociable Folk
Hoist House
Mad Frans
The Good Luck Club
There’s also a Tesco Express nearby.
For pure central access, Novotel wins.
Parking
Parking is underground beneath the hotel. It is very tight. There are limited spaces, and manoeuvring can be difficult, especially in a larger car. If you’re driving, arrive as early as possible to secure a space.
There are lifts directly from the car park to reception, so you don’t need to carry luggage upstairs.
Compared to Crowne Plaza’s surface-level parking, Novotel’s feels more compact and less forgiving.
First Impressions & Style
Novotel Leeds sits somewhere in the middle of the brand’s design evolution.
Some Novotel properties still have older rooms.
Some have refreshed mid-generation rooms.
Others, like Novotel Liverpool, have the brand-new design concept.
Leeds falls into the refreshed category (this is our take not an official category)
It’s modern and clean — but not the newest brand standard.
The lobby and bar area feel contemporary and functional.
Executive Room Upgrade
On this stay, we were given a complimentary upgrade to an Executive Room on the seventh floor.
We didn’t request it — it was a nice touch.
The room was noticeably quieter, which made a big difference.
The executive room included:
Nespresso coffee machine
Additional in-room touches
Slightly upgraded décor
It felt like a better room than the one originally booked.
Bathroom
The bathroom was upgraded compared to standard Novotel rooms. The décor leaned heavily into brown tones. It felt like an attempt to create a more premium feel — though personally, the colour choice wasn’t our favourite.
That said, the finish and layout were good.
Beds & Sleep
I found it slightly lumpy.
Anna found it very comfortable.
The kids slept well.
Noise levels on the seventh floor were excellent — very quiet.
Bar & Atmosphere
We didn’t have breakfast on this stay, but we did use the bar area. The bar is modern and well laid out. t’s more of a practical space than a destination bar.
Drinks were good, and there was a happy hour which felt reasonably priced. We had light snacks, which were fine.
For atmosphere and feel, we prefer the bar at Crowne Plaza — but that hotel does come in slightly more expensive overall.
Hyatt Place Leeds
We stayed at Hyatt Place Leeds for two nights while attending a swimming event — so this is based on a real stay, not just a first impression.
It’s one of the newer hotels in the city, and on paper it positions itself as a modern, central option with strong design and a rooftop restaurant.
In reality, it sits somewhere in between very promising and not quite fully dialled in yet.
Location
Hyatt Place Leeds is in Sovereign Square, which is about as central as it gets. It’s roughly a 3-minute walk from Leeds train station, which makes it one of the easiest hotels in the city if you’re arriving by train.
Compared to the others:
• Closer than Crowne Plaza
• Slightly more direct than Novotel
• One of the most convenient “step off the train and you’re there” options
From a pure location standpoint, this is one of the strongest in Leeds.
Rooms
The rooms are where Hyatt Place makes its best first impression.
They feel:
• Noticeably newer
• Clean and well finished
• More modern than both Crowne Plaza and Novotel
Our room was in the typical 21–24sqm range, but the layout made it feel spacious enough for a short stay as a family.
Key positives:
• Very comfortable bed
• High-quality bed linen
• Good soundproofing (important in city centre stays)
• Clean, modern design
Sleep quality was excellent, which is always one of our biggest priorities — especially during competition weekends.
Bathroom (Biggest Issue)
This was the weakest part of our stay — and the main reason the hotel drops slightly in our overall ranking.
We were allocated an accessible room (not requested), and the bathroom had a drainage issue due to the floor not being level.
The result:
• Water didn’t stay contained in the shower area
• It flowed out into the main bathroom space
• We needed multiple extra towels both nights to manage it
It’s the kind of issue that feels fixable — but it did impact the experience more than you’d expect in a newer hotel.
Breakfast
Breakfast was included in our rate, which is always a positive in city centre hotels. However, this is an area where Hyatt Place didn’t match its competitors.
Our experience:
• Limited gluten-free options
• Very few alternatives beyond basic cereal
• Overall quality felt average rather than standout
Compared to:
• Crowne Plaza → stronger quality + better range
• Novotel → (varies by stay, but generally more consistent)
This felt like an area that needs improvement — particularly for families or dietary requirements.
Food & Drink (Standout Positive)
One of the biggest highlights of the hotel is the rooftop restaurant.
Azotea — the Latin American restaurant and bar on the top floor — was genuinely impressive.
• Excellent food quality
• Strong atmosphere
• Feels like a destination, not just a hotel restaurant
Anna said it was some of the best Mexican-style food she’s had recently — which is not something we say lightly. Even if you don’t stay here, this is somewhere we’d consider returning to.
Parking (Major Consideration)
Parking is where Hyatt Place is at a clear disadvantage.
What you need to know:
• No simple on-site experience like Crowne Plaza
• Discount only applies if pre-booked online
• If you don’t pre-book → ~£40 per night
That makes it:
• Significantly more expensive than Crowne Plaza (~£18)
• More expensive and less convenient than Novotel
For families driving in — especially for events — this is a genuine drawback.
Service
Service during our stay felt inconsistent. Nothing was outright bad — but:
• At times slow
• Occasionally inattentive
• Lacked the polish you’d expect from a newer premium-branded hotel
It didn’t ruin the stay, but it didn’t elevate it either.
Overall Positioning
Hyatt Place Leeds is a hotel with clear strengths — but also some early-stage inconsistencies.
Where it stands out:
• Best location of the three
• Newest-feeling rooms
• Excellent beds and sleep quality
• Strong rooftop restaurant
Where it falls short:
• Bathroom design issue (on our stay)
• Breakfast quality
• Expensive / awkward parking
• Inconsistent service
Where It Fits vs The Others
• Vs Crowne Plaza
→ Better location + newer rooms
→ But no pool, weaker breakfast, worse parking
• Vs Novotel
→ Slightly more premium feel
→ But less consistent and more expensive overall
Who It’s Best For
Hyatt Place Leeds makes the most sense if:
• You’re arriving by train
• You prioritise modern rooms
• You want a central base with minimal walking
• You value good sleep quality
It makes less sense if:
• You’re driving
• You need strong breakfast options
• You want facilities like a pool
• You want a fully polished, consistent experience
Our Verdict
Hyatt Place Leeds is very close to being one of the best all-round options in the city — but it’s not quite there yet.
The foundations are strong:
• Location
• Room quality
• Restaurant
But right now, when we compare it directly with the other hotels we’ve stayed in:
👉 We’d still choose Crowne Plaza or Novotel first — depending on the type of trip.
Watch Our Full Review
We’ve filmed a full walkthrough of Hyatt Place Leeds, including the room, food and real stay experience.
You can watch that here:
Overall Comparison
All three hotels sit in the same four-star bracket, but they serve very different types of stays.
The choice really comes down to how you’re travelling and what matters most on the trip.
Novotel Leeds Centre
• Best balance of location and price
• Easy walking access into the city centre
• Modern, functional rooms (especially in upgraded categories)
• Underground parking, but tight and limited
👉 Best for:
Short city breaks, train travellers, and those wanting a central base without paying a premium
Crowne Plaza Leeds
• Only hotel here with pool and leisure facilities
• More traditional, slightly more premium feel
• Easier and cheaper parking
• Around a 15-minute walk into the centre
👉 Best for:
Families, swimming competitions, longer stays, or anyone who values downtime and facilities
Hyatt Place Leeds
• Most central location (especially for train access)
• Newest-feeling and most modern rooms
• Very strong sleep quality and soundproofing
• Standout rooftop restaurant (Azotea)
• But:
• Expensive parking
• Breakfast needs improvement
• Some early-stage inconsistencies
👉 Best for:
Train travellers, short stays, and those prioritising modern rooms and location over facilities
Which Would We Choose?
• Driving + family stay → Crowne Plaza
• Quick city break → Novotel
• Train trip + modern room priority → Hyatt Place
If central convenience is your absolute priority, Hyatt Place just edges it on location. If you want the best all-round balance, Novotel is the safest choice. And if your trip benefits from space, parking and facilities, Crowne Plaza is still the most practical.
Things to Do in Leeds With Kids
If you’re staying in Leeds with children — especially for competitions or a short weekend break — we’ve also reviewed Tropical World Leeds, which works well as a half-day option.
Use this link to Head over to our YouTube channel to watch that now.