vividventures

Hotel Review

Location:

Weetwood Hall Estate is a luxurious four star country house hotel set within nine acres of parkland on the outskirts of Leeds, West Yorkshire. The estate has been built around a 17th century Jacobean Manor House and is steeped in history, with parts of the property dating back as far as 1540.

Arrival and check-in:

Weetwood Hall Estate is easily accessible being just 4 miles from Leeds city centre and a similar distance from Leeds Bradford Airport. We arrived into Leeds by train and then took a bus to the hotel taking around 20 minutes.

Conveniently, there is a bus stop at the end of the hotel’s drive making it easy to get around by public transport. We took advantage of West Yorkshire Day Saver tickets which allow unlimited travel at weekends for £5.

The hotel reception is clearly signposted from outside the cluster of buildings and once indoors we were warmly welcomed by Rhianna, the receptionist on duty. After confirming our dinner reservation we were pointed in the direction of the Manor House where our room was located.

We were thrilled to discover that we would be staying in the oldest part of the hotel and although the Manor House benefits from its own entrance, it can also be reached from the man building without needing to go outdoors.

The Room:

We had been booked into one of the hotel’s feature rooms which was located on the second floor. There is lift access but we preferred to climb the ornate staircase which was adorned with many original period features. On stepping inside, our elegant room was tastefully furnished in muted shades with a contrasting wallpaper design on the wall behind the king size bed. With high ceilings, plush furnishings, a pair of chandeliers and two large sash windows overlooking the extensive grounds we were guaranteed a comfortable stay.

The heavily embossed dressing table matched the bed, side table, large mirror and dresser and this added to the character and style of the building. To welcome us, there was a handwritten note on the dressing table along with a dish of delicious handmade chocolates.

Over on the dresser, a well stocked hospitality tray contained a kettle and Nespresso maker along with a selection of teas, coffee, hot chocolate and biscuits whilst complimentary bottled water had been placed in the fridge.

Linking the bedroom with the bathroom was a small dressing room with window. The spacious bathroom was traditionally styled with a bath with shower over, heated towel rail, fragrant Perfumer’s Garden toiletries, large fluffy towels and bathrobes.

Dining:

We’d reserved a table for dinner at 7..00 p.m. in the hotel’s contemporary styled Convive restaurant. We were offered a choice of tables and selected one in a cosy corner. The drinks menu was offered first and after selecting glasses of wine we perused the main menu and opted for starters of smoked salmon on a bed of potato salad and Thai fish cakes.

We had to wait a little while for these to be prepared but as we were in no rush and enjoying sipping our wine, we didn’t mind. The starters were worth waiting for and were both of a good size and more importantly tasted very good.

Moving on to mains, we both settled on dishes of beef bourguignon which were accompanied with dishes of winter vegetables. This was perfect comfort food for a winter’s evening and was very flavoursome with the beef being extremely tender in a rich wine sauce.

Neither of us could resist a dessert and our choices of chocolate fondant and sticky toffee pudding were a pair of delicious sweet treats to round off our meal.

Breakfast is served in an adjacent room where we were treated to an array of cold meats, cheese, fresh fruit, yoghurts and pastries. There was also a help yourself servery offering locally sourced sausages, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes and fried eggs.

Our waitress pointed out that both scrambled and poached eggs could be made to order so I opted for two poached eggs on my second morning which were cooked to perfection with runny yolks.

The Facilities:

Weetwood Hall has 114 rooms spread across the historic and more modern buildings. These include standard and superior doubles, family rooms, and feature rooms some of which boast four poster beds.

The hotel has a restaurant, pub and cocktail bar, as well as extensive conference facilities with a range of meeting rooms of varying sizes. As the hotel is set within extensive grounds, it is also a popular wedding venue during the summer months.

The Stables Pub is housed in a converted farm building just across the courtyard from the hotel. The cosy interior offers pub classics, big-screen sports television and outdoor seating for warmer days.

Wi-Fi was easy to connect to and worked well throughout the hotel. There’s a large car park and complimentary use of a health club with its own swimming pool is available for hotel guests, however this is located about two miles from the hotel.

Out and About:

The Victoria Quarter consists of several linked arcades that run between Briggate and Vicars Lane in the heart of the city centre. Leeds arcades are absolutely beautiful and a match to those in Milan and Budapest.

These attractive arcades are lined with independent shops and cafes and the Thornton’s Arcade features a unique Robin Hood themed clock that chimes every fifteen minutes.

Victoria Gate

This contemporary arcade contrasts perfectly with the nearby Victorian arcades and is home to numerous upscale retailers and a branch of the ever popular John Lewis partnership.

Leeds Corn Exchange

This is one of the city’s most recognisable and impressive Victorian buildings that has been fully restored and is now home to a wide range of independent retailers and cafes. Its a great place to shop if you are looking for anything vintage.

Leeds City Markets

Leeds City Markets date back to 1857 and remain one of the largest indoor markets in the country. Browse the impressive range of fresh food stalls and stop by the Marks & Spencer heritage stand which celebrates the company’s small beginnings in this market. To the rear of the market you will find a street food zone serving up reasonably priced cuisine from around the globe.

Leeds Royal Armouries

A short walk from the city centre leads to the Royal Armouries which is free to visit. Explore thousands of items from the past to the present day including Japanese samurai armour and swords, the armours of Henry VIII and a huge armour for an Indian war elephant.

Don’t miss the Hall of Steel, this giant staircase is adorned with 2,500 objects arranged in an impressive display to show how items from the collection would have been exhibited at the Tower of London in the 17th century. With an angled mirror on the ground floor, one can view the full extent of the display. Other galleries focus on War, Self Defence, Tournament, Asian and African exhibitions. Royal Armouries.

Marks and Spencer Archive

To celebrate the company’s 100th birthday in 1984, Marks & Spencer collected together many historical artefacts to create the company archive.  This archive now contains more than 70,000 items from 1884 to the present day and is located on the Leeds University campus in the Michael Marks building, approximately 20 minutes walk from Leeds railway station.  The archive is free to visit and open Monday-Friday and the second Saturday of each month. The collection includes many items that were familiar to us and probably to most families in the United Kingdom.  The displays comprise clothing, toys, advertising materials, in-house newspapers and staff uniforms through the ages. Marks & Spencer Archive.

Overall:

Our stay at the Weetwood Hall Estate was very enjoyable with a comfortable room, good food and friendly service, it ticked all the boxes for us. Although the hotel is located on the outskirts of Leeds we found it quick and easy to get into the city centre each day by bus as several services stop outside the door. We felt that the hotel offered the best of both worlds for a city break with its semi-rural, tranquil location set within its extensive grounds.

Details:

Details: Weetwood Hall Estate, Otley Road, Leeds, LS16 5PS.

We were guests of the Weetwood Hall Estate and as always, all views and opinions are entirely my own.

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