Leonardo Hotel Leeds

On checkout day, I felt like an inconvenience to the staff, and probably looked as if I couldn’t afford the hotel. The rooms could use a touch-up, though the location was fine and having a Sainsbury’s opposite was handy. The first few days were different. Grace at the front desk and Frankie in the bar were both lovely. They went out of their way to make us feel welcome and helped as much as they could.

I booked the family room with a city view, a double and a single. It looked tired and old, and there were dirt marks in the corners. The armchair cushion looked dirty and stained, so I put my bin liner over it before sitting down. The ensuite seemed poorly aired, with mildew on the grout that could have been cleaned off with products like hg4. The shower head is fixed and the water flow is so fast it fills the tub while you shower. I can’t call the stay either negative or positive, but there’s room for improvement. Shawna and Grace were great. The other front desk staff felt transactional, with no enthusiasm and a protective attitude toward the hotel brand. I stayed four nights and had to get my key card reprogrammed or replaced every day. They said I must have put it by my phone or something magnetic. I told them it was in an rfi wallet, and they said that would decode the key.

The key cards deactivated every time I left the room, so I was constantly going back to reception to get them reactivated. You’d think they’d address that after other negative reviews. I’d avoid this hotel at all costs. It’s most definitely not worth the money. I’d booked three nights for a work trip. On the first evening, the heating didn’t work and the room was very cold. I asked to move to a heated room, but was rudely told that wasn’t possible because maintenance wasn’t available until the next day. The receptionist gave me a tiny portable heater that barely warmed anything. I woke up stuffy with a really bad chest, became unwell, and had to end my work trip and lose money.

The bathroom was spacious and efficient, and I liked the room’s style. The bed was comfortable, though a bit short: I’m about 5’7 and my feet poked off the end if I shifted even slightly down from the pillow line. The room was nice, and it worked perfectly for a short stay. I’d return, despite seeing a lot of bad reviews.