Hotel of the week
WHERE AND WHY
The 191-room hotel is next to Leicester’s Welford Road Stadium – home to the Leicester Tigers rugby union team.
It is also close to Leicester and De Montfort universities, making it an attractive choice for parents visiting their offspring.
The hotel stands out thanks to its industrial design, inspired by the New York borough it is named after, and its accessible features.
The Brooklyn theme continues with an open-plan bar with images of NYC, and the lift showing letters instead of numbers for each floor, a system used on the New York subway.
The venue stays cosy, with lots of soft furnishings and a seating area for kicking back and watching films.
Our spacious suite, named the Attenborough, included complimentary cocktails and a platter of deli meats, which was a nice touch.
The room also featured a freestanding bath, which added to the sophisticated feeling, especially when we found White Stuff toiletries. The ultra-cool bedroom came with air-con, free wi-fi and a safe for valuables – all very welcome features.
Luxury touches included a Nespresso machine and Marshall amp-inspired fridge.
ON THE MENU
Open-plan hotel bar the Grandstand is a brilliant social space to sit back and enjoy a cocktail. It comes alive at night with a DJ to get everyone in the party mood.
Breakfast is served buffet-style at The Lair restaurant, with a huge range of options including your classic fry-up, a continental spread and, of course, fluffy American waffles.
We had dinner and the food was incredible, from the cauliflower fritter starter to the New York strip steak main served with cornbread, and the tandoori baked salmon. Starters from £8, mains £14.50 and desserts £7.
There’s an impressive wine and cocktail list – we loved the NY twist on a Pornstar Martini.
WHILE YOU’RE THERE
With a 30-second walk to the Leicester Tigers stadium it would be a shame not to see a match during rugby season.
Another highlight is Leicester’s Golden Mile, famed for its Indian food.
You can also head to the Richard III visitor centre, built after his bones were found under one of the city’s
car parks in 2012.
WAKE-UP CALL
Doubles from £99 per night with
breakfast. hotelbrooklynlei.co.uk