A Yorkshire tease of real Leeds luxury

With the West Yorkshire city named one of the most affordable places for five-star accommodation, SAMANTHA KING tests out its Dakota hotel for an overnighter

- SAMANTHA KING

ILLUMINATED by candles and boasting a valet service, swanky on-site restaurant and enviable Leeds city centre location might sound like it would set you back a hefty sum.

But this is actually one of the cheapest luxury stays in the UK.

Leeds has just been named one of the most affordable places for five-star accommodation, with hotels.com’s 2026 Hotel Price Index revealing the average cost of top lodging in the northern metropolis totals around £145 per night.

Situated just a four-minute walk from the city’s train station is Dakota Leeds, a boutique hotel that offers cost-conscious travellers a quiet cocoon right next door to some of the city’s most talked-about nightlife spots.

Its immediate neighbour is the revered Chinese restaurant, Tattu.

Better still, rooms can be found for even less than that average nightly rate.

The glossy black building on Russell Street houses a dimly lit and lightly scented hotel lobby offering a calming atmosphere evocative of a spa. I was welcomed like an old friend as I spilled through its front doors sweaty, flustered and just a tad sunburned on a particularly hot Saturday afternoon for my one-night stay.

Thankfully, a quick and efficient check-in service awaited, and I was swiftly directed to my balcony room on the ninth floor, accessible via a lift.

I loved that the subdued lighting wasn't confined to the lobby. The corridors on each floor were dark too, with the lights only switching on one by one to mark the way to your room.

The room itself (I stayed in 907) had a generously sized corridor that opened up into the cosy double room, which had all the essentials and then some.