Grand Pacific At The Queens - Leeds

I've been wanting to stay at one of those ice palace hotels they have in Sweden. Ever since discovering their existence, thanks to the 007 franchise, it's been a mild fascination of mine. However, after my experience at The Queens in Leeds, I don't know that I'm so thrilled about it anymore. See, it's one thing to be bundled up in a heavy parka, surrounded by giant glistening blocks of ice, and going to sleep in warm faux fur bedding. It's another to be taunted by a seemingly ineffective climate control panel, huddled shivering under the covers on my single bed at The Queens. Nonfunctional climate controls aside, the things that this hotel has going for it are a lovely lobby, running hot water, and comfortably sized rooms. It's also conveniently located next to the Leeds rail station. I have a laundry list of qualms, though: beyond the complimentary two hour free wi fi per day, you can purchase a daily code for £7, which you'll have to speak to reception for each time you renew. I already hate paying for wi fi a la carte at hotels. Making me speak to someone daily to get on the interwebz is absurd. The shaver outlet in my bathroom didn't work, the towels felt like they'd been put through the wash a few thousand times, and (oddly) you have to ensure the entire shower curtain both inner lining and outer shell are inside the tub. Take extra note on that latter item. It'll save you the ten minutes of sopping up an inch of water off the bathroom floor. Needless to say, for all the charms and friendly service you'll find here, you're better off looking elsewhere for lodging in Leeds.

Didn't stay here i was only meeting friends for drinks, so as for the accommodation i have no idea. The lounge bar went in stages of being insanely busy to being dead, strange thing was it took about the same amount of time to get served regardless of crowd size, which was very frustrating. Staff seemed to be busy making and serving drinks but i'm not sure who to, perhaps there are functions going on that this bar serves, but service was painfully slow. Pleasant enough staff and very accommodating bumps up my stars from 2 to 3

Whilst I've not stayed at the Queens Hotel, so can't comment on the service there, I have been here recently for a conference. The Queens Hotel kindly hosted the most recent Experience Leeds meeting and I was pretty impressed by their service and space. The meeting rooms toward the back of the ground floor, accessed via the lobby, are very grand reminiscent of a high ceiling Victorian building (which I would imagine is the case as it appears to be a rather grand old structure) with plenty of space, long thick curtains and a plush carpet. The staff were very accommodating, and had even provided a spread of coffees, teas, cake, biscuits and so on, which I took great advantage of having not had anything to eat prior to the meeting! The seating was comfortable, the space was adequate for a large group to meet up and discuss collaboration (the theme of the conference) and the whole evening went very smoothly. Being in such a grand room really reminded me of being back at University, when Bretton Hall was still a part of Leeds Uni, so on a personal level it was lovely to come back into a space like this to listen and learn from others. As mentioned, I can't comment on the rooms and other facilities, but as a conferencing space, it certainly fits the bill!

Can't really comment on the hotel, but I did take a group into here recently for a refreshment break in the Queens Bar. The Art Deco interior and very high ceilings create a very styled room, which was good for our short visit there. Not sure how I would feel about staying in there for very long, and definitely isn't somewhere to visit as part of a bar crawl, but if you're out to try and impress someone (such as a date! then I'd suggest you could visit here early in the evening. Drinks seemed pretty reasonable too, although I did only have a coke it cost £1!

I've never actually stayed as a guest at the Queens Hotel so I can't comment on that, but I've attended a few work galas here and the experience is always top notch. I've been to three such occasions here, and I'm always amazed at the grandeur of the place. You feel like a Hollywood celebrity walking in and seeing everyone in their fancy gowns and tuxes against a glamorous backdrop of marble statues, huge ceilings, sprawling staircases and sparkling chandeliers. It's the kind of place that I would have daydreamed coming to as a little girl wishing she was a princess yes, that's how sad I am! I've never known a place to handle parties and conferences the way the good folk at the Queens do. They move as one single minded unit to give you amazing waiting service and just have this extra sense of class in all that they do. The main hall we have our party in is always decorated beautifully with tastefully coloured balloons, ribbons and pure white tablecloths. I unfortunately have to score the lovely Queens down on drinks, as the prices are extortionate and I had a gin and tonic here that literally tasted like diluted mouthwash not good! I would love to stay over here just once as I've heard great things about it. For now, I'm content with a glitzy work party every now and then!