Hotels in Leicester

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• Uncover the story - A treasure trove of Roman and medieval sites, Georgian and Victorian landmarks, Leicester is a haven for history-loving tourists. Book into the right hotel, and you don’t even have to leave your room to delve into the city’s past. <hr> Luxury boutique accommodation St Martins Lodge, with its original 18th century townhouse features, overlooks Cathedral Gardens. Its surroundings tell the tale of the last Plantagenet King of England both within the King Richard III Visitor Centre and the cathedral, where his remains lie. <hr> James Butler’s King Richard III statue stands opposite, and another of his works, ‘The Leicester Seamstress’, represents the city’s hosiery industry heritage outside The City Rooms. Planned as Leicester’s first hotel in 1792 but acting as assembly rooms and judges’ lodgings when the money ran out, it’s now an eye-catching events venue and small boutique hotel. <hr> Political icon Winston Churchill visited the Mercure Leicester The Grand Hotel, an opulent landmark when it opened in 1898, while Arts & Crafts Movement genius Ernest Gimson’s home became The Belmont. This elegant townhouse, originally a girls’ school, sits on New Walk, a rare preserved Georgian pathway whose statues and museum also offer a potted history of Leicester. <hr> Making history itself in 1971, The Holiday Inn was the first of the chain opened in the UK. Close by, discover the Jewry Wall Museum’s Roman baths and medieval treasures including The Guildhall and The Newarke, with its links to Richard III and the English Civil War. <hr> Modern hotels also embrace the past. The Villare Hotel’s rooftop terrace overlooks the medieval High Cross pillar, and The Gresham aparthotel resides in the space once occupied by iconic department stores Joseph Johnson’s and Fenwick. The Novotel serves up history in its Nine B restaurant, with interiors inspired by mosaics unearthed where a Roman villa stood, right beneath diners’ feet. <hr>