Hotels near Leeds, United Kingdom

A little about Leeds...

The city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, can be separated roughly into five areas or quarters. The Shopping Quarter is the area which extends south from the Headrow to Boar Lane. Many of city's largest shops are found here. Like any major city the shopping district is home to both major international chains, including Marks & Spencer (founded in 1894 on a small stall at the city's market), and independent shops. The Corn Exchange is home to many of these independent shops.

The Skyscraper Quarter is the location for much of the extensive building works currently in Leeds. It is the area south of Boar Lane. Many of the city's tallest buildings can be found here, such as Bridgewater Place, currently the tallest building in Leeds. However, Bridgewater Place could well be topped as early as 2007 by the proposed Lumiere development. Other major high rise developments include the planned Criterion Place scheme of 160 metres, the Providence Tower element of the Green Bank residential scheme and City One both of a planned height of 120 metres and The Plaza student residential tower of about 100 metres are all examples of high rise development in Leeds.

Off Briggate are several of Leeds' famous shopping arcades, such as the Thornton Arcade and the Victoria Quarter. Briggate was fully pedestrianised in 1996 and connected the two previously pedestrian areas either side of it. Other shopping attractions include the Corn Exchange, Leeds Kirkgate Market, Granary Wharfe, Leeds Shopping Plaza, Headrow Shopping Centre, The Light, the St Johns Centre, the Merrion Centre Leeds and Crown Point Retail park which lies half a mile away from the retail core. In addition, two further shopping centres are proposed, namely the Eastgate Quarters which is to include a John Lewis department store and Trinity Quarter.

Each Christmas the streets of Leeds City Centre are decorated with a variety of Christmas lights. The widely publicized 'turning-on' ceremony is in early November, when a celebrity flicks the switch to illuminate the decorations at Victoria Garens and usually attracts many thousands of people to the turning on ceremony. The illuminations are renowned as being the largest display in the United Kingdom.