New hotels in Leicester

We track three hotels in Leicester, all open, spread between the city centre, the Waterside regeneration district and the Leicester Tigers' stadium. The most recent addition is The Grand Hotel Leicester, a 104-room restoration of an 1898 Art Deco landmark on Granby Street that reopened in January 2026. Business and event travelers are well served near the railway station and the Cultural Quarter; rugby fans and match-day visitors do best next to the Tigers' Welford Road ground.

What to do

A weekend in Leicester

A day and a half covers Leicester's centre comfortably. Start in the Cultural Quarter around the Curve theatre and Phoenix Cinema, a former textile and shoe-making district now given over to galleries and independent studios, then walk to the Golden Mile along Belgrave Road for its concentration of South Asian jewellers and restaurants: a ten-minute walk from the centre that feels like a different city. The Jewry Wall Museum, covering Roman Leicester, and the medieval Leicester Guildhall are both worth an hour each if history is the focus. On the second day, the National Space Centre, on the northern edge of the city, is built around genuine rockets and spacecraft and works well for families or anyone with a couple of free hours. Leicester Cathedral, a short walk from Highcross, is worth pairing with the space centre visit if the King Richard III story isn't already on the itinerary: his remains were reinterred here in 2015 after their 2012 discovery nearby.

A full week

With more time, Highcross Shopping Centre and the surrounding lanes cover shopping without leaving the centre, and King Richard III's story is told in more depth at the King Richard III Visitor Centre near the cathedral. Leicester Tigers offer stadium tours on non-match days for anyone curious about the club beyond match tickets: the club is one of English rugby's most successful, and Welford Road is among the sport's oldest grounds still in regular use. Outside the city, Bradgate Park, a former medieval deer park with the ruins of the Grey family's Tudor manor house and free-roaming herds of red and fallow deer, is a straightforward day trip for walking, and Rutland Water, England's largest reservoir by surface area, is under an hour away for cycling or watersports.

Where to stay

City centre: Granby Street

The Grand Hotel Leicester, The Unlimited Collection reopened in January 2026 on Granby Street, steps from the railway station and the Phoenix arts centre, inside a Grade II-listed 1898 building that once hosted Winston Churchill. Its 104 rooms and The Kings Hall ballroom are aimed at business travelers and event guests, and its central position puts the Cultural Quarter and Highcross both within easy walking distance.

Waterside: Great Central Square

Novotel Leicester has anchored Great Central Square, the junction between the city centre and the regenerating Waterside district, since January 2020. The 154-room, purpose-built tower sits within reach of Leicester Tigers' stadium, the National Space Centre and The Curve theatre, making it a practical base for both business and event-driven visits without being inside the historic centre itself.

Welford Road, next to the Tigers

voco Leicester sits immediately beside Leicester Tigers' Welford Road stadium, a 191-room new-build that opened in summer 2022 as Hotel Brooklyn Leicester before Kew Green Hotels reflagged it to IHG's voco brand in 2024. It's the closest hotel on this list to the ground, and the obvious choice on match days.

Which hotel for your trip

Business and event travelers

The Grand Hotel Leicester's Granby Street address and Kings Hall ballroom, a short walk from the station, make it the natural choice for a conference or a business trip into the centre. Novotel Leicester, at Great Central Square, offers a similarly practical alternative geared toward Accor's usual business and conference clientele.

Rugby and match-day visitors

voco Leicester's position next to the Tigers' Welford Road ground makes it the only realistic choice on this list for a match-day stay, from £50 a night.

First-time visitors on a budget

Both The Grand Hotel Leicester and voco Leicester list rates from £50, putting either within reach of a budget-conscious weekend: The Grand for the Cultural Quarter and station, voco for the stadium and a short bus ride into the centre.

Frequently asked questions

What is the newest hotel to open in Leicester?

Among the three hotels we track, The Grand Hotel Leicester is the most recent, reopening in January 2026 inside a restored 1898 Art Deco building on Granby Street.

Which Leicester hotel is closest to Leicester Tigers' stadium?

voco Leicester, which opened in 2022 immediately beside the Welford Road ground, originally under the Hotel Brooklyn brand before its 2024 reflag to IHG's voco.

Is there a hotel near Leicester railway station?

The Grand Hotel Leicester, on Granby Street, is a short walk from the station and the adjoining Phoenix arts centre.

What is the largest hotel in Leicester among those you track?

voco Leicester, at 191 rooms, is the largest: a new-build hotel constructed alongside a wider £22 million redevelopment of the former Granby Halls site.

Are any of Leicester's new hotels inside historic buildings?

Yes: The Grand Hotel Leicester occupies a Grade II-listed 1898 building that once hosted Winston Churchill and the Queen Mother. Novotel Leicester and voco Leicester are both new-build hotels rather than conversions.