My First Post Lockdown Hotel Experience at Dakota, Leeds

As things gradually are getting a little bit back to normal, I decided to book a little overnight stay in Leeds for Stefan’s Birthday a few weeks ago. I made the booking for the Dakota, Leeds just a few days prior to the trip on Expedia and it was a very reasonable deal. The Dakota is a firm favourite with us both as we have stayed and dined a few times before. The hotel is located on Rusell Street so it’s not too far from the Trinity Shopping Centre or the hustle and bustle of Greek Street but you can still keep away from crowds if you wish to do so.

Prior to the visit, I did read that Dakota was taking special measures to keep the hotel as safe as it could be (you can read their full measures here). It was mentioned that the rooms will be vacant for 24 hours in between stays, social distancing will be in place and face masks required. A few days before the trip, I was sent a registration card to fill out online to make check-in quicker and contactless. On the day of our stay, we did arrive a few hours before the 3pm check-in time and I rang ahead to see if we could leave our luggage which we could. I wasn’t sure whether we would be able to given the circumstances but it’s good to know they still have the luggage service.

As the hotel is pretty central, we did have plenty of options for parking. In the end, we parked at the Q Park at The Light which offers 20% off with a stay at Dakota when you get your parking ticket scanned at reception. It’s only about a 5-minute walk from The Light so it was rather convenient. We arrived to drop off our luggage and although the lobby in Dakota is quite small, everyone was keeping their distance. Hand Sanitizer stations were in place and the concierge quickly took our luggage so we could head into the city.

After enjoying a few drinks and a delicious Sunday Roast at Whitelocks, we headed back to check-in properly. The great thing about Dakota is the amazing location, it’s literally a two-minute walk from the back entrance to Trinity. So very convenient for shopping or as I said before, a few drinks on Greek Street. Our check-in was super brief as they already had all of our information so it was just a case of handing over the room cards.

We had booked a standard double room and it was amazing as usual. Their standard rooms are absolutely gorgeous with a stunning interior, a little sofa area and an incredible rainfall shower. It’s one of those hotel rooms which you don’t ever want to leave because it’s just lovely. The rooms have all the little amenities you need such as tea making and toiletries. We even had water which came in cans! The waterfall shower was the highlight of the room and it even switched one simply with the touch of a button! The room also had a TV fully equipped with Sky TV including sport and movie packages so we did spend a lot of the evening watching movies!

Our stay didn’t include dinner or breakfast but it’s worth mentioning the food we’ve had before here has always been incredible. You can read about it here. They also do have a bar which has an outdoor space backing on to Greek Street. The outdoor bit was closing when we got back to the hotel but it looked super cosy with blankets and fires.

After an amazing nights sleep in the giant bed, we got ready for another day in Leeds. Once again, we did leave our luggage whilst we grabbed a bite to eat. Check-out was super easy and simple with minimal contact and the concierge was more than happy to take our bags. Although it was a fleeting visit to Dakota, it was lovely as ever. The staff really made us feel comfortable and welcome. Procedures were in place to make it as safe as possible but it did seem to be as normal as it could be and we were really happy with our stay. I’m sure we will be back soon for another visit!