Leeds has been voted the title “The UKs Favourite City” by Condé Nast’s Reader’s Traveller Awards. Leeds started as a small market town, became a powerhouse city during the industrial revolution and has now become a service-oriented city with the biggest financial centre outside of London. The city attracts millions of visitors each year, many in the city for business and many more to see the myriad of sights and tourist attractions. Most visitors stay in budget hotels in Leeds.
Although Leeds can trace its history back to the 5th century, it was not until the industrial revolution that Leeds really began its massive growth curve. The city became the centre for wool and textiles, was big in iron, steel, printing and engineering. Leeds University was created in the 1880s, thus bringing an intellectual dimension to the city.
Leeds suffered less damage than many cities during The Second World War but it did not escape the ravages on industrial decline in the post-war period. There was very high unemployment at the time, but, with grit, determination and versatility the city began to re-emerge in the 1980s. At this time the budget hotels in Leeds were filling up with people involved in banking, insurance and financial services. The city continued re-developing itself with the renovation of many important Victorian structures which today serve for shopping venues, bars, restaurants and boutiques. The city has continued its climb to becoming truly cosmopolitan and dynamic.
For those working and visiting on business, their destination is the city centre. Although the city centre is not the typical destination of a tourist, it is the place to go to witness the evolution of Leeds architecture over the last couple of hundred years.
Most tourists head to the civic quarter. This area of the city is home to the fantastic Henry Moore Institute of Art as well as Millennium Square which is home to shops, restaurants, and cinema and budget hotels in Leeds. The art gallery alone is worth the visit; it is home to the 2nd largest collection of British art in the country. Adjoining the Art Gallery is the magnificent Central Library with its beautiful Victorian interior.
The central shopping area spans three centuries, and are home to the famous arcades which are palatial, roofed over structures and streets from the Victorian era. The arcades are home to the most expensive and exclusive shops in the city.
Although the city is a paradise for shopping, sightseeing and the conduct of business, no visit to Leeds would be complete without taking time out for sport. Leeds is home to Leeds United Football Club, Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Rugby League and Rugby Union. During days when there are matches, the budget hotels in Leeds are booked solid.