A BEAUTIFUL LUXURY BOUTIQUE STAY AT ST MARTINS LODGE LEICESTER
Last Updated on 2nd December 2024 by Bejal
Located in the heart of medieval Leicester, amongst some of the city’s most notable historical streets and landmarks, lies a 28 room beautifully appointed luxury boutique hotel, complete with panoramic views of the 900 year old Leicester Cathedral. If, like us, you have a penchant for sympathetically restored Georgian buildings and individually styled elegant rooms, read on to learn more about what it’s like to experience a luxury boutique stay at St Martins Lodge Leicester.
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History and a Sympathetic Renovation
Right across the road from Leicester’s eleventh century cathedral, the Grade II listed Georgian brick facade of St. Martins Lodge has been beautifully restored to preserve its original features. The elegant staircase and the beautiful regal chandelier in the hallway have been restored sensitively to ensure this former eighteenth century town house and purpose built neo Georgian office block’s historical aesthetics are not lost. The sympathetic renovation has only seen the addition of a penthouse to the building, which blends in nicely with the facade.
St Martins Lodge: First Impressions
Oozing seriously grown up interiors, there is a sense of private residence about St Martins Lodge rather than a hotel. Warm colours, mood lighting and a timeless elegance welcomes you in as you step foot in this stylish house. The dark wood staircase, the teal, and gold hues shimmering in the soft lighting and the locally painted artworks of the city that adorn the walls, gives this hotel a homely yet luxurious edge. Walk through the corridors to admire the careful renovation, as you come across the odd fireplace, an intentionally places chair and maybe even a guest exclusive, a unique perspective of the cathedral’s spire. Gaze across and be lost in the serenity of the location, years of history and the gentle background music of the house.
Checkin is rather prompt, in our case across the road at St. Martins Lodge, although the reception at St Martins Lodge is undergoing a slight update and will be open within weeks. This makes things a lot more convenient for guests of course.
St Martins Lodge: The Boutique Rooms
The boutique hotel has a total of 28 rooms, which includes categories from twin options as well as double and king rooms, accessible rooms on the ground floor and a top floor junior suite which is in the penthouse addition of the historic building. Whether you opt for a double room, king room, superior room, or suite, guests are in for a stylish relaxing stay right in the heart of a busy city centre, without even realising as it feels like a far cry from the hustle and bustle of the city! Selected rooms come with a beautiful roll top bath, perfect for a soak after a long day of sight seeing or business meetings.
Superior Double Room With Bath
We stayed in the Superior double room with a bath (Room 108) on the first floor, with the most striking feature, as you walk through the door being the curved full width floor to ceiling windows. A room that’s instantly flooded with light and draws your eyes to the huge king bed in the centre, with teal and dusky pink cushions glistening with the daylight against the gold accents of hardware, of the light fittings above.
A dark wood wardrobe with full length mirrors and the marble fireplace surround with cast iron interiors that are a further reminder of the sympathetic renovations of the building. Note the sketches and water colours above the fireplace by a local artist, which can be found scattered around the communal corridors of the hotel.
There is a complimenting dark surface desk and dressing table as well as two comfy chairs; a teal and gold button back Georgian style seating area to sit and sip on a drink against that large window.
Saving the best till the end, free standing bath lovers, would be delighted to see a white roll top bath in the room tucked right next to the door. Perfect to have a long soak after a long days exploring or business meetings. Who doesn’t want the pamper feel in a decadent property like St Martins Lodge?!
The bathroom, comes fully equipped with all the usuals and a rainfall shower cubicle, and a beautiful basin finished with black and white tiles, that all complement the charcoal grey of the shower tiles.
Toiletries are full size and from the Noir range by The White Company. Look forward to the invigorating yet luxurious scent of mandarin and sandalwood shampoo, conditioner and shower gel.
Guest rooms also come equipped with a small fridge containing a complimentary small bottle of Delamere Dairy milk and One water. You’ll find a Nespresso machine in your room, complete with a selection of pods as well as Fair trade organic teas and mini shortbread bites!
See the in room menu for a wide selection of alcoholic drinks to include champagnes, wines, snacks, locally brewed Trappist ales from Mount St. Bernard, as well as soft drinks. You can even request some of the finest sweet treats from Leicester based Chocolatiers, Coco Amore. These can all be conveniently ordered from guest rooms.
Breakfast & Dining
St Martins Lodge is a room only hotel but being located right in the heart of Leicester city centre, there are many local, independent places to eat and drink. The hotel offers its guests some great discounted rates, to taste some of the restaurants, which are only a few minutes walk away and have a wonderful diverse range of cuisine:
- Cafe No.7 – Located opposite the hotel, adjacent to the cathedral and perfect for cafe style food and drinks. It’s perfect to grab some breakfast from and bring back to your room for a slow morning.
- Varanasi – Indian fine dining (Related article: Indian fine dining in Leicester City Centre *20% discount for St.Martin’s Lodge residents
- Knight & Garter – a beautiful gastro pub serving locally sourced produce. Related Article: Dining at the Knight & Garter, Leicester *15% discount for St.Martin’s Lodge residents.
- Peter Pizza – the most fun pizza establishment housed in a Grade II listed building. *10% discount for St.Martin’s Lodge residents.
When it comes to breakfast, there are a number of options only a few minutes walks away. For inspiration read the related article
Related Article: The best independent places for breakfast in Leicester city centre
Environmental & Sustainability Policy
When it comes to hotels, looking at an establishment’s environmental missions and policies for working towards a more sustainable approach is key and it is great to see that St Martin’s Lodge are making great steps in this area.
We personally loved their pledge to train and educate staff on being more mindful and planet friendly. The hotel also recycles printer cartridges, IT equipment, cooking oil as well as the usual paper, glass, cans and cardboard.
St Martin’s lodge endeavours to work with contractors who have a similar environmental policies as themselves and aim to inform their guests about reducing the impact of environmental harm without compromising in comfort. Their suggestion to plant a tree via Hotels for Trees instead of opting to have room cleaned if staying more than one night.
The hotel uses low energy lightbulbs, where possible, environmentally cleaning products, working to reducing single use plastic, aerators on taps ensure showers can reduce water usage and there are electric vehicle charging points in the hotel’s car park. Additionally to prevent further waste the hotel has already removed stationary in guest rooms.
St. Martin’s Lodge received the ECOsmart 2023 Silver Award in August 2023, This business level certification was presented for their ongoing work towards and maintaining sustainability throughout their hotel following an extensive accreditation process.
What We Love About St. Martins Lodge
What makes St Martin Lodge so special?
- The boutique character and luxury style of the hotel.
- Central location of the hotel, close proximity to major sites and restaurants.
- Free parking at the rear and electric charging points.
- Onsite overnight concierge service for peace of mind.
- The hotel’s commitment to the environment and clear mission.
- The full size bathroom products, always great if staying more than a night.
- A good number of sockets and charging points.
- Exceptionally fast Wifi, perfect for business meetings and gaming alike.
- A safe in the wardrobe.
- All rooms with a bath have super soft bath robes provided.
- Refrigerators with fresh milk for hot drinks in the rooms.
- The option to plant a tree via Hotels for Trees instead of opting to have room cleaned if staying more than one night.
St. Martins Lodge is Sheer Perfection For
Why would you stay at St Martins Lodge?
- Romantic getaway.
- Wedding guests – The guildhall and a number of venues with marriage licenses including the register office are close by). The Penthouse Junior Suite would be perfect for the bride & groom!
- Those who love staying amongst history yet want a great city centre location.
- Business travellers who need to be in the city.
- A luxury place to stay when visiting friends and family in the city, they will be envious.
- Visitors to the city wanting a luxury city centre boutique hotel to relax in after sightseeing
What is There to Do in The Area?
There are a variety of things that can be done in the immediate area of St Martins Lodge. By foot guests can visit Leicester Cathedral, Richard III Centre, St. Martins Square, Leicester Highcross Shopping Centre, The Curve Theatre & Phoenix independent cinema in the cultural quarter. There are also a large number of pubs, restaurants and bars located with a few minutes walk of St Martins Lodge. The Leicester Tigers Rugby Club, King Power Stadium, the home of Leicester City and the Leicester Riders basketball arena is a short walk away.
Be-lavie Tip: Guests of St. Martins Lodge can get a 10% discount on tickets at the King Richard III Visitor Centre.
Additionally, with access to a car, discovering Leicestershire is a must. Head to the Great Central Railway for afternoon tea or first class dining in Loughborough, the Charnwood Forest, Swithland Reservoir, Bradgate Park at Newtown Linford or one of the cute chocolate box villages such as Swithland or Woodhouse Eaves. Refer to our ‘Related Articles’ section for more.
Related Article: The ultimate locals guide to a weekend in Leicester, UK
How to Get to St Martins Lodge
- Car: The most flexible way to travel. Leicester is located just off the M1. Exit at Junction 21 signposted M69 and Leicester. Follow signs for A5460 towards Leicester City Centre. Use the postcode LE1 5NR for Sat Navs. This will take you to New Street/St Martins Lodge car park.
- Train: The hotel is located a 15 minute walk from the train station and has a direct fast train from London St. Pancras taking 1 hour 7 minutes.
- Airport: The closest airport is East Midlands (located 15.8 miles away) and Birmingham (around two miles away) Taxis can be pre-booked or once at Arrivals look for the Taxi stand.
- Coach: Leicester Bus Station is only a 12 minute walk.
Boutique Stay at St Martins Lodge Leicester: Round Up
If it’s a slice of luxury you’re looking for when it comes to stays, then St Martins Lodge, is the epitome of boutique hotels right in the historical heart of Leicester City Centre. Surround yourself in hundreds of years of heritage in this Grade II listed Georgian building. The attention to detail in aesthetics, amenities and comfort has been executed to the highest standard.
The hotel has taken the time to ensure guests have a memorable, restful and convenient stay. They have paid careful attention to selecting and forging relationships with local businesses and offering their guests options to dine and visit local points of interest such as the King Richard III centre.
St. Martins Lodge’s commitment to sustainability and education is commendable and something that we find many travellers, like ourselves place as a priority. The little touches really do go a long way and it’s what guests remember with little hesitation to return over and over. The staff are friendly and go above and beyond to help with guest queries. A luxurious home in the beating heart of the city of Leicester, awaits in the form of St Martins Lodge.
The Details
- Location: St Martins Lodge. 2 Peacock Lane, Leicester LE1 5PX I Tel. 0116 2615200.
- Find it Here: Map Location.
- Bookings & Information: Website.
- Details: Check-in: 15:00 Check-out time 11:00.
- Price Range: ££ dependent on room category and dates of stay
Related Articles
- 30+ of the best independent coffee shops in Leicester City Centre.
- The best independent places for breakfast in Leicester city centre.
- The ultimate locals guide to a weekend in Leicester, UK.
- A local’s guide to historic Leicester.
- The most beautiful hotels in Leicestershire.
- 20 famous people associated with Leicester.
- A beautiful Afternoon Tea on the Great Central Railway.
- First-Class Dining on the Great Central Railway.
Full Disclosure: We were invited on a press stay at St Martins Lodge, with no obligation to write this review. All views, opinions and photography are our own and therefore a copyright of Be-lavie.
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