Looking for unique and cheap accommodation in Leeds? I love finding unusual places to stay on my travels, especially if they’re great value! The Art Hostel in Leeds is a fabulous option for budget accommodation in Leeds, and as well as having a comfy bed for the night you’ll also be supporting a charity. Read on for my full Art Hostel Leeds review!
Thank you to the Art Hostel Leeds for hosting 1 night complimentary in exchange for my honest review. I also paid for 2 more nights myself. My views (as always) are my own.
Deciding Where to Stay in Leeds
I went to university in Leeds, and lived in the city for about ten years before I started my nomadic life. When I come back to visit, as I frequently do, I usually stay with friends in the suburbs, but this time I wanted to spend a few days in the heart of the city.
I first stayed at the Art Hostel back in 2017 when they had a temporary location on Kirkgate. Now they have settled into a larger permanent home in Mabgate, which is a 10-minute walk from the centre of Leeds.
If you’ve been looking for budget hotels and hostels in Leeds, you’ll know that there isn’t a wide range of nice cheap accommodation in Leeds and only one other hostel, which seems strange for such a large city.
However, this hole in the market has been filled by the Art Hostel which provides an affordable, fun and unique place to stay in Leeds.
READ MORE: Fun Things to do in Leeds City Centre
The Art Hostel in Leeds: The Concept
The Art Hostel is the first social enterprise Art Hostel in the UK, started by the charity East Street Arts, who work to further education and appreciation of the arts. All of the profits from the hostel go back into the charity to be reinvested into the arts community.
The hostel is part of East Street Arts creative Mabgate Complex, affectionately known as the Arts Quarter, and is right next door to East Street Arts headquarters, Patrick Studios and art and tech hub, Convention House.
Location
The new location for the Art Hostel isn’t slap bang in the city centre like it used to be, but is a short 10 minute walk from the centre. The hostel is tucked away on St Mary’s Lane, in a pocket of buildings that was saved from demolition when the A64 was built, thanks to it being owned by the Church next door.
Before the hostel opened, they spend a large chunk of cash installing new windows to reduce noise from the road. It is surprisingly quiet given how close it is to the A64, but there are ear plugs provided in every room for light sleepers.
Art Hostel is also 10 minutes’ walk from Leeds bus station, so if you want to go further afield you can hop on a bus to explore. The train station is about 20 minutes walk from the hostel, and you can reach most places in the city on foot within 20-30 minutes from your bedroom. You can also call an Uber or taxi if you have heavy bags.
You’ll also spot some street art in the area on your way to the hostel too, with a colourful road bridge and some murals nearby – one of which was commissioned by East Street Arts.
Bedrooms at the Art Hostel Leeds
Suitably for an Art Hostel, East Street Arts commissioned a different artist to design each bedroom of the bedrooms, so they all have a unique personality and décor. As I arrived early, Rhian the hostel manager showed me around a few of the rooms before the guests arrived to check in.
There are 12 bedrooms in total, including several mixed dorm rooms with shared bathrooms, as well as some private doubles, twins and family rooms with private bathrooms. The dorm rooms have lockers available to store belongings, as well as reading lights and charging points.
My favourite room was inspired by the Yorkshire wool industry, called The Wooly Ewe room, which was designed by Jesse Paul Wright with colourful wool on the ceiling (all from recycled or donated material), complete with a toy sheep on each bunk so you can count sheep if you have trouble sleeping.
The Ocean Galaxy Room designed by Mandy Barker was decorated with photos of old footballs, in a striking design reminiscent of a universe filled with planets, only it is plastic waste instead of celestial bodies.
One artist worked with local school children to create a playful, interactive space. Another room used reclaimed wood (including a broken piano) to make sturdy pod-like bunk beds, and yet another was inspired by fairytales.
I loved how each room is unique, and when you are making a booking you can see photos of each room so you can choose your favourite design! You can also read more about the artists and their inspiration on the Art Hostel website here.
I stayed in the Snowstorm room which was designed by Nelson & Woodward. It was a comfy double bed with an ensuite toilet and shower on the second floor.
The room was based on a collection of snow globes, donated by patrons of the artists. On one wall there is a display of snow globes, which were collected from all around the world, from Blackpool to Barcelona, the USA and beyond.
Below the bedside lamps, there were rotating snow globes you could spin yourself, or turn on with the flick of a switch. There was a compact and spotlessly clean ensuite bathroom with a toilet, sink and shower.
The floor was black and white tiles, and the walls were painted dark blue so it seemed a bit dark at first, but the spiral light bulb was bright enough to light the whole room. The window looked out over the church building next door. I slept really well, and felt right at home here.
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Breakfast & Kitchen Facilities
Breakfast was included in the morning, which is another great way to save some cash if you are travelling in the UK on a budget – there was bread, jam (and Nutella!), cereals, yoghurts, fruit and juice which was a lot better than most hostels I’ve stayed in.
The kitchen was clean, and had everything you would need to cook – a hob and a microwave and even an oven! When it’s busy I imagine there might be a wait to use the cooker, but I ate out most of the time so didn’t have an issue.
Another fabulous idea is a group dinner on Tuesday evenings called Tuesday Tea, where one of the hostel volunteers cooks a free dinner for everyone!
Luckily I arrived on Tuesday so was treated to a lovely Brazilian-style roast chicken dinner with rice and salad, and it was a good excuse to get chatting with other guests too. I love it when hostels arrange social events like this, it gives you a little push to socialise and meet people.
There must have been about 15 people sitting around the table, all chatting and getting to know each other. There was a variety of nationalities represented from across Europe, Africa, Asia and South America, it was wonderful to meet everyone.
Other Facilities at the Art Hostel
As well as the kitchen area there is a small lounge with comfy sofas, games and a book exchange where you can hang out and meet other guests. The shared bathrooms were kept really clean, although I didn’t use them thanks to my own bathroom.
Outside there is a small market garden with herbs and fruit growing, tended by the volunteers at the hostel.
You can volunteer at the Art Hostel through Worldpackers, or by contacting the hostel directly. It seemed like a really fun and homely place to volunteer, not unlike my experience volunteering at a hostel in Mexico!
Accessibility
Unfortunately, as the Art Hostel is housed in an old building there is limited accessibility. There is one twin accessible room on the ground floor, and the kitchen is on the ground floor.
There is no lift to the first or second floor, although the receptionist offered me help with my bags if you struggle with stairs then you would be better on the ground floor. If you have concerns about accessibility I’d recommend reaching out to the hostel directly.
Final Thoughts on the Art Hostel Leeds
I enjoyed my stay here and would definitely recommend the Art Hostel Leeds to other visitors. I loved how clean everything was, and the Tuesday Tea shared dinner, as well as the unique décor and ethos behind the hostel to support artists and be a sustainable, ethical accommodation provider in Leeds.
I had a great stay at the previous location on Kirkgate, and am happy to see the Art Hostel come back bigger and better than ever in their permanent home.
For couples, you may find cheaper deals at one of the generic budget hotels in Leeds, but the cool style and hostel vibe is unique, and you’d be supporting a local charity instead of a big corporation.
For solo travellers, this is easily the best hostel in Leeds, and I am sure you will love it here!
Want to book? You can book directly on the Art Hostel Leeds website, or check more reviews on Hostelworld or Booking.com.
Have you stayed at the Art Hostel Leeds? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts, leave me a comment below.
