42 The Calls is a boutique hotel that sits on the bank of the “River Aire” in Leeds city centre. From the offset the bold black and white logos are present; a black revolving door takes us inside, where we find a petit yet cosy, homely reception area. This hotel feels warm and instantly inviting, it has traditional charm yet contemporary characteristics. Its light décor and wooden floors create a feeling of freshness and space. There is a great presence about this hotel, its winding passageways and creaky floorboards add an ambiance of yester-year.
We take the lift to our penthouse suite, on opening our heavy black wooden door we are greeted with an exuberant sea of blue walls. The master bedroom sits to the right; the lounge is to the left. Cream textured carpets echo throughout and our eyes are instantly drawn to the original beams that fill the ceiling and harness the walls. The sitting room and lounge area is spacious with a large plasma TV, there is a large cushioned sofa and sumptuous arm chairs. A glass coffee table, a bureau and a selection of scattered chairs and tables sit comfortably around the room for any extra guests you may need to accommodate.
Our penthouse also has 2 separate toilets and a bathroom complete with a deep divine roll top bath and a walk-in shower which houses a large shower head mounted from the ceiling beam, both the bath and shower offer a selection of ‘Molton Brown’ products which made my bath dip all the more enjoyable, the one thing I like about 42 The Calls is the personal touches which large hotels sometimes overlook, one of the most memorable being the frog shaped soap next to the sink.
"This hotel is the perfect destination for those who enjoy the personal touch when staying away."
This converted former Mill House has plenty of history about it, some of the bedrooms still house some of the original machinery, wall mounted photography of the building can also be found around the hotel and in the penthouse to give you an idea of what the bedrooms used to look like before it was converted.
Breakfast at 42 The Calls was highly spoken of by the staff, and yes it lived up to this. The breakfast area was small and intimate however our breakfast was truly enjoyable, we started off with a bowl of muesli from the continental buffet, they offered a great selection of cereals and muesli presented in grain sacks, other options included fresh fruit, yogurts, unsliced breads and a selection of around 20 different marmalades and jams. This was followed by a cooked breakfast which included bacon, grilled tomato, mushrooms, poached eggs and 2 vegetarian sausages; this was from the menu which offered 14 different types of sausage, everything was cooked perfectly I didn’t have a bad word to say about it. My colleague ordered 2 grilled crumpets topped with ham, poached eggs and melted mozzarella which typically wouldn’t be a breakfast type food but actually worked quite well, it was quite filling so perfect for those with a large appetite.
To experience 42 The Calls at its best we recommend choosing the penthouse or one of the director style rooms. This hotel is the perfect destination for those who enjoy the personal touch when staying away; you will be looked after and made to feel welcome throughout your stay.