A Family-Run Hotel on the Edge of Victoria Park
Set on the corner of Stanley Road and London Road, Croft Hotel offers a quiet, good-value base just a few minutes' walk from Victoria Park, the Lutyens Arch of Remembrance and Leicester's wider city centre. Housed in a striking red-brick former school, the building has real period character, with dark half-timbered gables, an arched stone entrance, iron railings and a lantern-lit doorway that gives the hotel a distinctive, welcoming feel from the moment you arrive.
Inside, the appeal is simple: friendly service, useful facilities and an easy location for a short city stay. Croft Hotel has been family-run for over two decades, and that personal approach shows in the way guests regularly describe the team as helpful, warm and welcoming. Reception is staffed 24 hours a day, so late arrivals are straightforward, and free private parking is available by reservation through the hotel's registered tablet system.
For guests who need to stay connected, the free Wi-Fi is a clear standout, unusually reliable for a budget city hotel. Add in the nearby green space of Victoria Park, quick access to London Road, and a relaxed, family-run atmosphere, and Croft Hotel works well for travellers who want a straightforward Leicester stay with character, convenience and genuinely helpful service.
Walking Distance to De Montfort Hall, the Station and the University
The Stanley Road / London Road corner is one of central Leicester's quieter walking-distance addresses. De Montfort Hall is about a twelve-minute walk along Granville Road, a usefully short hop for any gig, comedy night or graduation booking. Leicester Railway Station is 0.9 miles (15 to 18 minutes on foot, or a short taxi ride). The University of Leicester sits a few minutes further along University Road, with De Montfort University across the city centre.
Victoria Park itself is across London Road, the huge green oval framed by Sir Edwin Lutyens' Arch of Remembrance, the venue for Leicester Pride, the De Montfort Hall summer concerts and most of the city's outdoor public events. The half-mile walk into the centre via the cathedral and the King Richard III Visitor Centre is flat and well-lit.
Inside the Building: a Newly Refurbished Bar and Original Period Detail
Indoors, the Victorian building keeps a lot of its school-era character. A timber-balustrade staircase rises from the entrance hall in deep red carpet and dark stained wood, lit by a chandelier under high coved ceilings. The on-site bar has been newly refurbished, pouring an assortment of draught beers, bottles and soft drinks; small, residents-friendly, and the spot recent reviews describe as welcoming with friendly regulars who keep the place lived-in.
Bedrooms span six categories from single rooms up to a 37 m² Family Room for 4, see the room cards below for sizes, prices and what's in each. All are en-suite, all have flat-screen TVs with cable / satellite channels, tea and coffee facilities, an electric kettle, free toiletries, heating and the property's signature standout free Wi-Fi. Selected rooms add a balcony, a bath instead of a shower, soundproofing or a private view.
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Interesting Points About Croft Hotel
- Victorian former-school building in red brick and dark half-timbering, with cream stone dressings and Gothic-style roof gables, the architecture is instantly distinguishable from any modern budget-hotel block
- Free Wi-Fi that stands out as the property's strongest point, unusually strong for a budget city hotel
- About a 12-minute walk to De Montfort Hall, measured along the streets and 0.9 mi to Leicester Railway Station, both rare combinations for free-parking accommodation in central Leicester
- Free private on-site parking on a registered / tablet-based check-in system, guests log a vehicle registration at reception on arrival to keep the car park free of third-party enforcement fines
Rooms & Accommodation at Croft Hotel
Single Room En Suite
Sleeps 1 · 9.8 m² · Private bathroom · Ground floor
Compact ground-floor single with private en-suite shower-room, flat-screen TV with cable / satellite channels, tea / coffee tray, electric kettle and free toiletries. Located on the ground floor for easy access, with the beds rated comfortable enough for a compact budget single.
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Double Room En Suite
Sleeps 2 · 11.5 m² · Bath · Private bathroom · Soundproofing
Ground-floor double with bath-and-shower en-suite, a view, soundproofing, flat-screen TV, electric kettle and free toiletries. The room with the broadest amenity set in the entry-level price band, and the only Double with a bath rather than a shower-only set-up.
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Twin Room En Suite
Sleeps 2 · 15.3 m² · Two single beds · Private bathroom
Upper-floor twin with two single beds, en-suite with bath or shower, flat-screen TV, tea / coffee tray, electric kettle and free toiletries. The biggest of the entry-level rooms at 15.3 m², useful for a pair sharing without sharing a bed. Upper floors accessed by stairs only (no lift).
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Double Room with Balcony
Sleeps 2 · 18.6 m² · Balcony · Private bathroom
Upper-floor double with one double bed and the property's signature private balcony, confirmed by the property in its guest Q&A archive. En-suite, flat-screen TV with cable / satellite channels, tea / coffee tray, electric kettle and free toiletries. Upper floors accessed by stairs only.
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Family Room En Suite
Sleeps 3+ · 23.2 m² · Bath · Private bathroom · Ground floor
Ground-floor family room at 23 m² with bath-and-shower en-suite, flat-screen TV, tea / coffee tray, electric kettle, wardrobe and free toiletries. Children of any age welcome (those aged 6 and over are charged as adults). Cots and extra beds are not available at the property, beds are the configuration on arrival.
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Family Room for 4
Sleeps 4 · 37.2 m² · Private bathroom · Ground floor
The largest room at the property, 37 m² of ground-floor space sleeping four, with bath-or-shower en-suite, flat-screen TV, tea / coffee tray, electric kettle, wardrobe and free toiletries. Cheaper per person than the standard Family Room, the right pick for a budget four-share within easy walking distance of De Montfort Hall and the railway station.
Check PricesIs Croft Hotel Right for You?
Best Suited For
- De Montfort Hall ticket holders: about twelve minutes' walk along Granville Road
- University of Leicester and De Montfort University visitors: campus a short walk along University Road
- Leicester Tigers and Leicester City fans driving in: free private parking on site, both grounds short drives across the city
- Train arrivals: Leicester Railway Station 0.9 mi, a short taxi ride or 15 to 18 minutes on foot via London Road
- Diwali on the Golden Mile and the Leicester Comedy Festival (February): central enough to walk or use the London Road bus corridor
- Solo travellers and couples on a tight budget: singles, doubles, and standout free Wi-Fi
Worth Considering Alternatives If
- You need on-site breakfast or a restaurant: there's neither; nearby pubs Old Horse (350 yd), DWN TWN (650 yd) and Pizza Cottage (700 yd) cover food
- You're travelling with pets: pets are not allowed at this property
- You need a cot or extra bed: neither are available; bed configurations are fixed on arrival
- You want a swimming pool, gym or spa: none on site
- You need a lift: there isn't one; upper-floor rooms are accessed by stairs only (ground-floor rooms are bookable)
Amenities & Facilities
Bar & Common Areas
- Newly refurbished on-site bar
- Draught beers, bottles and soft drinks
- Communal TV lounge
- Garden / outdoor seating
- Not available: On-site restaurant
- Not available: Breakfast service
Room Amenities
- Free Wi-Fi throughout
- Flat-screen TV with cable / satellite channels
- Electric kettle and tea / coffee facilities
- Hairdryer
- Free toiletries
- Heating
- Wardrobe or closet
- Socket near the bed
- Selected rooms: balcony, bath, view, soundproofing
Parking & Transport
- Free private on-site parking (reservation / tablet check-in required)
- Accessible parking spaces
- Airport shuttle service available on request (additional fee)
- Leicester Railway Station, 0.9 mi
- East Midlands Airport, 20 mi (~30–40 min drive)
- Birmingham Airport, 38 mi (~50–60 min drive)
Services
- 24-hour front desk
- Luggage storage
- Daily housekeeping
- Fax / photocopying (additional charge)
- Meeting / banquet facilities (additional charge)
- Not available: Room service
Accessibility & House Rules
- Ground-floor rooms available
- Non-smoking throughout (designated outdoor smoking area only)
- Children of any age welcome (6+ charged as adults)
- No age restriction at check-in
- Cash and bankcard (Visa, Mastercard) accepted at the desk
- Not available: Lift
- Not available: Cot or extra bed
- Not available: Pets
Stanley Road & Around Victoria Park
Croft Hotel sits on the corner of Stanley Road and London Road in Leicester's LE2 1RF postcode, the south-eastern walking-distance fringe of the city centre. Across London Road is Victoria Park, the wide municipal green framed by Sir Edwin Lutyens' Arch of Remembrance and the venue for Leicester Pride, summer concerts and most of the city's outdoor events. About twelve minutes along Granville Road is De Montfort Hall, the 1913 concert hall that books the city's biggest gigs and comedy nights; a few minutes further along University Road is the University of Leicester.
Leicester is in the middle of its biggest cultural moment in decades. The King Richard III Visitor Centre, built directly over the 2012 car-park discovery of the last Plantagenet king's grave, is 1.4 miles into the city centre, with Leicester Cathedral opposite (where Richard III was reinterred in 2015). The National Space Centre sits 2.9 miles to the north on Abbey Lane, built around its 42-metre Rocket Tower. And Belgrave Road's Golden Mile, two miles east, hosts what former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak publicly described in 2024 as the largest Diwali celebrations outside India, the closure-event-lit street draws thousands every October–November.
Sport, food and music all sit within easy reach. Welford Road (Leicester Tigers, Premiership Rugby) and the King Power Stadium (Leicester City FC) are both short drives across the city. Queens Road and Clarendon Park, a few minutes south, are the city's neighbourhood food strip, Italian, Indian, neighbourhood pubs and the kind of independent cafes that survive on student walk-up trade.
- Victoria Park Leicester: 700 yd · few minutes' walk. The huge green oval across London Road framed by Sir Edwin Lutyens' 1925 Arch of Remembrance. Leicester Pride, De Montfort Hall summer concerts and most outdoor city events are staged here.
- De Montfort Hall: 0.4 mi · about a 12 min walk along Granville Road. The 1913 concert hall booking the city's biggest gigs, comedy nights and orchestral programmes.
- Leicester Railway Station: 0.9 mi · 15 to 18 min walk along London Road, or about 5 min by taxi. East Midlands Railway services to London St Pancras (around 70 minutes), Sheffield, Derby, Nottingham, Birmingham.
- King Richard III Visitor Centre: 1.4 mi · 25 min walk or short bus / taxi. Built over the car-park grave where the last Plantagenet king was rediscovered in 2012, Leicester's headline cultural attraction since 2015.
- Leicester Cathedral: 1.4 mi · opposite King Richard III Visitor Centre. Where Richard III was reinterred in March 2015, drawing pilgrims, history students and a steady year-round visitor stream.
- Welford Road (Leicester Tigers): 1.0 mi · 5 min drive / 20 min walk south down Aylestone Road. Premiership Rugby, the stadium for the most successful English club rugby team in the modern era.
- National Space Centre: 2.9 mi · 9 min drive north on Abbey Lane. The UK's largest space attraction, built around the 42-metre Rocket Tower, the destination behind a large share of family Leicester bookings.
- Belgrave Road, the Golden Mile: 2 mi north-east · 8 min drive. The Asian restaurant and gold-jewellery strip, and the venue for the Diwali lights switch-on, publicly described by former PM Rishi Sunak in 2024 as the largest Diwali celebrations outside India.
Getting to Key Locations
Photo: P L Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0
Victoria Park & the Arch of Remembrance
Cross London Road and you're in Victoria Park, Leicester's huge municipal green, framed by Sir Edwin Lutyens' 1925 Arch of Remembrance. The park hosts Leicester Pride, the De Montfort Hall summer concert series and the city's outdoor public events. For Croft Hotel guests it's the morning-walk anchor and the cut-through into the city centre.
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Photo: NotFromUtrecht, CC BY-SA 3.0
De Montfort Hall
12 min walk
About twelve minutes' walk from the hotel along Granville Road. The 1913 concert hall is Leicester's principal music venue: the headline rock and pop tours, comedy nights and the Leicester Symphony Orchestra all play here. If you're booking a gig night, the post-show walk back to the hotel is the property's single biggest convenience win.
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Photo: RobinLeicester, CC BY-SA 4.0
King Richard III Visitor Centre
25 min walk
A 25-minute walk or short bus / taxi into the city centre. The visitor centre is built directly over the car-park grave where the last Plantagenet king was rediscovered in 2012; Leicester Cathedral opposite holds his 2015 reinterment site. Together they account for a large share of city-centre visitor traffic and run year-round.
View on MapHow to Get to Croft Hotel from Leicester Railway Station
- Exit Leicester Railway Station onto London Road: Walk out of the main station entrance onto London Road (the A6) and turn left, heading south-east.
- Follow London Road past Victoria Park: Walk south-east along London Road for about three-quarters of a mile (15–18 minutes), passing De Montfort Square and the eastern edge of Victoria Park on your right.
- Turn into Stanley Road: Stanley Road branches right off London Road. Croft Hotel sits on the corner, a Victorian red-brick and half-timbered building behind iron railings, with the black-and-white 'Croft Hotel Licensed' sign at the front door.
- Alternatives by bus or taxi: Any London Road bus (Arriva 47 / 48, Centrebus services) stops nearby, alight at Clarendon Park Road. By taxi, the journey is about five minutes.
Leicester at a Glance
Leicester is the East-Midlands city that punches well above its weight. The 2021 ONS census put the population at 368,581, up 11.8% from 329,800 in 2011, one of England's fastest-growing cities of its size. Within a couple of miles of Croft Hotel you can stand at the rediscovered grave of King Richard III (whose 2012 exhumation from a city-centre car park reshaped how the British public encounters its medieval kings), walk the New Walk Georgian promenade, visit Leicester Cathedral where Richard III was reinterred in 2015, and reach the King Power Stadium (Premier-League winners 2016, home of Leicester City FC).
The city's cultural calendar tilts around three set pieces. Diwali on the Golden Mile (mid-October to mid-November on Belgrave Road) is the largest Diwali celebration outside India, publicly noted by former PM Rishi Sunak in 2024, with a closure-event-lit street that draws thousands. The Leicester Comedy Festival (4–22 February 2026) is, per organisers The Big Difference Company, the largest and longest-running comedy festival in Europe, with over 700 shows across 80+ venues. And the Leicester Tigers and King Power Stadium match-day calendar from September to May packs out the southern hotel belt around Stanley Road on game weekends.
What Guests Say About Croft Hotel
Scores and review counts are aggregated from verified guest bookings on major travel platforms.
Pleasant
Recent guests describe Croft Hotel as a friendly, family-run budget hotel that consistently delivers on staff warmth, location and free Wi-Fi, the connection being the single strongest part of the stay, with adequate marks on facilities and comfort that reflect the Victorian building's ongoing phased refurbishment. Couples single out the location for a two-person trip. The clear value-for-money pattern is that travellers who book it as a short, central, free-parking base, not as a full-service hotel with dining on site, are reliably satisfied.
Very happy. Good value, family-run, and the staff were super helpful. Facilities are simple but the price reflects that.
2026-02-25Friendly staff, lots of parking, and a warm, comfortable room. A touch tired in places, but absolutely fine for the price.
2026-02-13Nice location, warm and comfortable rooms, and a lovely building. Nothing I'd change.
2025-12-12A pleasant, handily placed base. It's straightforward but does everything you need, the staff are excellent, and the bar regulars are a friendly bunch.
2025-10-20Effortless, booked, arrived, slept well, left. Easy check-in, ample parking.
2025-09-21Very friendly, helpful staff. Clean, tidy and fairly priced.
2025-06-16Cheap and cheerful. Clean room, welcoming staff, walkable to the centre of Leicester.
2025-12-14Good enough for a one-night stay. Polite staff, clean room and comfortable bed in a well-positioned hotel.
2026-03-29Good to Know Before You Book
No on-site breakfast or restaurant
The hotel doesn't serve breakfast and doesn't operate an on-site restaurant. The newly refurbished bar pours drinks. For food, walk to The Old Horse (350 yd, traditional pub Sunday roasts and ale on the Victoria Park corner), DWN TWN on Queens Road (650 yd) or Pizza Cottage (700 yd).
Cash or bankcard at the desk
Croft Hotel takes cash and bankcards (Visa, Mastercard) only at reception. There's no on-site cash machine, withdraw cash at Leicester Railway Station or along London Road before arrival if you need it on hand.
Tell the property when you'll arrive
Check-in runs 14:00 to 00:00 (midnight) with 24-hour reception, but the property asks you to let them know your expected arrival time when you book, use the Special Requests box, or phone +44 116 212 0327.
Park, register, no fines
On-site private parking is free for guests, on a registered system, enter your vehicle registration at the reception tablet on arrival so the car park's third-party enforcement doesn't issue you a fine. Phased refurbishment is currently in progress on parts of the building, but the property and recent guests confirm it isn't producing noise or dust impact on stays.
Photos of Croft Hotel
Frequently Asked Questions
Croft Hotel is on the corner of 3 Stanley Road and London Road, postcode LE2 1RF, the south-eastern walking-distance fringe of Leicester city centre, opposite Victoria Park and about a twelve-minute walk from De Montfort Hall along Granville Road. Some booking sites file the property under 'Off London Road' as a sub-area, but the property's actual postcode and address are firmly in Leicester.
Leicester Railway Station is 0.9 miles from Croft Hotel, about 15 to 18 minutes' walk along London Road, or a taxi taking around five minutes. Frequent buses on London Road (Arriva 47 / 48 and Centrebus services) stop on Clarendon Park Road, a few steps from the hotel.
Yes, free private parking is available on-site to guests, on a reservation / tablet check-in system. You'll need to enter your vehicle registration at the reception tablet on arrival to keep the car park's third-party enforcement from issuing you a fine. Accessible parking spaces are available.
Check-in is from 14:00 to 00:00 (midnight) with 24-hour reception, and check-out is until 11:00. The property asks that you let them know your expected arrival time when you book, use the Special Requests box at checkout or phone +44 116 212 0327 directly. Special requests for early or late check-in / check-out can be made but cannot be guaranteed.
Six room categories are bookable. Single Room En Suite (9.8 m²), Double Room En Suite with bath (11.5 m²), Family Room for 4 (37.2 m²), Twin Room En Suite (15.3 m²), Double Room with Balcony (18.6 m²) and Family Room En Suite (23.2 m²). All rooms are en-suite with flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi, electric kettle, tea / coffee facilities and free toiletries. Ground-floor rooms are available; upper floors are accessed by stairs only (no lift).
Children of any age are welcome, children aged six and over are charged as adults. Cots and extra beds are NOT available at the property, so bed configurations are fixed on arrival. Pets are not allowed.
No, Croft Hotel does not have a restaurant and does not serve breakfast. The newly refurbished on-site bar pours draught beers, bottles and soft drinks. For food, The Old Horse pub (350 yd, traditional Sunday roasts), DWN TWN on Queens Road (650 yd) and Pizza Cottage (700 yd) are the closest options, with a wider Italian / Indian / neighbourhood-pub strip a few minutes further south on Queens Road and Clarendon Park.
East Midlands Airport (EMA) is 20 miles from Croft Hotel, around 30 to 40 minutes by car or pre-booked taxi via the A6 and M1 / A50. There's also a Skylink Leicester bus from EMA into Leicester city centre that stops near Leicester Railway Station; from there a taxi to the hotel is around five minutes. Birmingham Airport (BHX) is 38 miles, 50 to 60 minutes by car.
Other Great Stays in Leicester
Comfort Guest House
Friendly Leicester guest house, a smaller, family-run alternative to Croft Hotel in the same city, useful when Croft Hotel rooms are sold out on a busy event night.
Grafton House
Five minutes' walk from Leicester Railway Station, the right pick if you're arriving late by train and want to drop your bags immediately.
Regency Hotel, Stoneygate
Pick the Regency, a Victorian townhouse up London Road in leafy Stoneygate, when a quiet conservation-area street matters more than Croft Hotel's 24-hour desk and residents' bar; parking stays free, but bring cash.
Ready to Book Croft Hotel?
Free private parking, free Wi-Fi, 24-hour reception. Twelve minutes from De Montfort Hall, opposite Victoria Park.
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