A Five-Minute Walk from Leicester Station
Step off the train at Leicester station, turn up London Road, and within about five minutes you are at the blue front door of a tall white Victorian terrace on quiet Saxby Street, with the universities, the O2 Academy and some of the best curry houses in the country all within a walk. That short walk is the whole point of Grafton House.
This is a budget, family-run guesthouse built for people who want to be in Leicester rather than out on a ring road: a few minutes on foot from the railway station, the city centre, De Montfort University and the live-music venues, with free parking on site if you do drive, which is a genuinely rare thing this close to the middle of the city. The rooms are simple and kept clean, the welcome from the family who run it is the thing guests mention again and again. It earns its keep on location and value, not on frills.
An Honest, Family-Run House
The building itself is part of the appeal: a grand white-rendered Victorian terrace with navy-painted sash windows, tall bay fronts and flower baskets by the entrance, the kind of solid old Leicester house that has been taking in travellers for a long time. Reception is staffed around the clock, so late arrivals off a delayed train are no problem, and there is a bar and lounge downstairs, part of the long-running Serbian club the house shares its address with, which is the reason the staff between them speak English, Croatian and Serbian.
What guests value is straightforward. The location and the family's welcome draw the warmest feedback of the whole stay, and review after review picks out how friendly and helpful the family are, from storing bags to pointing you to the free parking round the back. It is not a polished hotel and it does not pretend to be. It is a clean, central, well-run base that does the important things well and charges very little for them.
What You Get for the Price
Be clear about what Grafton House is before you book, and it rarely disappoints. Most of the single, double, twin, triple and family rooms share clean, modern bathrooms and showers along the landing rather than having a private en-suite, and there is an in-room sink in many of them. There is no breakfast, payment is by cash, and the house is older and being smartened up room by room, so decor varies from one room to the next. None of that is hidden here, and the property holds a current Food Standards Agency hygiene rating of Good across the board.
In return you get a clean, comfortable bed in a brilliant spot for a price that is hard to beat in Leicester, plus a small paved courtyard out the back to sit in when the weather is kind. Guests who arrive wanting a cheap, central, secure place to sleep leave happy. The ones who score it lower are usually expecting hotel polish or a private bathroom, which is exactly why it pays to know the trade-off going in.
Why Book Grafton House?
Grafton House is the cheap, central, no-nonsense choice in Leicester: a clean family-run bed five minutes from the station, with free parking and a genuinely warm welcome.
Five minutes from the station
Walk out of Leicester railway station, up London Road, and you are at the door in about five minutes. The city centre, the universities and the gig venues are all a short stroll.
Free parking, this close in
There is free private parking on site, which is rare this near the centre of Leicester. Spaces are limited, so reserve one when you book if you are driving.
Cheap, clean and friendly
The rooms are simple but kept clean, and the family who run it, guests say, go out of their way to help, drawing some of the warmest feedback of the whole stay.
Best-fit guests
Best for budget travellers, students, visiting family and anyone in for a gig or a match who wants a cheap central bed and does not need a private bathroom or a cooked breakfast.
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Interesting Points About Grafton House
- Grafton House holds a Food Standards Agency hygiene rating of Good across all three areas, inspected on 20 August 2024 by Leicester City Council.
- The Victorian terrace shares its address with a long-running Serbian club, which is why the staff between them speak English, Croatian and Serbian.
- It is 450 yards from the door to Leicester railway station, with the independent kitchens of London Road, from Japanese ramen to grilled chicken, a one-minute walk away.
Rooms & Accommodation at Grafton House
Basic Single Room with Shared Bathroom
Sleeps 1 · 8 m² · Shared bathroom · In-room sink
The cheapest bed in the house, at around 8 square metres: a tidy single with its own in-room sink, a wall-mounted Freeview TV, a desk, heating and free Wi-Fi, with clean bathrooms and showers a few steps away on the landing. Best for solo travellers and contractors who want the lowest price within a five-minute walk of the station and do not mind sharing a bathroom.
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Basic Double Room with Shared Bathroom
Sleeps 2 · 10 m² · Shared bathroom · In-room sink
A simple double of around 10 square metres with an in-room sink, a Freeview TV, a desk, heating and free Wi-Fi, sharing clean bathrooms and showers on the landing. Choose this if you are a couple or a single traveller who wants a double bed and the lowest rate, and is happy to step across to a shared bathroom in exchange.
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Double Room with Private Bathroom
Sleeps 2 · Private bathroom
The double with its own private bathroom, for guests who would rather not share, with a Freeview TV, heating and free Wi-Fi. Private-bathroom rooms are limited and the property's room mix changes, so if having your own bathroom matters, confirm it directly with the property when you book. Best for couples who want a bit more privacy than the shared-bathroom rooms for a few pounds more.
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Twin Room
Sleeps 2 · Two single beds
A room with two separate single beds, a Freeview TV, heating and free Wi-Fi, with clean bathrooms a short step away on the landing. Best for friends or colleagues travelling together who want their own beds and a cheap, central base near the station and the universities.
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Basic Triple Room with Shared Bathroom
Sleeps 3 · 12 m² · Shared bathroom
Around 12 square metres with three single beds, a Freeview TV, heating and free Wi-Fi, sharing bathrooms on the landing. Best for three friends or a small family who want to stay together cheaply and spend their money in the city rather than on the room.
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Family Room with Shared Bathroom
Sleeps 4 · Shared bathroom · Double and single beds
The largest room, with a double bed and single beds to sleep a family of up to four, a Freeview TV, heating and free Wi-Fi, sharing bathrooms on the landing. Best for families who want everyone in one room a short walk from the station and the National Space Centre bus, at a price that leaves plenty over for the trip.
Check PricesIs Grafton House Right for You?
Best Suited For
- Budget travellers and solo guests who want the cheapest clean bed within a five-minute walk of Leicester station
- Students, parents and visitors to De Montfort University and the University of Leicester
- Anyone in town for a gig at the O2 Academy or De Montfort Hall, or a match at the King Power or Welford Road
- Drivers who want free on-site parking this close to the city centre
Worth Considering Alternatives If
- You need a private en-suite bathroom: most rooms share clean bathrooms on the landing, and private-bathroom rooms are limited
- You want breakfast included: none is served, though London Road has cafes and restaurants on the doorstep
- You would rather pay by card at the property: payment is cash only
- You need a lift or step-free access to every floor: this is an older building reached by stairs
Amenities & Facilities
In the room
- Free Wi-Fi
- Freeview flat-screen TV
- In-room wash basin in most rooms
- Desk and heating
- Fresh towels
- Wake-up service
Property & services
- 24-hour reception
- Free private parking on site (reservation recommended)
- Luggage storage
- Bar and lounge on site
- Daily housekeeping
- Small paved courtyard
- Non-smoking throughout
Getting around
- Five-minute walk to Leicester railway station
- City centre and Old Town within a short walk
- De Montfort University and the O2 Academy nearby
- East Midlands Airport about a 35-minute drive
Not available
- Not available: Breakfast (none served; cafes and restaurants on London Road)
- Not available: Private bathroom in every room (most share landing bathrooms)
- Not available: Card payment at the property (cash only)
- Not available: Lift access (older building, stairs only)
- Not available: Pets in rooms
- Not available: Smoking indoors
Location & Getting Around
Grafton House sits on Saxby Street, just off London Road in the South Highfields and Stoneygate fringe of Leicester, a five-minute walk from the railway station and barely more from the city centre. This is one of the city's most walkable corners: the universities, the gig venues and the Old Town are all on foot from the door, and London Road outside has quietly become one of Leicester's best food strips, with independent Japanese, Turkish, Italian and South Indian kitchens within a couple of minutes. The location is the property's strongest suit, and guests say so more often than anything else.
Arriving by train is the easy way to come: it is about 450 yards from the platforms at Leicester station, so most guests simply walk. Drivers get free private parking on site, which is rare this central, though spaces are limited and worth reserving when you book. If Grafton House is full, the Croft Hotel on the other side of the city is a comparable Leicester option with more hotel facilities.
- Leicester Railway Station: 450 yd, about a 5-minute walk. The Grade II listed Midland Railway station of 1894, with the only hand-wound station clock in the UK.
- London Road restaurants: 1-minute walk. Independent Japanese, Turkish, Italian and South Indian kitchens, including the grilled-chicken spot guests rate on the corner.
- New Walk & Leicester Museum: About a 5-minute stroll. A Georgian tree-lined promenade leading to a free museum with a 15-metre dinosaur skeleton and an Ancient Egypt gallery.
- De Montfort Hall: About an 8-minute walk. Leicester's 1913 concert hall on the edge of Victoria Park, where the Beatles and Bob Dylan both played in the 1960s.
- King Richard III Centre & Leicester Cathedral: 0.9 mi, a walk into the Old Town. The exhibition on the spot where the king's remains were found, opposite the cathedral that holds his tomb.
- Victoria Park: 750 yd, a short walk. The city's big green space with the Arch of Remembrance, linking the universities and De Montfort Hall.
- Leicester Tigers, Welford Road: About a 15-minute walk. One of English rugby's most storied grounds and the club's long-time home.
- National Space Centre: 2.2 mi, a short drive or bus ride. Home to the UK's largest planetarium and the landmark 42-metre Rocket Tower.
Getting to Key Locations
Photo: Andrew Abbott, CC BY-SA 2.0
Leicester Railway Station
The single biggest reason to stay here. It is about 450 yards, a five-minute walk, from the door to the platforms, so you can arrive from London, Birmingham, Sheffield or Nottingham and be checked in without a taxi. The station itself is worth a look: a Grade II listed Midland Railway building of 1894 in red brick and terracotta, with the only hand-wound station clock left in the country.
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Old Town: Richard III & the Cathedral
Under a mile from the door, Leicester's Old Town holds the city's most famous story. The King Richard III Visitor Centre stands on the exact car-park spot where the last Plantagenet king's remains were found in 2012, opposite the cathedral where he was finally reburied. Around them sit the medieval Guildhall, the Jewry Wall Roman ruins and the lanes of the Old Town, an easy afternoon on foot.
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Photo: NotFromUtrecht, CC BY-SA 3.0
De Montfort Hall & the Venues
Grafton House is well placed for a night out. De Montfort Hall, Leicester's grand 1913 concert hall on the edge of Victoria Park, is about an eight-minute walk and has hosted everyone from the Beatles and Bob Dylan to today's touring acts. The O2 Academy is closer still, and the King Power Stadium and Welford Road rugby ground are both within reach, which is why so many guests book in for a gig or a match.
View on MapHow to Get to Grafton House from London
- Train from London St Pancras to Leicester: Take an East Midlands Railway service from London St Pancras International to Leicester, around 1 hour 5 minutes on the fast trains, with advance fares often well under £30 one way.
- Walk up London Road from the station: Leave Leicester station by the main London Road exit, turn right and head up London Road, then take Saxby Street on the right. Grafton House is a five-minute, 450-yard walk and sits at numbers 7 to 13.
- By car, leave the M1 at Junction 21: Drivers should leave the M1 at Junction 21 and follow the A563 and A6 towards the city centre and London Road. Reserve a free on-site parking space when you book, as the number of spaces is limited.
Leicester at a Glance
Leicester is one of England's oldest and most diverse cities, the county town of Leicestershire on the River Soar in the East Midlands, about an hour up the line from London. In a single walkable square mile you can stand over the grave site of a medieval king, walk beneath a 15-metre dinosaur skeleton, catch a football match at the King Power and eat some of the best South Asian food in Britain. It is a year-round city break rather than a seasonal resort, busiest around big fixtures, gigs and the universities' term dates.
The autumn highlight is Diwali on the Golden Mile along Belgrave Road, one of the largest Diwali celebrations outside India, drawing tens of thousands each year. Beyond that the calendar fills with concerts and pantomime at De Montfort Hall, gigs at the O2 Academy, and match days at the King Power Stadium and Welford Road. Spring and early autumn are the most comfortable times to walk the parks and the Old Town, while match and gig weekends are when beds in the centre fill up fastest.
A Walk Around Leicester
A street-level walking tour of Leicester city centre, taking in the cathedral, the Old Town and the lanes that are all within a short walk of Grafton House.
What Guests Say About Grafton House
Scores and review counts are aggregated from verified guest bookings on major travel platforms.
Good
Guests are consistent about Grafton House: an honestly priced, well-located guesthouse where the staff are friendly and helpful and the location is hard to beat for the money. The location and the staff draw the warmest feedback of the whole stay, and the things people praise most are the short walk to the station, the free parking and a genuinely kind welcome. The recurring caveats are the shared bathrooms and tired decor in some rooms, both of which the family are slowly working through. Guests who book it for what it is, a cheap and central bed, tend to leave pleasantly surprised.
Great location and an easy stay. The only small thing was the bed being a touch on the firm side, but for the price and the spot it was very good.
2026-04-29The lady at reception was lovely on arrival, the bed was comfortable, a towel was provided and I was shown to the free parking, which was really helpful. The place could do with smartening up in spots, but excellent for the money.
2026-04-28A big, comfortable room with its own shower, and the landlady could not have been kinder. We have stayed three times now. There is good food at the chicken place on the corner too.
2026-04-26Not far from the city centre, with very friendly and helpful staff, especially with storing my luggage. The toilets were clean and private and the room felt secure. A little damp on one wall, but that was about it.
2026-03-01A straightforward stay that did exactly what I expected for the price. Handy for the station and the centre.
2026-05-22Friendly staff and a clean room in a great spot for De Montfort and the O2 Academy. The bathroom is shared and the decor is basic, but you are not paying for much and it does the job.
2026-04-19Good to Know Before You Book
Do the rooms have private or shared bathrooms?
Most rooms share clean, modern bathrooms and showers on the landing, and many have a wash basin in the room. A limited number of rooms have a private bathroom, and the mix changes, so if having your own bathroom matters to you, confirm it directly with the property when you book rather than assuming.
Is there parking at Grafton House?
Yes, there is free private parking on site, which is rare this close to the centre of Leicester. The spaces are round the back and there are a limited number, so reserve one when you book if you are driving.
Is breakfast served?
No, breakfast is not served at the property. London Road outside has plenty of cafes and independent restaurants within a couple of minutes' walk, and there is a supermarket nearby for anything you want in the room.
How do I pay, and when should I arrive?
Payment at the property is cash only, so bring enough to settle your stay. Reception is staffed 24 hours, so any arrival time is fine, but it helps to let the property know roughly when you will get there.
Call Grafton House
Want to check availability, ask about a private bathroom or reserve a parking space? Call the property directly.
+44 116 254 0350Photos of Grafton House
Frequently Asked Questions
Grafton House is at 7-13 Saxby Street, just off London Road in Leicester, LE2 0ND. It is about 450 yards, a five-minute walk, from Leicester railway station, and the city centre is barely further.
Grafton House is among the cheapest central options in Leicester. Exact nightly rates depend on the room type and your dates, and the current price is shown before you confirm your booking.
Most rooms share clean bathrooms and showers on the landing, with a wash basin in many of the rooms. A limited number of rooms have a private bathroom. If you need your own bathroom, confirm availability with the property directly when you book.
Yes. There is free private parking on site, which is unusual this close to the centre of Leicester. Spaces are limited, so reserve one when you book if you are driving.
No, breakfast is not served. There are cafes and independent restaurants along London Road within a couple of minutes' walk, and a supermarket nearby.
Check-in is from 3:00 PM and check-out is by 10:00 AM. Reception is staffed 24 hours, so late arrivals are fine if you let the property know roughly when to expect you.
Payment at the property is cash only, so bring enough cash to settle your stay.
Yes. There are triple and family rooms that sleep three or four, which are popular with families and friends travelling together. Pets are not allowed and the whole property is non-smoking.
Other Stays in Leicester
Croft Hotel
A 3-star hotel in a Victorian building on the edge of Leicester, a useful compare if you want more hotel facilities and en-suite rooms rather than a budget guesthouse.
Comfort Guest House
Another budget Leicester guesthouse, worth a look if Grafton House is full or you want to weigh up a second cheap, central option.
Ready to Book Grafton House?
A clean, cheap, family-run bed five minutes' walk from Leicester station and the city centre, with free parking and free Wi-Fi throughout.
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