Midland Hotel

Bradford’s Midland Hotel was built in the late 1880s as a showpiece for the Midland Railway Company’s northern operations. In its Victorian-era heyday, the company operated nine railway hotels, including the Midland Hotel in Manchester and the Midland Grand Hotel (now known as the St Pancras Renaissance) at St Pancras railway station in London.

When it opened in 1890, the hotel had 115 guest rooms and an opulent French ballroom that was rivalled only by those in London and Paris. Famous former guests have included Laurel and Hardy, Bram Stoker, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and almost every British prime minister until Harold Wilson.

The hotel fell into disrepair during the 1970s and 1980s, although a renovation in the 1990s has restored much of its Victorian grandeur.

The hotel now has 90 spacious guest rooms, which all have comfortable beds, a work desk, a flatscreen television, ironing facilities (including a trouser press), tea and coffee making facilities and en suite bathrooms. Some of the premium rooms have four-poster beds.

The interior decor can feel a little dated, although it is in keeping with the historic nature of the Grade II-listed Victorian building.

The hotel has its own bar and restaurant, which serves contemporary British cuisine including a full-English breakfast and traditional afternoon tea. Its location in the heart of the city centre also means that there are plenty of other places to eat and drink within a short walk from the hotel.

Free Wi-Fi wireless internet access is available throughout the hotel.

The Midland Hotel has a convenient location in the heart of Bradford’s city centre. It is virtually next door to Bradford Forster Square railway station and the Broadway Bradford shopping centre is right across the street. Many other points of interest in the city centre are an easy walk away including Bradford Cathedral, the Bradford Police Museum, Centenary Square and the National Science and Media Museum, which are all less than a 10-minute walk away.

The hotel has 40 free car parking spaces, which is unusual for a city centre hotel.