Ramada Leeds Parkway, Leeds

...her wedding reception at the Ramada Jarvis Parkway in Leeds. Situated close to the church where she was getting married and with a choice of 118 reasonably priced rooms for her guests, it seemed ideal. Add to that a choice of 3 event rooms with capacity for at least 200 guests and a high level of service from the staff and there wasn't much to grumble about.

WHERE IS IT?

You can get to the Parkway in the following ways:
...Contact details

Ramada Leeds Parkway
Otley Road
Leeds
LS16 8AG

T: +44 (0)113 269 9000
F: +44 (0)113 267 4410
W: www.ramadajarvis.co.uk

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Since I was a bridesmaid on the day, I left it up to my hubby to do the checking in bit and only arrived at the hotel afterwards. Having said that, Mr Tadders said the service was pretty straightforward, ... more

My hubby's sister had her wedding reception at the Ramada Jarvis Parkway in Leeds. Situated close to the church where she was getting married and with a choice of 118 reasonably priced rooms for her guests, it seemed ideal. Add to that a choice of 3 event rooms with capacity for at least 200 guests and a high level of service from the staff and there wasn't much to grumble about.

WHERE IS IT?

You can get to the Parkway in the following ways:

By A1/A1(M) Southbound

Follow the A1/A1(M) Southbound to Wetherby and take the slip road exit to join the A58 to Leeds. Continue along A58 until you reach the A6120 outer ring road signed Leeds. At the roundabout, take the third exit onto the A660 signed Skipton. Continue for 2 miles. The hotel is on your right.

From A1 Northbound

Following the M1 north, come off at junction 46. Turn left to join the A6120 to Leeds. Continue along the A6120 for 6 miles until you get to the roundabout. Take third exit onto the A660 to Skipton. Continue on A660 for a further 2 miles. The hotel is on your right.

By Train

Horsforth Station is 3 miles away
Leeds city station is 6 miles away

By Air

Leeds/Bradford Airport is the nearest airport, which is 5 miles from the hotel.

Contact details

Ramada Leeds Parkway
Otley Road
Leeds
LS16 8AG

T: +44 (0)113 269 9000
F: +44 (0)113 267 4410
W: www.ramadajarvis.co.uk

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Since I was a bridesmaid on the day, I left it up to my hubby to do the checking in bit and only arrived at the hotel afterwards. Having said that, Mr Tadders said the service was pretty straightforward, as the reservation was made over the phone prior to his arrival. Like many hotels that cater for weddings, the Ramada offered a group discount for the wedding party, so we got a double room at the rate of £65, which included breakfast. Since this was about two years ago, the discount rates may have changed. A standard rate for a twin room is £80 for room only and £90 with breakfast. For a double room, you can expect to pay £100 per room but if you book online, you can get special rates of around £90 including breakfast if you hit lucky.

I'll have to take Mr Tadders' word for it that checking-in here is speedy and welcoming. I was present when we checked out and the staff we dealt with did seem very helpful and efficient.

There are 3 event rooms at the Ramada, but my sister-in-law chose the largest (The Ballroom) which has the largest capacity of the three and has its own private foyer. The foyer itself is set on two levels and is not easily accessible due to the stairs. Therefore, my Mum had to be pushed in her wheelchair right the way around the perimeter of the hotel to get in and out of the Ballroom. Having said that the staff was on hand to do the honours and everyone seemed more than happy to assist her when she needed help, so it does get the thumbs up for its accessibility claim, even though she found it a little embarrassing to be ferried about.

THE BALLROOM

Since we didn't use either of the other conference rooms, I cannot pass comment on them, although I'm told they are generally used for business functions.

The Ballroom, though grand in terms of size, is in need of a bit of modernisation considering it is used for weddings and other personal functions. It is a huge room and is perfectly clean and tidy, but it does have the look of an eighties style conference room, which I should imagine isn't really the look that most people are going for on their big day. Each to their own though! It's certainly a good size for those who are having big weddings with lots of guests. To her credit, my sister-in-law brightened up the room no end with balloons, ice sculptures and a big chocolate fountain, which focused our attention away from the dated décor. But, even if they were only to replace the conference style chairs, to my mind at least, it would make all the difference.

Obviously, I can't comment on the cost of a meal and wedding reception at this venue, but I can confirm that every member of staff we encountered was helpful and pleasant and that the wedding breakfast roast dinner was one of the best mass catered meals I have had.

After the meal, the chairs and tables were quickly moved out of the way for barn dancing purposes. There was ample room for at least 200+ guests to strut their stuff on the dance floor, so it definitely wins on size considering the wayward nature of some of the dancing!

THE RESIDENTS' BAR

I have to hand it to the staff at the residents' bar for their patience. As any of you who have read about my own wedding will know, we aren't the quietest bunch of people when let loose on the bar at any wedding and we are definitely not the sort of family to scuttle off to bed quietly at midnight. Although the bar didn't stay open as late as some residents' bars, the staff seemed quite happy for us to stay in the bar until early into the morning. The bar is quite big and can accommodate a large number of guests. The décor is also relatively modern and easy on the eye.

THE BEDROOMS

Mr Tadders and I opted for a double room rather than a twin. However, each of the 118 bedrooms has an en-suite bathroom, a hairdryer, a trouser press, a telephone, tea and coffee making facilities and satellite TV with a pay per view movie option. The rooms themselves are modern and comfortable with plenty of space and storage. However, if they are not 100% to your liking, there is always the option to upgrade to a studio room with an armchair, interactive TV, an unsteamupable (their choice of word - not mine!) mirror and a Japanese shower for £20 extra. Personally, I was more than happy with our room for one night, as I probably would have been for a few nights. The bed was comfy and the décor was tasteful, Japanese shower or not! My friend has recently been to Japan and his one complaint was that the showers were too low. He spent most of his holiday trying not to bash his shoulder on the shower head, which amused me, but doesn't fill me with the need to try one out for myself. As it was, our shower was nice and powerful and hot, which is all I am really looking for in a shower. The bathroom was clean and I had no complaints.

THE RESTAURANT

Like many hotels, the Ramada favoured the buffet style breakfast at the time of our visit. There is a wide choice of breakfast options available including a cooked breakfast, dried cereal, bread or toast and jam and continental options. There was plenty of variety and the standard was quite high. The cooked breakfast was still hot when we rolled out bed at 10am and I didn't hear any complaints from Mr Tadders as he worked his way through the hangover with sausages, bacon and eggs. The fact that it was included in what we considered to be a very reasonably priced room made it even better.

THINGS TO DO

The hotel is in a very good location, being close to Golden Acre Park, which is a natural reserve and makes for a nice family day out. It also makes a pretty good base from which to visit the Yorkshire Dales and take in some lovely scenery, if the weather is good. There are golf clubs nearby as well as several galleries, theatres and museums (including the famous Royal Armouries) and being relatively close to Leeds city centre, you could always do a spot of shopping!

OTHER THINGS TO MENTION

Check in time is 2pm and check out time is 12pm.
Non smoking rooms are available.
24-hour room service is available.
The hotel has bars, restaurants a pool and gym at your disposal and 19 meeting rooms overall.

OVERALL OPINION

I don't really have any complaints about this hotel. It is very large and can cater for various events for both business and leisure as well as providing decent catering facilities and some high quality bedrooms. As I mentioned, I think the ballroom would benefit from a bit of modernisation, but my experience wasn't made less enjoyable because of this and the happy couple seemed to have a wonderful day, as did their guests.  

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