Idyllically set in green tranquil landscaped gardens, Woodlands is a luxury hotel barely 3 miles from Leeds city centre. The hotel has a seventy seat restaurant, voted "Best Fine Dining restaurant in Leeds 2005", and twenty three individually designed bedrooms. The interior has been lovingly restored with a blend of classical elegance and contemporary style, featuring rooms with high ceilings, dark leather chairs and large colourful abstract paintings by Brit artist Sammy Dent.

Woodlands is a persuasive blend of the old and the new where sumptuous comfort is the order of the day. The bar is a pretty funky sort of place too. Whether you want to live it up or wind down, the welcome is always warm. Woodlands is a great place to stay on a trip to Leeds, which has a lively night life and superb opportunities for retail therapy.

The twenty three bedrooms are luxurious as befits the former home of a wealthy textile mill owner who clearly did not believe in concealing his status. The Penthouse suite is very special, with a separate dressing area and lounge, but all rooms have individually designed décor and are fitted with flat screen TV, DVD player, bespoke toiletries, complimentary broadband, a heavenly pillow menu, sumptuous bathrobes and the best of beds.

The Penthouse has a dining area which can be used for private dinner parties, with a range of freshly cooked gourmet dishes from which to choose.

The restaurant comprises of a bar, 3 dining rooms and a cool terrace. Chef Adam Spencer first courses from the a la carte might offer such tempting choices as Tempura squid with Saffron aioli, chillies and spring onion, pan seared Loch Fyne scallops with crushed peas, chorizo, sumac, or oxtail ravioli with beetroot, caramelized onion, and celeriac.

Main courses follow a largely classical pattern with 7oz English beef fillet in the lead. Oven roasted spiced monkfish tail comes with home dried tomato salsa, cannelloni beans and fennel whilst the pan seared duck breast is accompanied by sweet potato, pak choi, and roasted pepper.

Sweet endings are numerous, each seemingly better than the other, but overall an excellent repertoire which could include hot chocolate brownie with white chocolate ice cream, Mixed summer berry Eton mess with Popping candy Cream or the trusty homemade sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream and butterscotch sauce.

There are also one, two or three course fixed price lunch menus, with prices which are impressively easy on the wallet. A typical meal could include chicken liver parfait with toasted brioche, homemade chutney and mixed leaf, followed by a pan fried salmon and closing with a vanilla cheesecake, blueberry compote and biscuits base. Sunday lunch can also be taken as one, two or three courses and is the same price as the mid week menu.

A wine list of around 94 bins explores the world with a good selection between the main growing areas and enterprising forays into some of the newer regions.

From the impressive array of testimonials it is very clear that Woodlands strikes the right note at every turn, quite an achievement for a hotel in a city that prides itself on the quality of service and attention to detail where visitors are concerned. If you are lucky enough to stay the night, the full Yorkshire Breakfast is a real treat and has been accredited with "Deliciously Yorkshire Breakfast" status as awarded by the Regional Yorkshire Food Group.

Click on their elegant Website for regular updates in all departments, particularly for weddings and private dining parties.