After our trip to Twinlakes Park as part of our #StayPlayExplore package, we went off to the Hilton Leicester. It is just a couple of minutes from junction 21 of the M1, in a commercial area with shops and restaurants nearby.

There is a lovely big car park which has a ticket operated entry barrier. With the #StayPlayExplore deal, you get a car park pass included which will let you in and out for the duration of your stay.

The Hilton Leicester is everything you would expect from a 4* hotel – great decor, high standards of cleanliness, and fantastic customer service. Check in was quick and easy, and we went off to our rooms with excitement.

We had a room with a large double bed and a single sofa bed (They knew there would only be the three of us, so that was fine). The other room was two double beds.

Have a look at this video for a tour of each room

The rooms were clean and warm, and we had a pretty good night’s sleep. There was a bit of noise from the room next door (who brought them along?!), but not very much from the communal areas.

Our rooms were on the first floor and quite a way down the corridor, which meant a little bit of walking, but not many people traipsing past our doors, which was good. Our rooms overlooked the garden, and you could see the swimming pool too.

We didn’t try out the restaurant – I’d promised the little people a trip to Pizza Hut if we saw one en route. As it happened, you could see one from the hotel, so I couldn’t get out of that one!

The bathrooms were well stocked and clean. Towels and complimentary soaps and shampoos were provided.

Breakfast was simply lush. There was a huge choice of quality food including cooked breakfast, cereals, pastries, yoghurts, fruit juices, and more. We were directed to a very nice table for six with proper grown up glasses.

The nice man brought a jug of freshly squeezed orange juice just for us. Then we got up and helped ourselves to whatever we fancied. It really was yummy!

Check out was 12 noon, and as it was raining, we decided to have a swimming session before going on our day out. The pool is in the adjoining Living Well health club. It is obviously used by regulars, but as guests of the hotel, we could use it too. The regulars were friendly and didn’t seem to mind being gatecrashed by four noisy girls with Mum and Grandma.

The pool was warm, and not too big. My seven year old could touch the bottom around the edges but it was too deep for her in the middle. Half of the pool was roped off for lane swimming, and then later for an aqua-fit class. There was also a jacuzzi, and sauna for older guests. Changing facilities were spotless, and the girls were very taken with the novelty of a swimming costume spinner. You don’t get that in the local leisure centre! Remember to take a £1 coin for the locker (returnable) and don’t forget you can borrow the towels from your room so you don’t have to take a wet towel around with you the rest of the day.

My only two (minor) complaints was that the sofa bed was a bit rubbish and not very good for lumpy grown-ups, and the room smelt a little of smoke. If it had been overwhelming, I would have asked to be moved, but it was ok, and we were happy with our rooms otherwise.

The hotel was a real treat for us all as we usually opt for the cheaper hotel chains, but you can see why the Hilton chain are more expensive. Quality of service was top notch, and our rooms spacious and comfortable. We would recommend this hotel to anyone staying in Leicester, and of course, to anyone booking through the fantastic value #StayPlayExplore package.

For more information >> Hilton Leicester

For more details about the #StayPlayExplore deal, please check out the website of Go Leicestershire

From here, we went to The National Space Centre

Disclosure – we were guests of Go Leicestershire on this trip