Leeds hotel 42 The Calls has been put up for sale, years after it closed for a luxury refurbishment.
The landmark waterfront building on the banks of the River Aire was rescued from administration by local entrepreneur Simon Pollard back in 2018.
It had also been home to much-loved local restaurant Brasserie Forty 4 for almost three decades, which closed around this time.
42 The Calls operated as a hotel for around a year after Pollard acquired it, before closing for refurbishment in 2019.
The vision was to create a new luxury five star hotel, complete with rooftop champagne bar, with dreams to be open for business by 2021.
But Covid struck, the world slowed, and 42 The Calls never actually reopened.
Now a huge for sale sign has appeared on the side of the 28,000 sq ft building seeking potential buyers to complete its five-star luxury redevelopment.
As well as the 37-bedroom hotel filled with lavish suites, the building includes a riverside dining space and a range of entertaining spaces.
CGI plans for 42 The Calls hotel in Leeds. Credit: 42 The CallsThe proposed rooftop champagne bar. Credit: 42 The Calls
The vision board for 42 The Calls even includes the option for guests to arrive in a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce, or by the hotel’s own Riva boat which will pick you up from the train station and take you on a river cruise to the hotel, arriving to a glass of champagne.
The hotel listing says: "Originally built in the 18th century, this Grade II listed site is a fantastic waterfront location that's steeped in local history, renovated as Leeds' first boutique hotel in 1991."
The listing also states that this is an opportunity to 'rekindle 42 The Calls Hotel as the finest destination in Leeds'.
The landmark sale includes planning permission valid until January 2025.
When The Hoot shared a video of the empty 42 The Calls building earlier this year, we were flooded with comments crying out for it to reopen.
The for sale sign at 42 The Calls in Leeds
One person wrote: “Absolutely agree, superb potential, prominent location. Shame that its redevelopment appears to have stagnated.”
Another said: “Yes it's got so much potential. Don't think its previous owners made the most of it either.”
Someone else commented: “Used to work in brasserie 44.. such a shame to see it still empty and unloved.”
Hopefully this sale will finally see the wheels turning at 42 The Calls again.
The Wombats aren’t just still going strong - they’re getting better. And honestly? Long may they reign.
The Wombats absolutely tore the roof off the First Direct Arena in Leeds last night, Wednesday 26 March and what a night it was.
From the second they hit the stage it wasn’t just a gig, it was a full-blown indie-pop spectacle, packed with infectious energy, nostalgia, and a whole lot of dancing.
They kicked things off with “Moving to New York,” and honestly? The crowd was in from the first note.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Matthew Murphy’s unmistakable vocals rang through the arena and suddenly, thousands of people were screaming every lyric like it was 2007 all over again. It was one of those moments where you could just feel how much this band still means to people.
Despite the massive venue, The Wombats somehow made it feel intimate. The lights? Pure chaos in the best way - vibrant, colourful, and totally in sync with the band’s wild, bouncy sound.
Murphy’s cheeky banter between songs made it feel less like a polished arena show and more like a jam session with a few thousand of your closest mates.
Setlist-wise, they nailed it. “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” and “Greek Tragedy” had the whole place losing it, while the stripped-down version of “Techno Fan” gave everyone a minute to breathe (and maybe get a little emotional).
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Those quieter moments just made the high-energy choruses hit even harder. It was a rollercoaster - in the best way possible.
Then came the encore. If you thought the crowd was loud before, “Kill the Director” took things to another level. Pure, chaotic indie bliss. The kind of moment you don’t want to end.
Here’s the thing about The Wombats: some might say their older songs hit harder than their newer stuff, but is that just nostalgia talking? Or maybe it’s a generational thing?
Either way, they proved they’re still one of the most exciting live bands out there. They’ve still got the hooks, the humour, and the ability to turn a massive arena into a sweaty, euphoric singalong.
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky
Danny Jones
She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.
They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.
And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Images: Get Baked
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES!Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
Daisy Jackson -
27th June 2024 
