Traditional seaside stay at The Grand Hotel Eastbourne

A stay at The Grand Hotel

As I arrived at The Grand Hotel Eastbourne to be welcomed by the uniformed door staff and ushered into the hotel’s vast entrance hall, I couldn’t help but think they made hotels on a larger scale in days gone by. To arrive at this impressive hotel is to step back in time to Victorian times and the heyday of the British seaside resort.

thi The Grand Hotel Eastbourne is an impressive sight on Britain’s south coast

Contents hide

1 A stay at The Grand Hotel

2 Arriving at The Grand Hotel Eastbourne

3 History of The Grand Hotel

4 Bedrooms at The Grand Hotel Eastbourne

5 The Grand Hotel spa

6 The Grand Hotel restaurants

6.1 Breakfast at The Grand

7 Exploring Eastbourne

8 Special offers at The Grand Hotel

9 Hotel information and how to book The Grand Hotel Eastbourne

This vast 152-bedroom hotel, which claims to be Britain’s only five-star seaside hotel, was built in 1875 and its gleaming white building has taken pride of place on Eastbourne’s seafront ever since. It is one of those places which is a destination in itself and certainly lives up to its name, being unmissable the moment you arrive in this pretty coastal resort.

The Grand Hotel Eastbourne exterior in the sunshine

Many of The Grand’s rooms overlook the seaside

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Arriving at The Grand Hotel Eastbourne

If you are used to smaller city hotels, then the sheer scale of The Grand will come as a pleasant change. The place is enormous from first sight, when you arrive though revolving doors into the hotel and are greeted with the huge pillared lounge at the end of the reception area.

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Off the entrance hall are several large lounges on the ground floor where guests and day visitors can have morning coffee, afternoon tea, lunch, dinner and evening drinks as well as be entertained by live music and evening entertainment, while across the hallway is the largest dining room I have ever seen in a hotel, spreading on for three rooms which run almost the length of the hotel.

Inside the Grand Hotel Eastbourne is an imposing entrance hall and lounge

As well as the dining room, where breakfast, lunch and dinner is served, at the far end of The Grand is the Mirabelle restaurant which offers a fine-dining experience without leaving the hotel. There’s also a hotel spa with gym and indoor pool, a small row of shops, sweeping staircases and basically everything you’d expect if you stepped back in time to the grand hotels of yesteryear.

Just part of the huge Garden restaurant at The Grand Hotel, Eastbourne

The lounge at The Grand Hotel Eastbourne is a lovely sun trap for the morning papers or to enjoy afternoon tea

History of The Grand Hotel

The Grand Hotel isn’t a modern, fashionable hotel by any means but a few days here was a glimpse into how seaside holidays used to be for affluent Victorians. Famous names including Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin, Arthur Conan Doyle and Debussy all stayed at The Grand Hotel and the Grand Hotel Orchestra broadcast live on BBC from the Great Hall every Sunday night from 1924 to 1939.

The hotel closed during the Second World War, later becoming a military headquarters, and was turned into a hotel by the De Vere group who acquired the site in 1965. The Grand Hotel’s current owners, Elite Hotels (which also owns Ashdown Park hotel in East Sussex) bought the hotel in 1998 and have been refurbishing the venue ever since, modernising the amenities while keeping the original atmosphere.

Bedrooms at The Grand Hotel Eastbourne

twin bedroom at the Grand Hotel Eastbourne

The bedrooms at the Grand Hotel are large and comfortingly traditional

a traditional bedroom at the Grand Hotel Eastbourne

Our bedroom had more than enough space for the two of us. There was also a dressing area, large cupboards and huge bathroom

Traditional wood-lined lifts or wide staircases take you to your room on the upper floors, and rooms with a seaview command a premium. We were on the fifth floor corner with great views of the sea and the esplanade at Eastbourne, and it was lovely to get that holiday feeling from our window.

The view from our bedroom window

The room itself, like the rest of the hotel, was built on a grand scale, with lots of room to spread out in. As well as our twin beds (the trip was a birthday treat for my mum) there was a desk, armchairs, tea and coffee-making facilities and, best of all in my mum’s opinion, a separate dressing area where she could keep her clothes and make up.

The bathroom was also large, with a combined shower/bath, two sinks and acres of space. There was ample storage, plug points, lights and mirrors everywhere and the atmosphere was of solid, dependable and traditional luxury. You felt you could hole up in the room for days with a book and be perfectly content.

The Grand Hotel spa

the indoor pool at the Grand Hotel Eastbourne

There was an indoor pool at the Grand hotel Eastbourne as well as a gym, hot tub and steam room

Down in the depths of the hotel is a largish-spa centre, with a smart, modern gym, workout space, treatment rooms and best of all, an indoor swimming pool big enough to actually swim in. There’s a hot tub, a sauna and a steam room, so if you don’t really fancy braving the sea for a swim it’s the perfect way to work up an appetite before breakfast or relax before dinner. In the summer months there is also an outdoor pool at the front of the hotel meaning you don’t have to walk more than a few metres to soak up the sun while cooling off.

The Grand Hotel restaurants

The Garden Restaurant is the main hotel restaurant where breakfast, lunch and dinner is served daily, but those wanting more of an exclusive fine-dining experience can head to The Mirabelle at the far corner of the hotel, which serves modern European food under head chef Michael Sutherland from Tuesdays to Saturdays.

The menu is on the traditional side, with starters including Celeriac and Cropwell Stilton soup, Chicken and Wild Garlic Terrine and Line-caught Mackerel, and mains ranging from Braised sticky short rib, lemon sole and salt-baked celeriac – there’s also a gourmet dinner tasting menu for £80 per person with an optional wine flight at £40.

Accompanied by live piano music, we were welcomed with a cured sea trout coriander oil and creme fraiche amuse-bouche which set the fine-dining tone. We then enjoyed the soup and an interesting-sounding 64 Degree Duck Egg York followed by the pan-fried trout with haricot bean fricassee, mussels, chorizo and shellfish sauce which was a great amalgamation of flavours and Roast Creedy Carver duck breast, finishing off with a selection of sorbets.

The pan-fried trout with haricot bean fricassee, mussels, chorizo and shellfish sauce

Breakfast at The Grand

While the Mirabelle is a special-occasion restaurant which you’d probably try only once during your stay, breakfast at the Garden Restaurant soon became a regular treat. Staff coped admirably with dealing with such a large restaurant and the cooked breakfast and coffee couldn’t be faulted.

Cooked breakfast at The Grand Hotel Eastbourne

After breakfast we would take our second cup of coffee outside into the hallway running along the front of the hotel which is lined by comfy chairs, and soak up the sunshine while planning the rest of the day.

Exploring Eastbourne

The sea is just a few seconds from The Grand Hotel Eastbourne and ideal for some coastal strolls whatever the time of day. Just a few minutes’ drive west along the coastal road are the cliffs at Birling Gap which is perfect for country hiking, and if you’d rather have a less active holiday, the Grand is just a few minutes’ walk from Eastbourne Pier, a classic part of any seaside holiday.

The view of The Grand Hotel at night from the coastal path

The view of The Grand Hotel from the coastal path at night

If you’re looking for interesting restaurants in Eastbourne itself, I was recommended to try Cru in Hyde Gardens which looked unremarkable from the outside but was a joy to discover: excellent (and enormous) Sunday roast, top wines by the glass or bottle and friendly staff. We sat at the table by the window soaking up the sunshine along with the wine and were glad to have had the recommendation as I’m not sure we would have found it otherwise.

padron peppers at Cru in Eastbourne's Hyde Gardens

The start of an epic meal at Cru in Eastbourne’s Hyde Gardens which has excellent food and wine and enormous Sunday roasts

If you fancy venturing further afield, then another great recommendation was the delightfully pretty village of Alfriston just 20 minutes drive away. Not only does it have an impressive church, lovely riverside walks and quirky independent shops to browse in, as well as the first ever National Trust property, The Alfriston Clergy House, but it has The Star pub, hotel and restaurant, part of Hotel Inspector Alex Polizzi’s collection. We enjoyed some excellent food in beautiful surroundings and it’s well worth a visit for a meal or to stay.

The Star at Alfriston is owned by Hotel Inspector Alex Polizzi and is a lovely traditional coaching inn and restaurant with excellent food

Inside the Star at Alfriston is a great combination of the traditional and the colourful

Special offers at The Grand Hotel

Thanks to The Grand Hotel’s owners Elite Hotels putting on a special deal of three nights for the price of two, (check seasonal offers at The Grand for the latest deals) we were able to enjoy four days at the hotel which came to be like a second home for us. If you’re looking for an ultra-modern hotel with chic vibes then The Grand might not be for you, but if you want a relaxing, traditional stay at a classic Victorian hotel then you’re certainly in the right place.