Location is brilliant (Eastbourne pier is just across the road, as is a beachside cafe with decking; shops and pubs just around the corner).
Staff are great, no matter how busy they are. (True of most Shearings / Bay / etc hotels we've stayed in)
Meals perfectly acceptable.
Rooms clean and tidy with en-suite and basic brewing up facilities. Beds reasonably comfy. Room sizes varied a lot. Ours was small but had everything we needed. Our friends' rooms just along the corridor were two or three times bigger. But that was pot luck. No views (apart from the back of the hotel) but we didn't request seaviews etc.
Entertainment most nights of our four-night stay was bingo, a quiz then a singer or entertainer or the hotel's resident compere/singer/entertainer who was very good. We soon learned to eat dinner early in order to get a seat for the bingo!
We go with friends or by ourselves on these holiday breaks. They're a great way of seeing different parts of the country either by self-drive or, on this occasion, by Shearings coach.
As part of the holiday, we had two coach trips out - to Brighton and to Bexhill on sea. We also paid for an extra trip to Rye, which was well worth it.
Our driver knew the Eastbourne area well. He took us on routes that went past all sorts of historic, quirky or interesting places and he was also a mine of equally interesting information and anecdotes.
Good fun all round. Which is what a holiday is all about, after all!

my husband and i visited eastbourne for the first time this year for 33rd wedding anniversary.... we stayed at the burlington and our room was clean, warm and replenished everyday with clean towels, and milk ,sugar for making drinks when we came in from our day of exploring eastbourne. The eveing meals were very nice, served very hot...and professional and pleasant waitress..... All staff were most helpful...... in reception they printed off a map as to where i could find a friend i anted to visit..... most enjoyable stay ...and will go back at somepoint.....

I must have had a funny turn when I booked a 4 night mid week break at the Burlington!! I paid extra for a superior, sea view room. My wife now feels that I should have funny turns a bit more often as it was an excellent choice and well worth the extra money.

We were self drive, and also paid an extra fiver a night fot our own car parking space!!! Another good choice. Reception staff were always helpful, but must get a bit fed up of having to unlock the chain on the car park with regularity. Never a complaint though.

Our room was large and airy. The bed linen was spotless as was the rest of the room and bathroom. Yes it is old and very creaky, but then so am I, so we were well matched!! A bath and overhead shower was in the bathroom, together with the usual goodies which were replenished daily.

It must be remembered that this is a coaching hotel, and if you are expecting gourmet food you will be disappointed. However, the menues are good, the food is hot and tasty, and the waitress on our table always had a smile. What more could you want for the money??

Mark was the man for the obligatory bingo and compare for the entertainment.I have to say that on the first night we did wonder what we had let oueselves in for, but he certainly grew on you as the week went on. We enjoyed him more than the brought in acts.

The hotel is in a great position overlooking the pier and a short walk to the shopping centre. It is a good place to stay if you want to explore the surrounding countryside of Sussex and I would have no hestation in recommending it. HOWEVER, looking at some of the other Reviews, it looks like you will have to have a funny turn too when you book!! A superior, sea view is certainly the one to go for.

Have a great time.

Just come back from weekend break stayed with my husband, mother-in-law and her partner. Upgraded to superior seaview room which was on 4th floor. Very spacious room and large ensuite bathroom (room402). Room had been refurbished , lovely bathroom. Windows opened slightly. Lovely seaview with pier.
Food quality very good with different choices. Buffet breakfast no longer available now waitress service. First class service from bar staff, waiters and waitresses.
Mark resident entertainer got everyone involved with his bingo, quizzes etc.
reception staff gave good customer service dealing with all enquiries very efficiently.
We paid £5 for the parking space at the back of hotel, well worth the money and secure.
this is the 7th shearings hotel I have stayed in and this is the best of all.

Booked a 4 night Shearings coach holiday for myself, my mother and disabled brother. So glad I upgraded to a sea view room. Room was clean and pleasant and bathroom adequate but was concerned that there was no walk in shower (had requested one), the shower over the bath was usable but I had to help my mother in and out of the very high bath.
My bother was in a single room - oh dear what can I say, it overlooked the car park at the back, was small, dark and dingy. Carpet had seen better days and the bed was oh so uncomfortable.
On the plus side, our stay was very pleasant due to the staff, Maggie our waitress was superb as was Mark the entertainer. The hotel is in a very good position, just across the road to the pier and buses to Beachy Head and the surrounding area.
Would I recommend this hotel, well I think that you have to look beyond the shabby areas to see that the hotel does really try to make sure you have a good holiday and do take your concerns seriously. I would stay again but would always upgrade the room to ensure the best accomodation available.

We stayed here last weekend in a top floor room looking out over the town. It was quiet and spacious. The bedding and surfaces were all fresh and clean. The shower worked well with plenty of hot water and clean towels as required. On the downside, the light level was low, making it difficult for reading in the evenings and the window did not open. I expect the room is on the list for refurbishment but in the meantime it would help if the carpet was washed clean and a new mattress provided.
The food was good, especially the kippers for breakfast. Drinks were poor, no green tea and the coffee undrinkable.
All the staff were very friendly and helpful. Parking with the voucher system was easy and convenient.

I had booked a 4 night Shearings coach holiday arriving on 1st October 2012. This was at a reduced price and I took my mother away and paid extra for sea view and front seats on the coach and I was glad I did so. Our driver Chris was a treasure and he knew quite a few of the returning guests on the coach.

Our Room was room 110 which was a large twin with two large windows. The french doors had been opened and the doors really required to be serviced and re hung as you could not shut them. We did report this and the doors were closed shut for us but that did not solve the long term problem. The bathrooms do require updating especially with the elderly population this hotel caters for and should really have walk in shower facilities. We were happy with our room in general and thought it value for the money we paid for it. I agree with alot of comments about the amount of creaking that the floor boards make. Yes it is an old building but when you spend the 4 nights listening to who ever is staying in room 210 above you walking about constantly from 3am till you get up it is annoying!! This can be easily rectified by screwing the floor boards down and that would solve all the negative reviews and unhappy visitors who wont return!!!

The food menu for the day is displayed by the entrance to the dining area and its then your choice if you eat or choose to go out. We did choose to eat out on one night as we did not like the choice of food on offer. I would rather do that than suffer eating food that has no taste or what I consider to be substandard. The service was good and staff busy attending alot of tables and Ewa was a member of staff who was professional and had a great personality.

The lifts are a huge problem at this hotel and I had phoned ahead to shearings after reading some reviews on here that had problems with disablility access. I was given a room close to the lift on the first floor as I did not want to arrive on the Monday to discover I had been given an inappropriate room for our needs. One couple who sat close to us and where wheelchair users too, waited on average 20 mins to gain access to the larger of the two lifts that could just accommodate a wheelchair with someone seated in it!! The larger lift was also used for the cleaners to use and that did cause problems also at busy times. Due to increased disability awareness and independance the lack of lift facilities and the blocked usage for hotel purposes requires re assessment.

The evening entertainment the week we were there was not the usual gentleman as he was on holiday but there was arrangements made. Bingo is the norm every night with acts who are appropriate for the average age of guest. There is table waiter service if you wish to take advantage for it.

When we were there the hotel was clean and tidy and staff were friendly and work hard and a real bonus is that you dont have to worry about your cases as they are taken to the room for you and returned to the coach the morning of departure.

Recently had four days here. Nice room overlooking the prom and pier. Went to sleep to the beautiful sound of the waves on the shore. Food and service good. Pay for the parking - it's worth it. Although not important to us, the entertainment was difficult to see comfortably. We enjoyed walks along the broad promenade and a ride in the road train. Shops are also close by. Would visit again.

Over the past years we have held our reunions at many of Shearings Hotels and had great times. How ever our reunion at the Burlington Eastbourne was more than one could expect. It seemed like it was a family run hotel. Christine the manager was able to accommodate with all our request and any problems were taken care of very quickly. All the staff were friendly and very efficient, they really made all our members feel at home. Many of our members wanted to come next year for 2013 reunion, unfortunately we had already made prior arrangements, but it is stored away for another year.
A big thankyou to Christine and her staff from all the members of the Jamaica Association.

stayed there for my aunts 90th birthday, the staff made a big fuss of her and went out of their way to make it special, rooms were big,food great and the entertainment was really good,the location is the best right on the sea front and the town is just a short walk away

Last week stayed at the Burlington for 5 days, with coach party. Our room was 210 and perfect for me and hubby. Beautiful seaview we could enjoy as had 2 very large sash windows - heavy curtains which helps for sleeping. Large room with twin beds, flat screen t.v. and modern bathroom with shower over bath. Another large sash window so never felt closed in.

Food was excellent with plenty of choices. Waiting staff could'nt do enough - efficient and always smiling, even though there were almost 300 diners at one sitting. In fact we found all the staff at this hotel put themselves out to ensure their guests had a memorable holiday.

The main shopping centre is 5 mins walk, with every type of shop to suit all. We had lunch at one of the pubs in centre of town, sitting outside, ordering only a sandwich as so well fed at the hotel. Out came two huge plates with ham sandwiches in two thick slices of crusty bread, salad and chips! How could we resist.....

All in all, a holiday we couldnt fault, and we are a well-travelled couple, both in UK and abroad.
Well done Burlington.

We stayed in this hotel as part of a coach holiday in August 2012. We had a large room on the first floor with a great sea view. Our room was recently redecorated with new curtains. Bathroom was a bit shabby with a creaky floor but the shower and bath were perfectly functional.
Food in the hotel was good quality and plentiful. Staff were all very pleasant and helpful and the meal service in the restaurant was very well organised once we got our table, which was ours for the week.
The position of the hotel could not be better, right on the promenade and on the corner of the main shopping street. Everything in the town centre is in easy walking distance.
The entertainment in the hotel was a bit disappointing - we would have liked more cabaret on more nights, but Mark who ran the bingo and played music for dancing did his best to make sure that people enjoyed themselves. He also sang (very well!) on nights without outside cabaret.
I would definitely stay there again and recommend it to friends.

We have just returned from a weekend break at the Burlington. It is excellent value for money. The staff were excellent. Special praise must go to Maria, (our waitress) who was always very pleasant and helpful.

We were slightly disappointed at the lack of entertainment on the Sunday evening, but we could sit and have a drink at the bar with background music, so it was acceptable. The entertainer was talented, but special mention must go to the singer on Saturday night who was outstanding and sang a variety of styles from musical to country and western. My personal favourite was his 'Nessan Dorma' which was amazing.

Yes, we are certainly looking forward to another trip to this hotel, with a location right on the seafront. Thank you to all the staff who made our stay excellent.

Had a very enjoyable holiday at the Burlington. Hotel was clean and presentable. Plenty of choice in food all nicely presented bread and butter pudding was (to die for) FABULOUS. Our waitress was very attentive, nothing was too much trouble for her. The bar staff were good especially Mathew who had an excellent personality. Entertainment was adequate. Quizes were great fun Thanks Mark. who also has a lovely singing voice. We would recommend the Burlington to any one and health permitting we wil be there again.

We love Eastbourne and looked forward to a return visit to the Burlington. We were not disappointed ! We always "upgrade" our room and felt the extra cost was worth it . The room was spacious, very clean, well furnished with a large refurbished bathroom. The added bonus was a wonderful sea view. We stayed in 402 and the only negative aspect was that one of the two bedroom windows had a broken sashcord which meant it was impossible to open . It did not worry us., However, if the weather had been better the lack of ventilation could have been an issue. The staff without exception were friendly and efficient. Special; mention to our waitress Ewa who always had a smile and gave a very efficient service. We have always found staff at Shearing's Hotel's very pleasant and have always thought this is a very well run organisation. The food was varied and good portions. My wife being vegetarian always had an item on the dinner menu that she could eat. The only item we were not sure about was the first morning we were there we ordered scrambled eggs. It arrived looking like (and having the texture of) chopped up egg custard. it tasted better than it looked !!. We cannot comment on the parking as we left the car at home and travelled by train. Overall, for what is charged and what is on offer it is in our opinion excellent value for money for a very pleasant break.

We have recently returned from The Burlington Hotel Eastbourne. I was rather concerned having seen all the negative reviews of the hotel furnishings, decor, food and staff in general. Eastbourne is where I wanted to go so thought I would see for myself as we always travel with Shearings.
Having now stayed there myself, my husband and I both agree, it is one of the best Shearings hotels we have stayed in. It's front faces the pier and beach, in between those there is a fabulous array of flowers in the carpet gardens.

The public rooms in the hotel were clean, tidy and airy. There is a little bit of work needed on some of the decorations but it is a listed building and I think certain conditions have to be met before repairs can take place.
In our room we paid extra for a sea view, we thought the price was a little hefty but having said that, the view was superb and i'm glad we did.
Our room on the first floor was bright, clean, airy, with single beds which were comfortable as well as modern furniture and newish carpet. The bathroom was spotless although the bathroom only had one rail to get into the shower over the bath which was a bit of a danger for myself. We had a good supply of tea, coffee etc for our tea breaks which were left in the room each day for our use. My only grumble, gosh, those creaking floorboards!
The food was really lovely, hot, tasty and a really good variety. The waitress service was quick, efficient and catered for our every need.
Thanks to Maria. It was also nice to go into the lounge area after you had eaten to have tea or coffee served.
When we joined the tour at the interchange, the driver Tony (two teds) said he was there to ensure our holiday was enjoyable and if we ever had a problem, he would do his best to sort it. Tony made our holiday. He was a fantastic tour guide, his knowledge of the tours we went on was amazing.
He kept us entertained every time we set foot on the coach. He told us the best places to visit on the tours, where to have a decent cup of tea without costing too much. All these little tips ensured our holiday was one of the best. I know the other travellers all thought he was brilliant too.
He was gold mine of information and his knowledge of history was excellent. He had us laughing every trip, especially with his spot on time of arrival estimations. He made it actually sound like he was enjoying being our tour guide and driver, so well done. Tony should write a book, it will be a best seller that's for sure. Hope his back improves.
The trips we went on were good too although I didn't enjoy the one to Great Dixter House and Gardens so much. The house tour was really interesting but the gardens are not what I imagined and were difficult to manoeuvre around because of the dense foliage. Later in the afternoon we were taken to Tenterden but there wasn't much there to pass away two hours.
The trip to Lewes was nice as was Rye town and market.
My favourite trips of the week on the Shearing coach was actually to Sheffield Park Gardens, just my type of thing and also Michelham Priory. Both must see venues.
As an extra, Shearing drivers can arrange a trip to the harbour area in Eastbourne, very interesting as they also take you to the south downs and Beachy Head. At the harbour, don't expect a quick service for drinks, they are so busy.
There are other trips you can go on yourself for example, the local open topped tour bus goes to Beach Head and the downs. You can also get buses to Brighton, Tunbridge Wells and Hastings all across the road or just around the corner in the town centre. The Brighton buses run every fifteen minutes or so but the others are hourly I think so check with the Shearings staff who will be able to tell you.
I was quite shocked that Shearings do not take their passengers to any of these locations, there is so much more to do than the Great Dixter and Tenterden trip as examples but that's just my opinion.
We went to Brighton ourselves and really enjoyed it. There is so much to see and do there as well as some very interesting historical buildings, a really good shopping centre and of course, the brilliant Brighton Pier.

The chap who did the entertainment at the Burlington, think his name was Mark, obviously went to a lot of trouble to arrange different quiz questions each night along with bingo too. I thought he was a really nice chap and a good singer and he too seemed to enjoy his job.

I did hear a few people have a moan about various things wrong with their rooms but I can only tell you of my experience. I think at the end of the day, you get what you pay for.

All in all, we enjoyed our holiday and would go back

Just returned from a very enjoyable weekend at the Burlington.
Yes they do charge £5 a day for car parking but it is worth it, your car is secure and close to the hotel. We didnt book parking and the car park was full, however the reception allocated parking tickets £1 per day where you could park your car in designated areas, we found one about 10 minutes walk away and thats where the car stayed for the duration, went back every day to place the new ticket in the windscreen.
The hotel is situated in a great position right on the front, over looking the pier to the left and the gardens straight in front
Our room was at the back and yes you could find problems if you want to but the standards were good,plus we dont spend a lot of time in our room. never had the tele on.
The Restaurant area is very large and caters for a lot of people it was very well managed we had no problems. You are allocated your table on arrival for your first meal and that is where you dine for the duration.
The food and selection was very good and service was great.
Entertainment Ok if you just want to stay in the hotel and chill, usual bingo, dancing a few songs from the compaire, quiz if you wanted. Saturday night there was a singer on who was average. No entertainment on Sunday which we found a bit disapointing. This will be a factor on our next booking whether it would be a Shearings or else where.

I stayed here last year and left a poor review, we were tempted by tales of improvements to give this another try and we were not disappointed, We had a very good sea view room which was as different from last year as chalk and cheese. All the grotty carpets had gone and the corridors repainted in a very pleasing colour scheme. The room itself was clean and well appointed, only points I could make was that the bathrobe hook must have been put up by a NBA basketball player as it was much too high and the toilet roll holder was loose. They could also do with a grab handle near the toilet in this disabled friendly room. In the corridor I noted that a permanent wheelchair ramp had been added but the grab rail had not been extended, a minor problem which did not mar our stay. All in all a good few days short break and well done to the management for doing such a good job with the changes.which could not be easy in such an old building. The staff were once again obliging and we appreciated the can do attitude but please give some of them more english lessons as our waitress although very pleasant had difficulty in understanding some of our requests. Now increased our rating frome a poor one to 4

My Husband and I decided to have a weekend break for his birthday....we chose Eastbourne because it was a resort we had not been to, the room was nice, the food was good, the staff were helpful and friendly and the entertainment was as good as anywhere else. Overall we had a very enjoyable three night stay which was excellent value...we would definitely consider other Shearing hotels.

Stayed at the Hotel in May on a Shearings Coach Holiday I am not including details about my damaged case for which I received no help either from reception or the driver. This has been dealt with by my direct complaint to Customer Care Shearings.

The room 142 was very tired more like a hostel room, no bedspread just a white quilt cover over a pad of some sort. the pillows were the same and as flat. I asked the chambermaid for some thicker pillows but they never arrived.

I took extra clothes hangers and I needed them, as there were not many drawers at all in the room.
Reception just said "most of the rooms have few drawers" and that was that.
I think it depends if you are lucky enough to get a decent room on your opinion of this Hotel.

The bathroom was awful the shower spout just sprayed water everywhere, it was unreachable to alter, and on one evening I had a knock on my door to ask if I had used the shower as the bar had a leak.I was told the bath would be sealed the day after.

The television didn't work I think they were waiting for the digital switch over in June or July
so never bothered replacing it.The only view I had was of the carpark I was very disapointed
with the room and as for telling reception it should be the managers duty to check all rooms are up to scratch and fit for purpose I was glad to get home.

I have stayed in other Shearings Hotels,but this one roomwise was not good.It was my first Shearings Coach Holiday having been with other coach tour companies.

The food was average but enjoyable, restaurant and bar staff excellent,entertainment
adequate but Mark as wonderful as he is needs another day off for variety.

I went to the Burlington with some older family members. the hotel is a bit "tatty" in places but my room was fine, clean and functional. Food was good, breakfast selection is excellent. Entertainment was of good quality, bingo is not my thing but we had a good laugh. What made the difference was the helpfulness and patience of the staff - nothing too much trouble. And to be honest we paid next to nothing for a three night break so great value

Hotel was a good choice, food was excellent, entertainment was fair could have been a little better. Rooms were comfortable and clean, staff very friendly. Overall position of hotel was in a good position for the pier and seafront. If in Eastbourne again I would stay at this hotel again.

I am staying at the hotel now .as the information about the hotel said free parking when I booked , didn't think we would have a problem . They now charge £5 a night , and when we got to the hotel they had sold all the parking . Fed up of reporting problemas to reception . Hot tap not working . Shower leaks over floor . No towels in the room just old taken . Bin full

my wife and i have had many stays at shearings hotels throughout the country, we have noticed cuts every year, this time after two days fruit juice was removed from the starter menu, i asked why and was told it was a company decision, because i complained i was allowed to continue having it for the remainder of the holiday. shearings holidays are not the value for money they once were they are more concerned in grabbing as much money out of customers as possible.

My sister and I took our 83 year old mother to the Burlington in Eastbourne and had a very enjoyable holiday. Our sea view room was great and the location of the hotel was superb. The staff were lovely especially our waitress Eva, she was so pleasant and courteous, nothing was too much trouble and she was always smiling. Moses who was the dining room manager was a very good example to his staff he did his share of work and didn't leave it to the waiters/waitresses. The food was delicious and always hot and served promptly. The reception and bar staff were also very professional and pleasant. we would go there again and would recommend it