This was a great experience. We booked a package to celebrate my birthday, which included champagne, strawberries and chocolates in the room on arrival and a 3 course dinner in the Mirabelle restaurant, and a nice turn down service probably more suited to a wedding night but it was fun.

From the moment we rolled up with a parking space waiting with a board with my name on it to the time we left everything went smoothly. The room was spotless and appeared freshly decorated with not a blemish on anything. The bed was soft and comfortable and it was a room in which one was inclined to linger rather than simply use as a base for activities outside. The bathroom amenities were Molton Brown, there was a Nespresso machine, robes, slippers, sea views, high ceilings, plenty of space, a great bathroom, really nothing not to love. Obviously given the status of this fine building there is no air con but there was a decent new tower fan in the room which provided air flow and a little white noise that always helps me to sleep very well, which we both did. There is also a neat little cube clock/digital radio with bluetooth connectivity for music and USB charger for smartphones etc.

Cocktails in the bar were good but it lacks atmosphere and the drinks were expensive without being anything special. For these prices, a free pouring mixologist is required rather than a bunch of charming but inexperienced staff. There is a crack in the plaster towards the north end of the rather vulgar modern overhead addition which curves above the line where the bar stools sit which, with overhead spotlights, clashes rather horribly with the otherwise flawless Victorian surroundings. It really needs some polyfilla and then a pianist or some jazz playing quietly or something like that. Having said that, dinner in the Mirabelle restaurant reflected the overall impression I gained from this hotel - getting the balance between the Victorian and the modern day generally right and delivering it at high quality and with excellent and friendly service.

Breakfast was OK, you don't have to do the buffet to any great extent if that's not your thing - I ordered some slightly too firm poached eggs on toast which were brought to my table without having to bother helping myself to much more than an orange juice and a bowl of melon, but I think that the breakfast service does leave some room for excellence. Buffet breakfast = disappointing Hilton and this hotel is clearly far better than this and capable of so much more. Having said that, I've stayed in countless hotels in the UK over the years and I genuinely love this one.

Yes it was expensive. For just 1 night I could certainly see why they call it the Grand. But overall I was very happy and thought it was worth it.

We were on a 3 day 2 night break, a special offer, including a tea and dinner one night. The food and service is very good indeed. We asked to change room because it was noisy, and the one we were offered was bigger and better. Old fashioned style but classy and chic. Very enjoyable stay as always. Food excellent and lots of good service and attention to detail. Only drawback was the huge and noisy seagulls which sat on our balcony and made a racket and mess from 4 am onwards! Maybe you could rent a falcon or hawk to clear these birds as they are a real nuisance. It was hot so the windows were open. The other minor thing was that we had to wait a long time to get served drinks at dinner time in the bar, prior to dinner. I don't remember this happening before. We ordered our food and drinks in the bar but no one took us through to our table which we had booked so we took ourselves in. I think you could have a manager coordinating this. We loved the pools and walking by the seafront. Recommend it as a great hotel.

Stayed with friends for a one night get together. Room was clean & bed very comfortable. Rate charged for half board was good value and included a glass of wine or pint of larger with dinner. Breakfast was a buffet style and regularly replenished. All the staff were friendly & efficient, Luke served us at both dinner & breakfast and gave a good impression.

The staff, food were a credit to the hotel, our room was not good for the price we paid. The bed was uncomfortable and the room was plain and boring, the bath was chipped in 2 places and no attempt had been made to hide it. (Not good for a 5 star)
I know all holiday hotels have found it hard but this hotel makes a good profit, I was told the hotel was going to renovate top to bottom which it really does need but the owners pulled the plug on it due to Brexit.
I'm worried if it gets much worse it may go down to a 4 star hotel.
In my eyes in its present state that's what it is.
Fingers crossed it gets that revamp soon.

The Grand Hotel is I think the only 5 star hotel that is located on the beach on the UK.
It has all the traditional values and decor that will make you think that you are walking into a time warp. The very high ceilings give you a sense of space and luxury. Although it is traditional, the facilities are subtly modern so as not to spoil the history of the building.
The quality of food is very good.
The service of the staff is excellent.
The cleanliness is very good. The cleaning staff are also dressed in traditional maids uniform which gives an extra quirk to the hotel.
The hotel has an outer and indoor pool.
It also has a spa.
Overall the services provided and the location of this hotel makes it an excellent hotel to stay in!

Stayed here in a Suite with family and loved it. It reminds me of a different era, of course it is expensive, but you get what you pay for. I especially love the lobby.

Would love to stay again but will have to start saving!!!

I spent one night a month ago and enjoyed my stay.I was greeted and directed just as a grand hotel would ( see Waldorf ) do.The car was taken care of and parked and the bags carried up to our room.
The beds were comfortable and the rooms spacious and well provided but the trappings and decoration were dated and need attention to bring it up to scratch.
The food and restaurant were very good and we enjoyed a good supper and breakfast,recommended.
There is a large leisure centre with an indoor and outdoor pool .I swam in the outdoor pool which was spacious
and even though it was windy and cool.It could also do with updating/refurbishment.Inside the leisure centre seemed to have everything necessary,and the staff were attentantive.
I would have no qualms recommending this hotel and would return again.
It is pricey but it is GRAND with all the trappings for this sun trap town on the south coast Eastbousne long may it flourish

So happy after our three day weekend at the Grand Hotel. I booked this as a surprise for the end of term and I am absolutely delighted that the Child thought it was fabulous too.

Such little things really make a weekend special. The nice gentleman at the door who parked the car & brought our luggage in. The welcoming receptionist who put the biggest smile of the day on the Child by asking when would she like her bedtime milk & cookies brought up and would she like the milk warm or cold - well that just made her day. The lovely big bright clean room with a Nespresso machine sofa & armchair that immediately felt like home. The enthusiastic team at the spa who showed us around all the facilities. The attentive staff at breakfast who appeared and replenished the table... could go on and on.

Every single interaction we had with staff members was warm, helpful and kind. Blown away by the service.

We didn't try the restaurant as the Child is only 12 & still a huge fan of burgers & chips but I think we experienced everything else about the Hotel and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

We will be back!

We were looking for somewhere to have afternoon tea. Our other choice was unavailable due to a wedding event taking place so we plumped for the Grand.

I suppose the ambience/decor might not be to everyone's taste but our party of 6 (including 2 from abroad) loved it.

There was a huge choice of actual tea to pick from our European friends picked something exotic but we chose the English Breakfast variety.

The food was the usual fare, smoked salmon, coronation chicken sandwiches etc but all were very tasty. There was also scones, cream, jam and butter - eaten in a mix of Devon and Cornwall style! Strawberry tarts and chocolate éclairs along with Pimms jelly. £27.50 per person.

The surroundings were lovely and very stately and as many others have already attested to, the staff cannot be faulted. Proper service which is rarely seen these days.

We also had a drink outside on the terrace by the outdoor pool which, given the heat was most welcome.

We would definitely return for a special occasion.

Enjoyed my stay in a luxurious well-appointed room, with very comfortable bed and sea view. All staff were most helpful, service was excellent everywhere. Loved the health spa, with gym, pool, hot tub and sauna. Breakfast was a generous affair, delicious and relaxing in the elegant dining room.

We had a great time, wonderful view and delicious food. Keep up the good work. The only improvement I can suggest is a little more attention to the changing rooms for the pool.

My cousin and I were on holiday from the U.S.A. and hoped to experience a proper English tea, bit didn't necessarily need a full High Tea. We looked online at several places and I'm really glad we chose The Grand. The range of pastries were deliciously perfect, the tea was tasty and everything was impeccably, politely presented in a classy atmosphere. The weather was good during our visit, so we enjoyed having our tea in the garden area.

Wonderful hotel fantastic helpful staff - mentioned on booking that it was my husbands birthday and requested a room with nice view - husband given hand written birthday card and our room was fabulous with side sea view from bedroom and bathroom!!!! Great location next to beach and overlooking South Downs.

The hotel was beautiful, with lots of facilities (indoor and outdoor pool) and a great location on the beach. Our standard double room was ok, but could do with a refurbishment. The bed was small (I suppose we are used to larger double beds in modern hotels), soft mattress and the furniture old and a bit of a miss match. The bathroom was lovely and big. We were there as part of a company weekend, so we only ate in the evening as part of a function. The food was lovely on both evenings - one was a buffet and the other a sit down meal. The breakfast was really nice with lots of choice.

Most staff extremely friendly. Breakfast very good but service rather slow. Room in poky eaves corner but did have one comfy armchair. Location excellent for the tennis but that probably reflected in the very high cost of the room. WiFi was sometimes great and sometimes not there at all but it was free.

Like stepping into another world.The afternoon tea experience was all it is cracked up to be.The food was superbly presented with multiple choices & the tea kept on flowing.The service if anything was overplayed but hey when you consider how in some places the service is non existent it's nice to be pampered.Have been before but a long time ago & would certainly return any time.

An excellent return to this old lady by the sea for the tennis. It must be oiur 10th annual visit and I am delighted to report everything lived up to the high standards one expects at a 5 star hotel.
The Grand always reminds me of a well preserved Dowager, showing her age at times but for me that is part of the charm.
The reception was efficient, the breakfast team is now excellent, always welcoming with a smile (not the case a few years ago) and the Mirabelle was superb as ever.
Only slight criticism would be I look forward to to the bathrooms being upgraded and better Wifi.

The best night sleep we had when away from home. Excellent breakfast. Knowledgeable staff. Great choice for the families.

This was the second year that the Ramblers Walking Holiday company hosted some of their clients here at the beautiful Grand Hotel to walk on the lovely South Downs. It was recommended by us The Outdoor Guide as we stayed here during the filming of Julia Bradbury's TV series Britains Best Walks. The
Hotel really looked after us during filming and is the perfect place to stay when visiting this great part of the world. Nothing is too much trouble for Jackie, Jonathan and their team and the breakfasts are to die for.

This was our first ever visit to Eastbourne. The Grand is a magnificent and elegant Victorian Building situated on the seafront.

From the time we arrived in the hotel car park some 2 hours before the appointed time for occupying our room, the service and attentive staff made this a very memorable stay. The car park space I had reserved (being a blue badge holder) was available with our name clearly displayed on the allocated space and luggage was collected and taken into the hotel before I had finished extracting my personal belongings from the car.

From our initial reception until our departure, the courteous, efficient and professional staff , service and food were absolutely wonderful.

The Garden Restaurant was an absolute delight and the Chef kindly (having given him/her 24 hours notice) made me my favourite meal " "Beef Stroganoff" on our last night, it was absolutely perfect.

We used both the Spa area and the Gym, where again the staff were attentive and helpful.

We took away a wonderful memory and experience.

This is a hotel we will hopefully return to in the not too distant future.

Lovely, classic hotel with lots of smartly dressed staff and an extensive lounge area. Expensive but worth it as a treat. Good breakfast with a wide choice of cereals, fresh fruit & pastries as well as tasty cooked items. Very clean room, checked twice a day by cleaning staff. However, bar prices are expensive so don't over-indulge or your bill on checkout will be a shocker!

Our annual June visit to Eastbourne Grand hotel came round again this month. We were amazed and delighted by the room we were given that was a significant upgrade. Apart from the huge bed we also had a sofa,a safe,coffee tables and other things such as a cosy dressing gown each.The only thing missing was a fridge. Apart from that fine.
The only trouble with the large bed was the difficulty of getting into it with the enormous layers of fancy posh cushions that we had to struggle with to find another place for. Everything else was much as before and we were glad to be here!

Breakfast always good and all staff were very pleasant and helpful. My partner requested a fried egg which was efficiently delivered as usual.In the same cloche by the same waiter(who only did cloches) The car park was a bit tricky as more cars have to be organised as this was a busy time The staff were always very helpful and found us a place each time..The only real downer was that the indoor pool was closed, the weather was not very warm, and the outdoor pool was rather chilly. See you next year!

The Grand is still beautiful, despite her age. But she's not really keeping up with the kids these days. Our room was large, and comfortable, but very noisy (we were on the west side of the building, right by the road) as all the deliveries start arriving from about 5am. The room is still single-glazed, and you can even hear the staff's conversations through the closed windows! As the hotel isn't air-conditioned, there is a large fan in the room, which helped disguise some of the noise. We needed it on all night, and the weather wasn't especially warm during our stay.

We were staying on B&B, and the breakfast was fine, but really well below the standard of an ordinary hotel, yet alone one as expensive as this. It didn't tempt us to eat in the hotel, especially when there were such lovely restaurants in town.

Stayed here for 1x night for a hen party and absolutely loved it. From the moment we drove into the car park we were greeted by a lovely gentleman who showed us where to park (free onsite parking was great). We went to reception and again were welcomed by all the staff and checked in, we really felt like we were abroad somewhere.
We unpacked and went straight to the spa, as it was one of the hottest days of the year we didn't spend any time indoors but instead sunbathed for hours by the outdoor pool which really did feel like we were on holiday. The pool is heated as well so was great to jump in and out when we needed to cool off. We also had spa treatments booked and I treated myself to a full body massage. I have had many massages at different hotels and countries and I have to say this was the best massage I have ever had! It was so relaxing, the techniques which were used and the care that was taken to consider my disabilities. 5* spa for sure!
We were going to eat at the hotel, until we looked at the menu and just 1x cocktail was £17! We thought we would stroll down the beach for some chips for a few quid which was fun.
Our room was spacious and the beds were very comfortable. Only knock was that there was no fridge in the room. They did provide an amazing fan in the room which really helped on such a hot weekend.
Breakfast was again 5*, good variety and all of the food was piping hot.

I don't think i can fault this hotel, hence the 5* rating. The staff are an absolute credit, there wasn't anything they couldn't do for you. Thank you for such a wonderful stay, we loved it! Worth every penny :)

Amazing!