You will find a very mixed bag, and it's all down to people's expectations and experience. Like others, we have treated ourselves before to celebrate special occasions at The Grand. This time it was my husband's birthday (74) and I decided to push the boat out and take a suite (Rm 101) which we have stayed in before and has a seaview and a large terrace outside the two french windows. The accommodation doesn't disappoint, despite the rather darkly lit four poster bedroom, and old brown furniture - it all adds to the charm generally. The sitting area is a bit faded, but now has an Nespresso machine to add to the tea facilities. Still no sign of updated infusions and no fresh milk facility unless you asked for room service. I think for the price of this suite, there should surely be a fridge. However, these are small picky points, and overall the accommodation is Grand. Our rate included breakfast - a real feast with no boring supplements, wonderful fish, and the usual buffet or cooked fresh breakfast. All service choreographed with plenty of waiting staff, ready to reveal the underside of the silver cloches brought to the table. The same applies to the dinner we enjoyed in both The Garden Room and on the second night, in The Mirabelle where we had goose from the mains, and a 3 course selection was priced at £43. Wines start quite high (£28 plus) but tap water with ice is readily available and free! We had a very acceptable bottle of South African red wine at £32 but you could spend £2,000 if so inclined or your 'numbers' had just come up.

The concierge service and arrival/departure were faultless and we felt most pampered, with the valet parking, umbrella held forth and ushering into the vestibule like old friends. No stuffy attitudes here, but we were surprised to have to pay for the stay 'upfront'. This is a new procedure and doesn't quite fit the atmosphere of arrival at The Grand. We would stay again - even if only to take advantage of the use of the Leisure Club, swimming pools and treatments spa. We couldn't quite fit this into our schedule this time.

Recent lunches at both The Mirabelle and The Garden Room have been absolutely gorgeous. It is nice to step off the planet and be pampered now and again, and The Grand provides that feeling in spades. For lunch today I enjoyed a ham hock and cheese croquette with pickled cucumber, followed by the most meltingly tender pink loin of lamb served with carrot puree and French beans, and a gloriously naughty honey parfait with plums poached in port. We then had coffee in the front lounge, with mint choccies and felt extremely spoiled. Any negatives? Not really - some of the hotel is a little tired - but the staff are simply smashing, and that more than makes up for a few faded corners in this elegant old hotel.

Upon arrival we were shown a rather small room at the back of the hotel which we found slightly disappointing. We asked reception if there was any chance of changing rooms, and this they did without hesitation, to a much larger room with partial sea view. Throughout our stay we were highly impressed with the service. The team were helpful, charming and unfailingly efficient. The other high point is the afternoon tea, which has to be one of the best in the country. The pastry chefs are highly talented and all the homemade breads, biscuits and cakes were exceptional.

That just about sums up the Grand Hotel, Eastbourne - for dining at any rate. Can't comment on the rooms as only at lunch here New Year's Eve.

Everything looks pretty, the staff pleasant and cheerful but the menu is outrageously priced with a supplement for virtually anything worth having.

How can 5 sticks of asparagus (one inedible) be worth an extra £9.00 on top of the basic price of £24.00????

The menu is hopelessly old fashioned and not chef standard at all. Plaice fillets with pea puree was basically fish and chips with mushy peas, frozen green beans and oven fries. We were not expecting it to be bread crumbed at all. We have strong suspicion it was frozen to start with and whacked in a frying pan.

Glass of wine and prosecco nearly £10.00 each, any other place we dine it is never more than £7.00 and usually less.

Not at sure why the prices should be higher and standards lower than places in Brighton.

We will not venture i here again as the ambiance was like that of a posh care home, sorry to be harsh but that is how it struck us and we are 64 and 66 and felt the need to escape before we signed up for the rest of our lives!!!!

hi I stayed here with family and asked for a refund and left the sheets was older then my self and needed up dating I will not be returning as member off staff was very rude to fit the filling it wasn't a family hotel

Several things excel at the Grand Hotel and make it exceptional. First of all the service is fantastic. The members of staff are efficient, charming, and extremely accommodating.
Secondly even if you don't have dinner at the hotel, you must experience the afternoon tea which has to be one of the best in the country. The bread and pastry chefs are some of the most talented I've experienced in a long time.
Well done team, first class!

This hotel was perfect for a Christmas stay. The place was decorated beautifully , the staff were excellent . This hotel was perfect for that old fashioned , old time christmas . We got dressed and blinged up every night, it was magical. I would spend Christmas here again in a flash , there was just one very small thing I would ask them to change and that would be to maybe have more upbeat entertainment on more than one night. We found the entertainment a bit old fashioned as well, which is ok as long as more modern bands were featured for more than just one night

Absolutely fantastic! My sister, mother and I stayed here last minute last weekend. We had not been away with just the three of us for decades, and with my mother being 83 and less able than she once was we wanted comfort and luxury. And that is exactly what we got. Our master suite was incredible. Vast and gorgeously comfortable with a spa bath and sea views. We could also see the pool which was handy for checking how busy it was. The staff were fantastic from the minute we arrived. I slept on the sofa bed in the living room and it was so comfortable! We experienced some truly gorgeous sunrises! The breakfast was spectacular! We all ate enough to last us all day! And again the staff were lovely. We used the outdoor pool, steam, sauna and jacuzzi every day and all were superb. The only minor irritation was locals using those facilities were mostly quite rude and unpleasant to us, as if they resented our presence. The staff coped brilliantly with a surprise fire alarm during the breakfast hours. All three of us had the most perfect weekend. Thank you Grand!

A historic hotel with its greater claim to fame the stay of Claude Debussy when he was completing La Mer in Suite 200 in 1905. The views of the endless horizon are indeed inspirational and the impeccable service by all the willing and very polite staff makes it a great stay. Nice Molton Brown toiletries and Nespresso machines in rooms. Which add to the overall experience

lover the hotel we where upgraded to the debussy suit fantastic big balcony sit out side with a sea veiw. breakfast cooked fresh. bar well stocked with with good wine and cocktails staff great back in june debussy suit again can,t wait

Very nice building but please hire better cleaners.

Was there for a day using one of their many conference rooms. Professional and courteous staff, nice lunch , beautiful setting.

From the second we stepped into the hotel to the second we left. Perfect service.

I live will I loved hotel when I drank tea England

The tea was excellent. Good location

Good food in faded glory.

Welcoming, excellent food and service

Very pleasant and grand

A marvelous place!

We bid for a night with dinner at the Grand Hotel at a charity auction. We probably paid more than the rack rate but it didn't matter. The experience was super! Sadly it was pouring with rain but the greeting by the concierge with an umbrella and a parking space just for us, set the tone for the visit. The reception staff were warm and welcoming, the ambiance tangible, the dining room gloriously outdated with charm, the food and service taking us back in time to a very pleasant place indeed. The room faced the sea, terribly florally decorated, with old fashioned faded furniture and tired porcelain in the bathroom. none of that mattered. The service and charm of the place is cherished by many repeat customers who long to return for that 'oasis' of something long forgotten and loved. don't ever change (except perhaps the dodgy plumbing).

My family and I have been regular visitors to The Grand and have just returned on 29th December after a two night stay which cost just under £1000 bed and breakfast in rooms 323 and 325. In our opinion the attention detail seems to have slipped.
The first thing we noticed on checking in is that we were required to pay for the whole bill upfront.
We booked with the hotel directly two interconnecting rooms one for us and one for our two children, Upon arrival we were informed that no notes were made requesting an interconnecting room and we had been allocated rooms next to each other. We accepted this, which was lucky as no interconnecting rooms were available.
There are were no slippers in the room (which used to be there). One of the dressing gowns was dirty around the neck. The tea cups on the tea tray had not been cleaned. The water pressure in the sink in the bathroom was really low, the water in the shower seemed to only be either scalding hot or cold which resulted in my husband and I and the children showering in the health club.
I had the worst night sleep ever due to the bed being so soft (in my opinion old and well used).
Upon departing we were due to pay £20 extra for two children meals but it seemed that lots of other food and drinks had been charged to our account from the bar and our £20 charge which we actual had was not on the bill. We asked to see the signed docket but it could not be found.
The receptionist agreed to wipe the charges off. I was going to feedback upon departure upon leaving but the lady next to me was also complaining and waiting to speak to the manager.
Its a shame really as we just to enjoy the hotel and have stayed many times over the years and felt it was worth the money but sadly not now.

This hotel is very grand and very luxurious. However, I requested in advance one of the more modern rooms and one of the less floral room and ended up with a very floral old fashioned room! However, you absolutely can't fault the service and level of care when you are there. We were very well looked after.

We were given a gift of afternoon tea at the Grand. We had heard good reviews from friends and colleagues so decided to use the gift to round off Christmas.
I recommend it for the experience and the suburb staff. The tea itself was disappointing, the sandwiches were very basic, the Turkey and egg combo was a little strange! No finger rolls! The cakes were very average and the tart cases were probably bought in. But the Scones were excellent, fresh and warm.
I don't think the food was worth the £25 per head but the overall experience definitely was.

It's hard to convey the qualities and atmosphere of this hotel. It is "old fashioned" in such a good way, with terrific charm. I'd been having a rough few months health-wise but all the same, wanted to take my son away for a special birthday treat. I chose The Grand. My son's little face lit up with excitement as we walked inside the entrance - the decor and scale of the hotel is so impressive - and yet it is homely and inviting too. On booking the hotel, I had vaguely mentioned that it was my son's birthday. To my surprise, the staff made such a fuss of him - without any prompting from me. As a surprise, they brought up to our room a little teddy bear, and even a slice of birthday cake with a candle in. The warmth from the staff, and the attention to detail, made it a very happy memory for me my little boy. The breakfast is also sublime - the beautiful dining room itself, and all the delicious options. ...Keep up the great work!

A classic hotel. The service is second to none - and that entrance is simply stunning. The staff are superb and the facilities are second to none - a wonderful night's sleep too! We had dinner there - not cheap, but excellent - and breakfast was of a standard you would expect of a 5* hotel.