Every second spent at the Grand was indeed grand! I was smiling from the moment we were greeted at our car, shown handsomely to our delightful room and lay down on the incredible bed… I felt like a princess come home!! The grand didnt miss a beat, every moment was carefully, generously and skillfully delivered… indulging a terrific fantasy of timeless charm… I loved the range and quality of the cocktail bar, as a cookery teacher, I was blown away by the quality and sadly, rare, generosity, of the catering. as a therapist and a mother, I came away, feeling truly looked after, spoilt in fact, refreshed and reminded how special it feels to be cared and catered for. It felt that each person played their part and enjoyed their work. An incredible treat for which I am still gratefully smiling!!

I stayed here as part of a Christmas party group booking. The hotel staff were wonderful, couldn’t do enough for you, and the food was excellent.
My only gripe would be over sleep quality. I had a room over some sort of heating/air conditioning unit and didn’t sleep a wink – there was just a constant drone … I was in room 225 and a colleague was in 243 and had the same issue. I would recommend that anyone who is a light sleeper requests a room away from this inner area where the generator is.
Oh, and carpet in the bathroom is generally a no no - that should really be replaced with tiles...

Stayed for 2 nights at the Grand on a BB & D basis and had a wonderful time from the moment we drove up to the entrance to the time we left. The hotel and the service is old fashioned in the best possible way. Such nice friendly staff, brilliant housekeeping and lovely food. Our room was large and we were given a complimentary fridge which was handy for cooling our pre dinner drinks whilst we were changing for dinner. Hope to return soon

Luxurious hotel in ideal location. Excellent staff. Beautiful and elegant surroundings with historic and traditional 'step back in time' feel and theme. Comfortable room. Pleasant restaurant and lounge with very helpful staff.

We had a wonderful meal in the Mirabell restaurant. Staff were very attentive but not intrusive and the food was exquisite. A luxurious evening in beautiful surroundings with restful atmosphere was a real treat. This is a wonderful place for a special meal as a couple or special occasion.

I stayed overnight at this truly wonderful hotel for my 60th birthday. From the moment we arrived everyone was polite, friendly and very professional, they made me feel so very special. I had my birthday meal in the Mirabelle restaurant, what can I say it was just superb. The food delicious and the staff were so attentive a big Thank you to the restaurant manager Benjamin and his staff.

BOOKING
We booked our visit at the last minute and on the telephone. The lady was very efficient and allocated us the best room for our price, and included some special offers. The whole process was efficient and polite.

RECEPTION
We arrived at the hotel by car and was requested by the Concierge to drive up to the main entrance, where he proceeded to unload out luggage, take us to the hotel reception, hand our luggage to his assistant and park our car, all whilst we 'signed in.' Great efficiency.
We were then taken to our room, with the Porter explaining all of the facilities of the hotel during the time it took to take us to our room. He then explained about the room, and its facilities, and before we knew it he had left.
There was no waiting for a tip, and we subsequently learnt than none of the staff expect any. Tipping always appears to be demeaning, for both the receiver and the giver.
What a wonderful experience and introduction to the hotel.

THE ROOM
Spacious, pleasantly decorated, if a little old fashioned. The bed could have been larger, could have been a bit firmer, but everyone's requirements for beds is different. We subsequently learnt that a board could be placed under the matress if required, but we decided to accept what we were given, and we did not suffer any negative effects.
The hotel information brochure was little brief, and this could be extended, but this is an unduly harsh criticism.

THE BAR
The bar was noisey on our first evening, but this was the day guests, rather than the 'hotel' guests! The staff shut doors to separate the day guests from the hotel guests, for they were obviously aware of the potential problems.
Orders for drinks were quickly taken, and delivered, together with some nuts, crisps and olives. Subsequently some canapes were also delivered and described.
One evening there was a delay in our receiving the dinner menus, and then for our order to be taken, but in general the staff were very attentive and very polite. They used our name, rather than the room number, a nice touch.
The bar was a little cold on one evening, so we moved to one of the inner rooms, without windows. This was an easier solution than to raise any concerns.

DINNER
We ate in both of the restaurants, and the service in both was exceptional, as was the food. I do not think that we had a single bad meal, or even a mediocre meal. I did have a steak one eveing, which was not the best cut of meat, but everything else was well cooked and well prepared.
One evening the leeks were exceptional and I asked for a second helping. These were delivered quickly and efficiently, and tasted just as good as the first serving.

The hotel advertises a three course menu, but in both restaurants this transformed into a five course meal. There was always a 'complimentary' entre and a sorbet.

The presentation and quality of service throughout our visit was of an extremely high standard. Each main course was delivered under a domed cover, and there was a little 'theatrical' experience when the 'voila' moment arrived. All very well done and raised one's enjoyment of the performance, and the meal.

One waiter obviously had some issues, but these appeared to be kept away from ourselves.

BREAKFASTS
I suggest that this was the worst part of the hotel. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, when the hotel is the fullest, the breakfast's are buffet style, for all 'courses.' For a 5* hotel this was a little disappointing. On weekdays one only had to collect the cereals or fresh fruit. This was not a hardship, but we have stayed at smaller hotels, who provide a better standard of service.

The breakfast staff were all polite and efficient.

PUBLIC AREAS
These were all clean, neat and tidy and the housekeeping staff should be congratulated.
The main entrance hall is extremely grand and on Sunday afternoon a musical event was staged. This meant that we residents had a circuitous route to the lifts, through the bar. The music, a string quartet and piano I think, appeared pleasant, and was obviously appreciated by the paying day guests.

HOUSE-KEEPING
Very efficient, and the staff were all pleasant and efficient. They are to be congratulated. We also liked their uniforms.

MUSIC
In the Mirabelle restaurant there was a programmable piano, and in the Garden restaurant on Saturday evening there was a pianist, who was very good.

OVERALL
Would we stay again?
YES.
One or two niggles but overall and excellent break, at an excellent hotel.

as in area, popped in for a quiet drink in the evening, the atmosphere in the bar was good but staff did not appear they wanted to serve you and were not helpful at all. Had one drink but would not return.

We went to the Grand Hotel, Eastbourne as a party of four for Sunday lunch. It was a wet day and we were warmly greeted by the doorman who parked the car for us.

We were shown to a lounge for pre-dinner drinks and canapés and given the menu. There was no rush and we were given positive answers to our enquiries before being escorted to the dining room.

This is where the hotel excels, being beautifully furnished and comfortable too. The head waiter showed us to our pre-selected table. The food and service was first class – superb even!
After lunch we were escorted back to the lounge for coffee and chocolates. Upon leaving, our car was delivered to the door, to save us getting wet.

Altogether it was a wonderful experience. Our thanks go to Barbara and Martyn and the rest of the Garden Restaurant team, not forgetting the pianist.

David and Margaret Martin

This was the second time my wife and I had enjoyed a mid-week lunch in the Garden Restaurant with two former colleagues and once again the Grand excelled. After drinks in the lounge we were ushered into the dining room where the mâitre d' announced that the loin of pork on the printed menu had now been substituted with a suprême of chicken. Fortunately this was not important as three of us had already selected the barbary duck. For starters we had the smoked trout with pickled anchovy, beautifully presented and served with a diced quail egg. The duck course was also expertly executed and came just as I like it, magret-style, medium-rare with a delicate truffled butter bean cassoulet garnish. But, food apart, perhaps the one of the main attractions to dining at The Grand is the 'vieux-monde' atmosphere with its highly attentive yet unobtrusive first-class service. Portions are generous and the veg comes elegantly served on a 'kidney' side dish (as much or as little as you require). This was accompanied by a quite reasonably priced bottle of Tempranillo. Sadly however, to comply with fatuous H&S rules and regs, the kitchen was obliged to serve its quality cheese stone cold straight out of the fridge, so although I sampled a wide selection, inevitably it was largely tasteless; my fault, I shall in future remember to pre-order at the start of the meal. Verdict: undying quality in an age of change.

This was my first time staying at The Grand, From the moment we arrived, all the staff were friendly and helpful. My husband and brother booked this hotel to celebrate my birthday, We had our 7 year old daughter with us, and the staff looked after her as well as us adults. My daughter wants to Live in this hotel now. Oliver from the bar area, was very helpful and friendly, and as i am not a big fan of children at the bar area, Oliver was brilliant, he was very good with my daughter. The food was lovely. The whole weekend was brilliant. We could not get booked into some of the treatments as they was fully booked, but did enjoy the swimming pool. We are going back in a couple of weeks for our Christmas do, i have booked up my treatments in advance so i am looking forward to this. Highly recoment this hotel. Thank you The Grand.

From the moment my husband and I arrived at The Grand, Eastbourne, we did not stop smiling. We felt as if we had been taken back in time. The Grand is certainly 'grand' and we hardly felt the need to leave the hotel as it more than fulfilled our every requirement. Every member of staff went that extra mile to provide us with a totally relaxing and enjoyable experience. I booked our accommodation through the hotel and the receptionist was so helpful, spending time trying to give me the right deal to suit my needs and purse. The food was wonderful, from breakfast to our evening meal. It was a joy starting our day with a swim, sauna, etc. and the same before dressing for our evening meal in the restaurant. We returned home after our three days at The Grand, Eastbourne, feeling totally relaxed and planning when we could return. A wonderful experience.

Style is one thing and substance another, and The Grand Hotel Eastbourne, has them in equal measure.
Style is found in the grand architecture of the building and glorious interiors. Substance comes in the outstanding service of the staff, nothing is too much trouble for them. To describe it as service with a smile would be inadequate, rather warmth and courtesy is a more adequate description.
So this comes with our sincere thanks to all the staff at the Grand for a delightful first stay - thank you!

Whilst other English seaside resorts have lost their 5 star hotels, Eastbourne appears unique in retaining the Grand. Whether you choose to experience the bracing winds and the rough sea as we did this morning or the sunshine of the summer months, the Grand provides a wonderful base.
From the moment we arrived to be greeted by the concierge and receptionist to the moment we checked out it was obvious that this was a special hotel. It is very well presented with extensive lounges and deep, comfortable chairs (!) two restaurants, including an extensive leisure facilities. Dinner was excellent and way ahead of the usual 'hotel dinning room' experience. However, what makes the hotel is the staff and their attitude to customer service. They are discreet, professional but friendly and each seem to enjoy their job. Enquiries indicated many have extremely long service, so that is part of the reason for such a high level of attention from room maids to porters, from receptionists to waiting staff.
Keep up the good work. We shall be back!

Stayed 28-31 October 2013 on an Autumn Break. Best decision of the year! The "wedding cake" lived up to every expectation. Reception and welcome impeccable. Staff attentiveness impeccable throughout. Dining experience impeccable. Public rooms impeccable. Cleanliness impeccable - with staff wonderfully uniformed. Yes, the bedrooms may look a little "tired" in their furnishings but they are carefully crafted to suit the style of the hotel - and let's not get too hung up about carpets in bathrooms. I have no doubt that the Grand will continue to require gentlemen to dress "properly" for dinner and so they should. Those who do not wish to do so should exercise their right to stay elsewhere rather then whinge about the higher standards required at the Grand.

Starting on the positive side, the location of the hotel is excellent, right on the seafront, with excellent walks in both directions. There is a good sized car park (free!). From the outside, the hotel truly looks grand. Staff is very friendly. Reception is surprisingly small for such a big hotel, but we had no issues at all checking in (we stayed for one night only). We had a nice size room, which was clean, as was the bathroom. We had an excellent breakfast in a huge breakfast room. There were lots of people but the room acoustics could cope easily with the noise.
Having said all that no doubt you wonder why I rate this hotel only average. Well, they claim to be a five star hotel. However, the elevators were grubby, as was the information and room service folder in the room. The bed was not even a queen size, very old and with a VERY soft mattress. There was a turn down service, that did not tidy the room in any way but really only turned down the bed (there were for instance towels that we had left on the floor that were still exactly where we left them). As I said the bathroom was clean, but honestly I fail to understand why certain hotels keep using carpet in the bathroom. It cannot be hygienic at all. There was a nice lounge/ bar in the hotel. However, the couches and seats were really very tired with no springs left. I found them not comfortable at all. Staff again was very helpful, but even though there was a lot of staff and not too many guests, they managed to give me the wrong refill.
Would I stay there again? I might as it has a lot of Pros. I rate this average though as they claim to be a five star hotel, but they are definitely not (anymore).

I feel compelled to write this review to counter the ridiculous criticism the hotel is receiving on this site. Yes it is, in many ways, old fashioned but if you want modern, hip and trendy, go somewhere else. However, if you want service and elegance that harks back to a bygone era then come to The Grand.
We had our wedding reception here on the 6th July and I can honestly say that they got every little detail right. The service both before, during and after our big day was excellent and as for the food and drink on the day I can only say that every single one of our 100 guests commented on how much they enjoyed it. We have since been to a reception at South Lodge which cost nearly double ours but was not half as good.
If you are a couple searching around for a venue then I implore you to choose The Grand: you will not be disappointed.

We have just returned from a 5 night stay at The Grand,and thoroughly enjoyed it.We go at least twice a month.Why you are probably asking.Well the location is just perfect,you are on the sea front,with splendid walks in both directions.The staff are friendly and helpful.Mind you we always greet staff with a smile and a hello (unlike afew of the residents who on occasions we notice treat the young staff members with very little respect) The food is of a high Hotel standard.The puddings have def.gone up a notch or two since the summer.Food in general is being presented in a much more attractive way.If in doubt select the roast of the day that is served from the magnificent Silver Trolley.The rooms do have dated furniture,but the beds are excellent.Pillows,towels and bed linen are all of a high standard.
If you want a winter break by the sea I suggest you try out The Grand.From the moment your bags are taken to your room,and you walk along the magnificent corridors( nearly long enough to run the 100 yards..that's dated me !) You realise you are in a "one off " hotel.Sit back in one of the huge lounges and,as all dining room staff the world over say ENJOY!

Lovely hotel. Beautiful room, good food, kind staff and central for town and theatres. Also near Towner gallery.
The spa therapists are good but the ladies changing rooms were untidy and grubby on one occasion. Free wifi downstairs.

Very friendly and helpful staff. Excellent location right opposite beach and close to town and the Meads.
Room was massive (master suite 2nd floor), but very expensive. We had a nice comfortable separate lounge with a sofa bed, which was ideal for two of our three boys. Our baby stayed in a cot in our room.
Breakfast was pretty standard for this type of hotel. Tea was very nice though.
I was a bit disappointed with the service of the room. I had thrown some dirty towels and used flannels on the floor, which were quite wet and obviously dirty and they had just been hung up again? When I mentioned it though it was rectified quickly. Also I felt the room could have been cleaned better during our stay (we were certainly paying enough!).
I thought the hotel lobby was very impressive.
Would only go again when offers available.
When we got there the heating was on full blast, which was quite unbearable, so we had to turn all the radiators off in the room. I thought this was probably due to many elderly guests staying at the hotel.

There is not enough relaxing area around the pool for the size of hotel, rooms at the back are a little dingy ! But the hotel still retains the air of dignity!
This was a treat for my birthday from my son, breakfast was excellent ! And the whole stay was enjoyable.

Having been married all those years ago in Eastbourne we decided to book a suite for two nights at the Five Star Grand Hotel. Imagine our surprise on arrival that no car space or valet parking was available and would we please take our car to the town centre multi storey. Not a good start to our stay nor was being told we could not dine earlier than 8pm in the Mirabelle Restaurant. The suite left so much to be desired at the top price charged that our very special celebration turned into utter disappointment. Such a shame for Eastbourne. We checked out the following morning with a memory of a hotel which has lost the plot as to what service should be and is in urgent need of total refurbishment of its bedrooms and bathrooms.

I have been treated twice here for a meal - once for lunch and second time was dinner. The whole experience is just wonderful and takes you back in time when elegance and service were masters. Jackets and ties are not required for lunch but preferred for dinner -although we did get away with it midweek.

I cannot comment on the bedrooms, but everything else is just wonderful.

I was take here for lunch by my parents who recently moved to Eastbourne.The hotel has a certain faded elegance.Prior to lunch we decided to have drinks in the lounge.Service was slow and we had a sour faced eastern european waitress who the management should fire.
The drinks once ordered were graciously served by the barman along with a plate of various snacks.Menus were brought and we were shown to our table. The service was superb and the food actually very good.Full marks to our waiter Ronnie for looking after us but other staff need to get their act together.

Like the Eastbourne and the Empire, much of what set the Grand Hotel apart is now confined to dusty history books. The building and location are excellent. Sadly the experience is a series of dimishing returns thereafter. Upon entering the hotel, the reception staff were all extremely courteous, professional and had me checked in with minimum fuss. Dealing with the concierge was more hassle, however. I had mentioned I had neglected to pack socks and were there any shops locally that were opened after 6pm. I was told no, the only places were out of town. In fact there were many a mere 10 minute walk. Maybe I am a feeble looking 30something. This annoyed me more than it should. My bedroom room was extremely spacious, however the bathroom left a lot to be desired. Perhaps fully carpeted bathroom suites were once an ostentatious display of wealth. Nowadays it automatically conjures up images of a foul smelling, dank room riddled with other people's foot sweat and athlete's foot. The shower was in a stand in bath, the mattress was extremely soft and the decor so dated it will probably be en vogue again any year now. I felt like I was staying with my grandmother. As for the clientele, being judged at for being under 40 and not wearing a tie while walking the corridors does not create an overly welcoming environment. In terms of dining, lunch and dinner were part of the package. Both can only be described as functional dining experiences. Lunch was little more than canteen food albeit with attention paid to using seasonal vegetables. Dinner was standard but nowhere near what one would expect from a 5 star hotel. If one must visit Eastbourne, I am confident there are more cost effective options.