Well; here we are again ! Descending like 'culture-vultures' on East Sussex for our annual pilgrimage to the Opera at Glyndebourne and, like many like-minded (and deep pocketed) music-lovers, breaking our sojourn at 'The Grand'.
But never before at the season's close (August Bank-holiday weekend) .. and so we got to see the hotel functioning when at full capacity.
Arriving is a joy. It's the only hotel on this sea-front with its own in/out drive and off-street parking .. and there are a number of 'door-men' who have 'meet-and-greet' off to a fine art, welcoming you after a fraught journey and transferring your luggage to your room as well as valet-parking your car. Their driving skills are exemplary and they cope with every and all size and make of car. Gentlemen, I take MY hat off .. to YOU.
The suite in which we stayed had, this year, a number of minor faults; one being that the phone wasn't working so we were unable to report what was amiss ! When we eventually contacted Reception .. nothing happened (other than the list we had left in the room informing House-keeping of the problems being tidied away.. !).
It was only when 'drowning our sorrows' at the bar (where else) that Oliver McTear, the attentive and alert Drinks Manager, took it upon himself to go immediately and get things sorted on our behalf and progress was made. It took a little time to obtain all the working bits-and-pieces but things were eventually sorted.
And then there was the annual "Challenge Gabor" to make me a brand-new cocktail .. ! And once again he excelled himself and devised 'The Glydebourne' - a brandy-based extravaganza - which bore repeated visits on further nights !
Well done, Oliver and your staff, for thinking outside your department-box to improve the overall experience of the guest and for 'going that extra mile' !
Food features high on The Grand experience and we were delighted with The Mirabelle Restaurant’s delivery of their Tasting Menu (plus flight of accompanying wines) and pleased that they were able to accommodate our suggested alternatives - since age and experience have brought with them certain dietary difficulties. Lunch in The Garden Restaurant was tasty and there was sufficient variety to please most palates. Breakfast likewise. Since there were many (well-behaved) young families in residence, the hotel had taken the opportunity of sectioning part of the room off exclusively for family use so that, if it was necessary, junior Miss or Master would be neither seen nor heard.
The management have obviously responded to earlier comment and have replaced bathroom carpeting with tiles (for obvious hygienic reasons). Bathrooms are clean and well-maintained – and the main Gents on the ground-floor positively gleams and glistens with polished wood, shining copper pipe-work, neatly folded fluffy hand-towels, and cologne (just so you know, ladies).
We would anticipate that the never-ending struggle to preserve a pure-white Victorian exterior from the salt-water ravages of the sea-air will be renewed before next season and so remove the occasional blemish which can be seen when close-up.
Oh .. and the Red Arrows gave an impromptu fly-past as they returned to base from a display further along the coast !
What else can a hotel do to impress its guests ?

Truly a GRAND place, feelings of a bygone age pervade the rooms (and some of the residents) the Grand definitely lives up to its name, its not cheap and Im pleased to say that the price is being reflected in the staffing, the Hotel was full for the bank holiday weekend we were there (a Birthday treat from my wife) but the service was still excellent with plenty of attentive and very friendly staff.
The traditional breakfast was good, the dinner was also good though not exceptional.
The indoor pool was pleasant and the whole place was very clean, though with a Hotel of this age its hardly surprising it clearly has its maintenance challenges with evidence of some pealing paper and wear and tear.
Tip - Dont pay for parking ahead of arrival, they squeeze the cars in.
From my experience this is a 4+ star not really 5* but that doesn't mean we didn't thoroughly enjoy our short stay.

The building is very impressive- one can clearly see how rich and wealthy used to live in old times. Sadly what is left is a bit scruffy -faded furniture and carpets, pealing paint. The bed valance had falen away leaving mattress exposed, there was bird poo and cigarette buds on the balcony in our room. 250£/ night seems a bit overpriced!

If you like colonial style,old-fashioned hotels,this is it!!!!!!
Very clean nice large rooms.Good breakfast.Other meals nearly splendid.
The young people in the bar served our wine ,put the bottle in a cooler......nothing more.My husband had to play sommelier!

We have visited the Grand Four Times and ind the service excellent nothing is too much trouble for the staff.The food is excellent choice at breakfast is good and the Hot Chocolate is fantastic.
I only wish i could afford to stay longer.Sheer relaxation,

We booked for lunch as non-residents 22nd Aug.
I object to having to pay to gain access to the restaurant ,by virtue of having to pay to park the car outside the hotel.
If the Grand cannot accomodate our car in their park ,I believe that they should pay the parking cost.
The service in the bar and restaurant was 1st class as was the quality of the food.
Superb!

We stayed at The Grand for three nights and were delighted with everything - in particular the staff's passionate affection for this old palace.

The food , the ambience and the rooms were all splendid ... and unpretentious.

Recommended if you like traditional, old-fashioned English charm and good service.

Myself and my family went to Eastbourne for the airshow on 18th aug 2013 we booked two rooms at The Grand excellent start to day parked our car for us and too our luggage even though it was not time to check in yet. Hotel lovely albeit a little dated but I suppose that's the Grand in Grand. Room very nice and pool was good too staff were all very helpful and polite, they forgot mt daughters cookies and milk but when I mentioned that it was soon dealt with. they even found a bath robe to fit her although that would have been nice to have that in the room when we arrived instead of me asking as the one she had was an adult size. Breakfast was good and I would recommend this to everyone who can afford it as it is not cheap

My son and I stayed here for the Air show last weekend.
I know the Grand as my friend lives just around the corner so I was looking forward to an old fashioned quality hotel with 5 star service.
We loved it here, there was a slight delay in the car park but the concierge took it in his stride an parked my car for me, then went back to get my phone which I had left, after all it was air show weekend so any parking was a challenge, they coped very well!
We got there early and the room wasn't ready but they took our bags and when we returned they were all in our room ready.
My son enjoyed a cocktail for children in the bar and we were made very welcome, we had breakfast in our room which I can only describe as incredible, far too much but he enjoyed ticking all the boxes!
I agree the room wasn't modern but I wouldn't expect it in a traditional hotel, it was lovely quality and very well presented, the public rooms are breathtakingly good, as is the service food and drinks, the pool is good but we didn't have time to use it.
All in all i would highly recommend this lovely well run quality hotel which is full of tradition and good service!
Thanks for a lovely stay!

justback from 3 day break in Eastbourne, stayed at the Grand 5* Hotel on the seafront.
Prime position, really nice , quite traditional, so bit old fashioned for me. Breakfast disappointing, just average, nothing out of ordinary. Toiletries supply very sparse, we only got one tiny bar of soap for our 3 day stay. If you are over 60 its a great place for you, as i'm not there yet guess i may enjoy it more in my later years. Didn't realise when we booked it was the annual Airbourne Show thurs-sun. eastbourne was very busy and parking a problem, but the whole show was a great experience. I loved the Red Arrows displays. We find Eastbourne a very friendly place, and are looking to buy a property there, it was our 3rd visit. Apart from the M25 nightmares, everything was very enjoyable.Sovereign Harbour is lovely area to visit, just outside the town. Perfect place to buy somewhere. Hope we succeed.

Have just returned from a fabulous 3 night stay at the Grand, with my husband and 2 children, 8 and 11 years.
We contacted the hotel directly to book our room, 134, a master suite did not disappoint.
The sea view from both our bedroom and lounge was spectacular and worth the extra that we had paid to upgrade.
The girls shared a large sofa bed in the lounge, which was made up for them every evening and they loved the warm milk and cookies delivered by room service before bedtime.
The bed in our room was the largest I've ever slept in and the most comfortable, the attention to detail by the staff is commendable, our bed was turned down every evening with water and glasses placed on the side tables, nothing was too much trouble.
The bathroom was lovely, marble floor, large jacuzzi bath (used extensively by my daughters) and an excellent power shower, with all the toiletries we could want, including mouthwash, we couldn't fault it.
My daughters enjoyed the whole experience immensely, the indoor and out door swimming pools being firm favourites, the jacuzzi in the indoor pool area was a tonic and the warmest I've ever been in.
Afternoon tea was enjoyed by all, definitely a must and the girls loved the mock tails they had in the evening.
The Drusillas animal zoo is definitely worth a visit, only a 20 minutes drive away and one of the best zoos as a family we have been to.
Breakfast, served until 10am has everything, the scrambled eggs with chives are to die for.
Overall a very pleasant and enjoyable stay, the staff have to be commended for their attention to detail and their polite manners at all times, especially the concierge staff who go out of their way to park your car, supply hotel umbrellas if going out for a stroll and it looks like rain, taking suitcases to rooms quickly and assisting with general knowledge of the surrounding area.
Will definitely be returning and will be booking my parents in for a 2 night stay for their Christmas present, that's another one ticked off the list.
Thank you for a great few days.

We were looking for a few days of real luxury by the sea and chose the Grand because of its 5* rating and its position. The hotel is undoubtedly grand and the public rooms downstairs are impressive. We chose an Executive Sea view room which was certainly very expensive. The room was a great disappointment. It was tired and shabby. The facilities were adequate but their use had not been thought through so there was no special feeing of luxury.
We have commented to the management but have been fobbed off.
Overall the hotel is perfectly adequate and, if you can get a cheap deal you will probably be satisfied, but don't expect luxury.
A hotel which is complacent with its reputation.

Just got back from The Grand Hotel, stayed in one of the suites over looking the sea, and cannot fault the service and food.
You can be as lazy as you want, and why not when you work hard all year.
If there is one little moan, a walk in shower would be nice.
Thankyou for a great stay.

We have had several family 1 or 2 night breaks here and I have never been disappointed. The room was lovely, comfortable with a great sea view. Granted, it's more of a traditional hotel rather than your boutique style but that's half the charm of it. The service is consistently good, dinner was excellent as was breakfast. All the waitresses were brilliant, whether it be in the restaurant or having tea in the lounge. I just love it there (although I do wish they'd remove the carpet from the en-suite and replace with tiles!)

After a long debate with my husband whether to come here it was definitely by far the best choice. Our room was lovely, spacious and comfortable.
The Garden Restaurant served good quality food with excellent service.
The breakfast buffet offered lots of choice with additional items available of the menu if you preferred. The breakfast supervisor is a credit to your team, nothing was too much trouble for her and with my husband having certain dietary requirements she ensured that we had plenty to eat and were happy.
The hotel is old fashioned and may not be to everybody's taste but it certainly adds to the character of the hotel.
We will be sure to visit again with our family next time.

This hotel could be amazing but is let down by the rooms. I can only speak about the room i had which was small, dated and looking out onto another wall of the building. Not what you expect for +200 GBP per night 5 star hotel on the beach. The furnishings were dated, TV small, bathroom old. The building itself is very grand, and has a great history, but they need to spend some money on the rooms, and they should not rent out those interior looking rooms at that price. Simply not tolerable. To the managers credit, they fully understood the concern when discussed.

With no airconditioning, the room was stuffy. They provided a fan, but not the same. 5 star hotels always have room temperature control.

We had a function there, and can commend the staff who ran the function. They did an excellent job.

I would recommend the hotel but they should not sell those rooms that look at another wall via the internet or disclose it fully when they do.

My husband planned a Birthday surprise at this 5* hotel, I was very much looking forward to it, however was very disappointed by the quality of the bedroom and the service!! The lounge areas and entrance/lobby area are stunning, lovely tall ceilings and quite grand but the bedrooms are in desperate need of modernisation and upgrade, We had to have a 'suite' as we have x2 children, it wasn't cheap but was disappointing. The main problem was there was CARPET in the BATHROOM - frankly I think this is gross!! A hotel of this standard should definitely not have carpet in a bathroom! it is so unhygienic and totally dated!! The room was also tired and chintzy!!

We had afternoon tea during our stay, the service was very slow to the point that I had to ask if we had been forgotten?? it took 30 mins (after ordering) just to get the tea!!!

All that said it is in a very good location and the outside pool was very nice. The breakfast and afternoon tea (once we got it) were good.

I wouldn't return and wouldn't recommend to friends, but mostly this is due to the bathroom issue!!!

we stayed for 1 night on 10th august this hotel is the best hotel in the area it has the wow factor very classy excellent service friendly lovley staff excellent spa lovley rooms spotless very clean indeed coffee and tea in rooms robes molton brown tolietries nice touch the breakfast was very good i stayed in the ritz last year and this is similar but a fraction of the price and loved the jazz singer and band on sat night see you very soon we can wait to come back we will eat in the restaurant next time it looks wonderful.our pillows were quite soft i called for some more and got a lovley selection which did the job this hotel is 5 star and deserves five stars.

Where to start? Having tried a few options here over the years there is no question that this is the best Hotel in Eastbourne.
Staff on this and previous visits are great, excellent greeting at the door, car affectively valet parked.
Reception was friendly and quick. Bags taken to our sea-view room as booked. Beautiful views from the room, windows that open allowing the relaxing sound of the waves breaking onto the seashore to be heard.
Good quality cotton bedding and Molton Brown toletries.
Food is overall very good, main Restaurant served a good diiner with good choice and service. Just bear in mind that it's a large restaurant, and despite a note to the contary, there were babies and very young children in there at 8.30pm.
The Mirabelle served a very fine meal, excellent service and good atmosphere - would recommend.
Breakfast was excellent.
We had a club sandwich in the bar; high price but well presented and a clever twist.
Afternoon tea was excellent, served by the old fireplace - very stylish.
The area that shows a real lack of investment is the bedroom, we have found the same issues on previous visits and various rooms. Bed well past its best, old and soft enough to give back ache. No mini-bar, Tiny TV. All the room furniture looks to be poor reproduction (drawers made from MDF). Carpet on bathroom floor always a No! Shower a hopeless trickle and being over 6' tall involved crouching down to get under it. Overall bathroom absolutely tiny. Bathrobes supplied - but no slippers.
The staff who were all so professional deserve the owners to address the room issues.

Unless your taste in 5* hotels is for modern & sterile, this is a fantastically elegant hotel, with the most friendly service from ALL staff that we encountered. Great facilities too with heated outdoor & indoor pools, all usable before check-in, & after check-out, plus lovely lounges, & restaurants. I'm sure some rooms are better than others - which will affect your experience - but our executive 'triple' on the East side of the hotel (1st floor) was spacious and very comfortable, with a sofa bed for our 8 year-old. The kid's dinner, bed & breakfast package is amazing value!

Beautiful location, very friendly staff but this is by no stretch of the imagination a 5 star hotel. No air con (the room was very stuffy even with the windows open); no mini bar; furniture and decor tired; not well maintained - almost every door squeaked loudly. And the breakfast was shockingly bad - juice not fresh; and a buffet from which the bacon and eggs were cold.

Stayed here with my mum, thursday-sunday first weekend in August 2013. After booking our room online and requesting a twin room as I'm 21 and shes 59 and we didn't fancy sharing a bed for the weekend we wern't too happy to find that our room was a double bed and there was no possible chance of getting a twin room. All they offered was a children's put-up bed! dont think so! we shared the bed and didn't let it ruin our stay. The hotel is lovely, very grand and really relaxing. The staff are all lovely and attentive. We had spa treatments one day which were really lovely. The sunday lunch we had in the Garden Resturant was really tasty and the service was great. We also had afternoon tea which was really great! A few problems we had though; the prices of the drinks are really high (although i guess this is to be expected in a hotel which is 5*), although the staff were great the rest of the time, at breakfast they were disapointing. It took literally 15 minutes for them to bring toast (which was cold by this time) and tea/coffee.Got fed up of waiting! and the last day we had breakfast at half 9 (it finished at 10) the cooked food was barely warm! Also the wifi is so poor - as if we were going to pay to upgrade in a hotel which is meant to be the best!!
Apart from these things we really did have a lovely stay in The Grand and would probably go back.

I've just returned from a fabulous spa/leisure day at The Grand that included a delicious afternoon cream tea. The whole experience was very relaxing and pleasant. The leisure day represents great value for money. My visit included the use of the gym, spa, a very relaxing back and shoulder massage and a delicious cream tea. Upon arrival I was provided with a big fluffy robe, slippers and a towel. The spa isn't huge but totally adequate for my needs. I arrived just after 1pm and had the pool to myself. I understand weekends can be quite busy so if you want to avoid the crowds a mid week booking might be best. Overall, the service in the spa was very good.

My cream tea in the Grand Hall was lovely, peaceful and tranquil. A perfect ending to my relaxing spa day. Oh and the food was delicious!

The Grand Hotel is very good but does fall short of typical 5 star hotels. The service is excellent, especially the service from the parking attendants. The pool areas are also excellent and are definitely one of the main perks of the hotel as is the location. On the down side, the choice of breakfast is very limited although what they do offer is okay. Our room was also very dated and the bedding had massive badly repaired tears in it which you don't expect in a 5 star hotel. All in all, the Grand is is a good hotel but just don't expect too much.

I booked this hotel as a special birthday break before reading the terrible reviews. We were pleasantly surprised on arrival to be greeted by the lovely staff who had a complimentary tea or coffee waiting for us. We were given a top floor room with the most beautiful sea view. Lovely white bed linen, thick white fluffy towels and room spotless. The only thing that let it down was a dirty mouldy shower curtain, we told the maintenance man and within minutes he came to our room with a brand new one. How's that for service. People have complained about the food, look we've not paid for 3/4 star ,the food was good, waiter service, full English with cereal and fruit juice, a choice at dinner, all came nice and hot. The staff were lovely, nothing was too much trouble.