I just returned from a one night stay at The Grand with a spa weekend. First of all upon arriving at the hotel, we were immediatly impressed by its 5 star service. The staff all had impeccable manners and were very friendly. The hotel is beautiful, very classic and atmospheric. After our spa afternoon which I will get onto later we went to our rooms to get ready for dinner. The rooms were large, clean but still very cosy and comfortable. Dinner was an amazing experience, we had a 3 course meal in the garden room and again the staff, waiters, etc... were all extremley friendly with amazing manners. Our meal was exquisite and the staff were only too happy to recommend places to go in Eastbourne afterwards. Breakfast the next day was also lovely, although the eggs were powdered which was disappointing and I couldnt help but feel the staff werent as friendly as the evening staff, but it was still a good breakfast. Overall I adored the hotel and would love to stay there again. What was disappointing however was the spa. We arrived slightly later due to the trains and were given dressing gowns but no slippers. The changing room was small and cramped and looked as though it hadnt been tidyed up in hours. The seating area was exactly the same. There were hardly any magazines to read and we were not offered anything to drink. The pool was nice but unfotunately guests had small children in there. While I have nothing against children, screaming and laughing kids dont exactly go with a relaxing spa experience in my opinion. The jacuzzi was really cold and not worth sitting in. My all over massage was lovely but that was the only thing that made the experience feel like a spa. To be honest the rest of it just felt like I was at my gym fot the day. I would definitely stay at the hotel again but I wouldnt go near the spa.

We were pleased to be upgraded to a suite when we arrived for a weekend break at this lovely hotel where we have stayed 4 times before over the years. It is a beautiful oldfashioned but stylish hotel and our room was palatial, with a separate sitting room and tv in there plus the bedroom. Lovely huge balcony with sea views. Stormy weather but nice and warm inside! Great food, lovely menu with a great variety of choices and excellent service as always. Definitely the best hotel we have ever stayed in, eg when you go down to the bar for a predinner drink, you are served canapes and nuts and olives with your drink, a nice touch. Very good hotel to feel pampered and special in!!

Just spent a Saturday night at The Grand, how romantic! The service was impeccable, nothing was too much trouble, the dinner service in the Garden Restaurant was particularly fabulous. The after dinner dancing was a treat and we even joined in, for thirty something's we weren't all that bad! Breakfast in bed was a treat, beautifully presented. Just a couple of things not near perfect...we asked for some chutney with our cheese and it came with some accidental bits of cheese in it, a bit odd,where did it come from? We did mention it. Also maybe it is not necessary to have two restaurants that require ties? In this day and age a little OTT we thought. We will be back it was a weekend of true romance and pampering!

In the distant past this place was obviously somewhere that the great and the good of Sussex used to kick up their heels but now it’s a sad reflection of it’s past. I think the mature crowd who patronise the Grand today come here because it’s too expensive for the hoi polloi to turn up and order 2 Jägerbombs and a packet of cheese and onion. It’s not because of the décor.

The valet parking and the checkin was seamless. It’s not cheap and we were given a massive room at the side of the hotel. It was trying to be cheerful in a dark and dreary economic downturn sort of way. The furniture was faintly grand, appropriate for the room, dated but optimistic and well looked after. The robes and the Molten Brown were nice but expected at the high cost of the room. The high cost was a theme all over the hotel. The bar was incredibly expensive but I would have been happy to pay £17 for two drinks if the empty surroundings weren’t grey dull and subdued. The spacious salons need a major design overhaul. This would include the breakfast room which was massive but reassuringly intimidating.

Unfortunately the breakfast was really average. The buffet was disappointingly limited although the quality of the sausage and the bacon was good. The poached eggs were inexplicably small and tepid. Also the confused service revealed that service ambitions based on a bygone era are now not economically viable. We saw a haddock dish being presented covered in a cloche but no one had thought to remove the cornflake dish in its way. This type of service requires two servers. The haddock had to go back to the kitchen and the offending dish removed.

After breakfast we took a spa treatment which was great but again the dreary subterranean surroundings didn’t encourage me to linger.

The one thing that brought it all together for me was the engaging and interested staff of the Grand. They have a really good attitude and carry a certain amount of the Grand’s heritage with them.

09 November 2012.

What a fantastic place to visit. Situated on the seafront in a blustery town on the south coast. Easily reached by train & a short walk or taxi ride. A hotel that has to be seen to appreciated, the rooms are out of this world & the staff could not do more for you. Molton Brown in the toilets & hand towels to dry your hands.
A perfect stay is guaranteed, with in my opinion a five star choice of menu for your mood at that time. Please try the lamb, absolute perfection. If I won the lottery I would live here.

Stayed here for two nights as a solo traveller on business. Was allocated a double room at the rear of the hotel. Room was clean, tidy and well appointed with a nice ensuite bathroom complete with toiletries, fluffy bathrobe and towels. Had a good nights sleep on a comfortable bed.
I arrived flustered and late for an important meeting to discover the car park full to overflowing a wonderful calm uniformed gentleman took my suitcase out of the car, took my car keys and showed me to reception. At the end of my stay my car magically reappeared, so fuss free and much appreciated.
The only negative was the poor service both mornings at breakfast. Service was slow and unpredicatable. The hot food was cold and the cold buffet had all gone, such a shame. As a solo breakfaster I was overlooked as the staff served larger groups.

This is the third time the company has used the Grand for its Xmas Dinner Dance. We usually go to a new hotel every year, but the Grand is so popular we keep coming back!

The hotel is impressive in a traditional way. Despite the fact that they are catering for 150 guests, the food is superb and you would not think you were eating mass catering food. The staff are plentiful, prompt, friendly and polite.

The public spaces are comfortable and cosy. We had afternoon tea when we arrived; beautiful silver teapots, tea strainers and porcelain cup and saucer. As afternoon tea should be; very civilised.

Rooms are comfortable and a good size, as are the bathrooms. Most rooms have a "foyer" area where the wardrobe is. Rooms are provided with quality bottled water, and Moulton Brown toiletries. Very comfortable beds, crisp white Egyptian sheets (with turn down service).
Breakfast very civilised; served in beautifully elegant restaurant with views of the sea and wide choice of food. We had porridge followed by poached egg and haddock. Again tea served in sliver teapots, tea strainer etc.

We went for an afternoon of cocktails at the Grand.
What a beautiful hotel, located in a beautiful part of Eastbourne, overlooking the seafront.
The staff are friendly and professional at all times, quickly distributing the bar menu.
I enjoyed The Grand Margarita which was out of this world, followed by some chilled sauvignon blanc.

I have eaten here a few times and love coming back. Hopefully I will come back for a weekend stay. Recommended. The food is also fantastic.

We just spent a girls' weekend at the Grand Hotel and we were amazed how friendly yet professional the staff was. We are from Germany and our English was a bit random but everybody was extremely helpful and patient. The atmosphere, although 'Grand' is very relaxed, the rooms are old fashioned cosy, the breakfast buffet was enormous, they even arranged the weather, one beautiful, crisp,, clear autumn day for our walk over the downs.
We will be back!!!

No doubt about it this is a lovely hotel. Rooms are comfortable and well furnished, bathrooms good and all spotless. Common areas well maintained, and all staff well trained, capable and friendly.
But it aint cheap either for food or drinks. You pay for what you get.
Nicely placed for Eastbourne town and attractions.

Meeting us as we walked up to the entrance and case taken.
Easy cheerful check in helpful staff.
Bags taken up and into the room together with an explanation of everything.
A call to ask if everything was okay when you got to your room.
Excellent service at both Breakfast time and Dinner.
Staff very attentive and not overbearing.
Check out just as easy.

The quality of the set three course meal (£27.75 incl VAT) was excellent. Good tasty food, arty but not stingy.
Disappointed that Tea/Coffee was not included. This was £4.50 extra, so for 7 people it added £31.50 to the bill... just for a beverage and a couple of Petits Fours.
For some reason a discretionary surcharge of 10% is added for 6 or more people. We didn’t pay this as we could not see the logic in charging customers more than the table next to us which only had five people sat at it.
The sting in the tail was the price of drinks.
This added over £120 to the bill for a pre-drink each, two bottles of wine with the meal and the beverages.
Overall, nice, but can’t afford to come again.
Oh, and we were the only ones who appeared to treat the meal as an occasion and dressed accordingly. Remember standards?
5* - quality of food, service, et al.
1* value for money.

This was our second trip to The Grand and the whole family had a lovely time. The warm outside pool on a sunny day gave us the sense that we were somewhere exotic. Our suite, that accommodated five of us beautifully, was in a great position with magnificent sea views. The room was decorated in a suitably grand style and the beds very comfortable. The bathroom was past its best, but my daughters enjoyed the jacuzzi bath. We ate in the dining room, but were disappointed to be in a family section. Nevertheless, the trip gave us all a boost and the staff were extremely accommodating.

I went to the Grand on a girls spa weekend and we all had a lovely time. The staff were friendly and welcoming from the start and we had beautiful rooms. The hotel is from an era past with a big white sea front facade and grand old fashioned drawing rooms and a traditional bar. We ate at their more contemporary restaurant which was still formal, but in a lovely way. The spa was great and both of our treatments were relaxing and great.
I would really recommend this for a weekend break. We all came back to London feeling relaxed and refreshed after just one night away!

I have stayed at the The Grand on business on many occasions and it never disappoints. Irrespective of arrival time, guests can rely on a friendly greeting, valet parking, helpful and efficient reception staff and a speedy check-in. The spacious and well furnished rooms, although a little dated, are spotlessly clean. The beds are always comfortable with high quality sheets and blankets. Discreet turn down service and complimentary bottled water.
The Mirabelle and Garden Restaurants are of a high standard but, depending upon the number of guests, not always both open. Breakfast in the Garden Restaurant is a real treat. Service in the large lounge is impeccable, whether for afternoon tea, pre-dinner drinks or a nightcap.
The hotel also has an excellent spa.
The Grand Hotel at Christmas is a sight to behold with a huge, beautifully decorated tree in the main lobby.
Excellent value for money and a hotel which I will return to again and again.

Stayed for 3 nights. Couldn't fault room or service. Drinks in the bar pricey but only what you would expect for a hotel of this type. Spa and pool worth using although I didn't brave the outdoor pool!. Would be happy to stay here again sometime.

We chose the Grand to host our small wedding reception and stayed for two nights. Our stay was absolutely wonderful, the staff made us feel very special and nothing was too much trouble. The room was wonderful, the food excellent and the whole ambience exactly what you'd wish for from a hotel such as this.

Booked last minute to make something of a trip to see a Football match in Brighton. Booked here as there was little available in Brighton last minute and all very expensive. Looking further afield got us much more for our money! The booking process was great. On arrival the 5 star experience started from the car being parked for us! We had not read the small print that ties were required to eat in the restaurant! This clearly happens often as lending us a tie was not a problem! The room was large and extremely comfortable. The bed was amazing and we had the best nights sleep ever! The little extras and choices available made our stay even more comfortable, and all the staff were friendly and attentive. They went out of their way to make us feel valued and important! The quality of the food served was amazing and the whole experience was wonderful. Will be looking forward to when we will be staying again!

We stayed here on the day after our wedding for one night having stayed here when we first met. Although the Grand is elegant, old and worth a visit it is looking tired. Our room was the same one we had when we first came to the Grand and my husband had organised flowers to be left in the room but unfortunately these were not there on our arrival.

When we ate in the restaurant the service was excellent with a wonderful waitress but unfortunately the restaurant had a visitor (a mouse) which we had to point out to the maitre de who when seeing it opened the big double doors to let it out but didnt think of saying anything to us which was a shame.

This was our second stay at the Grand and once again we were made to feel supremely welcome.The Grand is indeed a very grand and elegant building but its best feature is the service provided by every member of the staff-from the porter and reception staff who greeted us and escorted us to our room-to the bar and dining staff,those in the Mirabelle restaurant are especially good, as is the delicious food.Even the maids in their charming old-fashioned uniforms are a delight.
Dinner in the Mirabelle was excellent in every way, breakfast in the garden room acceptable though not outstanding, and the dancing on Friday evening after dinner was wonderful to watch and I think we need to take some dancing lessons so we can join in !
The only minor disappointment was that the jacuzzi in the health club is very hot and very violent and fierce with some jets spurting up into the air -maybe needs adjustment ?

Our sea view room 323 was very comfortable with a wonderful view and classic furnishings-we certainly didnt notice in the room OR public areas anything that other reviewers have noted as faded/shabby and so on...we found everything to be of a very good standard of decor. I have added some personal photographs.

We were celebrating something special and hope next time we have something to celebrate we will return to the Grand.

the grand hotel was like wow and so clean i love going as this is my second time and i love the outside and the building its so unusual and i love the rooms that all have lovely views even though some of the building is shabby and falling down but only because of age the beds are really comfy and well made the room service is a bit late at arriving up to the rooms but the staff are really friendly and the foods perfect i feel like i have gone away from england and love relaxing their. and eastbourne beach is a real childhood memmory for me i would tell anyone who goes to look outdside of the box and ignore the little shabby parts but look at the clean comfy rooms and taste the lovely food and take a chance to use all the facilities there weather its a romantic week or weekend away or with the family just relax

First impressions this hotel is stunning inside and out, the doorman went out of his way to find us a space in the car park as it was full. Greeted by a friendly receptionist, who informed me we had been upgraded to a sea view suite, we booked a sea view room, so delighted us. The entrance hall is beautiful with high ceilings and columns, and fabulous fresh flower arrangements (very 5 star !)
The suite was very spacious, old fashioned Laura Ashley swags and tails matching bed spread, slightly worn carpet, and furniture which was forgiven, as we had been upgraded.
The restaurant is very elegant and the service is superb, the food is a little disappointing, overlooked veg, but the complimentary pâté and sorbet are lovely touches.
We think a dog had been in the room before us as there was doggy salvia on the glass balcony doors!
But overall it was a lovely stay

It does what it says on the tin. An grand old hotel, a bit shabby in places. Very nice staff, bar, reception, valet, parking. Outstanding location. Fairly good food. Breakfast was OK, but busy. Room service took a while. You need a jacket o tie to eat dinner here in the evening.

I've just returned from a stay at The Grand, and wow! it's like walking back in time! What a beautiful building! Although it is a bit worn around the edges, it is such a unique place you can not help but to love it!

Upon initially booking our stay there was a slight computer glitch, and I phoned the hotel to confirm they had received everything. The staff were so friendly and confirmed everything over the phone and then sent me an email to confirm it all again in writing just to ease my mind. Approximately 1 week before our stay, I received a welcome message from the hotel confirming our stay and wishing us a nice trip.

From the moment we pulled onto the drive we were greeted by very friendly parking staff, (superbly dressed!) who took our luggage out of the car, and escorted us into the hotel. The receptionists were very friendly and efficient, and check-in was very quick! All of our reservations were confirmed at check-in (i.e. room rates, spa treatments and times, dinner times, etc.) On the way to our room we were given a short tour of the hotel, and again, what a beautiful place!!!

Our room was very large and spaciously layed out! The room/bathroom was a bit dated, but they were clean and the linens were very clean and like new. The bed/mattress was the best I've ever slept on! It was a very soft mattress, but in my opinion it was very comfy and the room itself was quiet-I was on the 1st floor. We ate dinner in the Mirabelle Restaurant, the food was absolutely delicious!! I can highly recommend the poached pear dessert! I also felt the food was very reasonably priced for the quality and preperation and presentation that we received! Great Job Mirabelle!!

Breakfast in the Garden Restaurant was very good as well! The staff were very efficient and the food was first class! I was a bit disapointed that not everyone adhered to the dress code (i.e. no jeans), but I guess the hotel can not control that.

Things to note:
+I have never been to a hotel where the maid service staff were dressed in the original Victorian style garments from the period that the hotel was built. This really added to the 'old world charm' atmosphere the hotel offers.
+Also, we enjoyed the complimentary Molton Brown toiletries in the bathroom!!
+Finally, there are indoor/outdoor heated pools which was lovely!

I can not comment on other nights, but we stayed on a Friday night and the hotel bar lounge was very lively and there were lots of people seemingly having a great time; however, when we got to our room it was very quiet and peaceful. The hotel is very well laid out and the restaurants are sort of arranged so there is a seperate section for those with children and those without. So, to me, it seems like it would appeal to a lot of people--those looking for a good time or those looking for a quiet evening.

Pricing:
We spent £361.90 for 2 people for 1 night in a standard room to include Bed, Breakfast, a 5 course meal with champagne, room service for lunch (cream tea with champagne) and 1 massage per person. I would have happily paid more for all that we received as it was truely first class and totally unexpected!

I wasn't sure what to expect with this hotel, but overall, I can say I was very impressed with the hotel and it's staff! I will definitely go back, and I can highly recommend it to others! Even if you just want to go here for a meal, you will not find better service anywhere, this hotel has continually got it right!! Well done to The Grand!

stayed at The Grand, wonderful hotel. superb service, beautiful room, really lovely. nice weather on the saturday so we used the outdoor pool which was very clean and very warm. on sunday, when the weather was awful we used the indoor pool which was really nice.