It was like stepping back in time...courteous staff especially at Reception and the Concierge and porters couldnt have been more helpful.

Lovely room with excellent appointments. Wonderful comfy bed and luxury bedding soft egyptian cotton! Lovely breakfast with lots of options!

Enjoyed our two night stay and would thoroughly recommend the Hotel.

Only comment Bar prices rather hefty!

weve just come from a short break in the grand.we always stay here as we find the second we walk in after being looked after by the wonderful porters and receptionists especially emma.we switch off and relax.we love the rooms and the garden restaurant is our favourite dining room.excellent service .we love it here and try to return as many times as we can. next on the agenda for us is a 2 night stay in feb where we have a night free .so bargains can also be found here.thanks again from janet and derek johnson

We have just returned from a fantastic 2 night stay at The Grand Hotel. From the time you pull up at the Front entrance to the moment your leave the staff are all so polite and attentive. Nothing is too much trouble, very clean and a very spacious room. Spa with swimming pools etc a real bonus too. We will be going back very soon for another break.

Magnificent grandiose building, a little tired in some of the rooms but certainly in keeping with the original style and maybe too modern would look out of place anyway. Stayed in a suite overlooking the sea which was really nice, loved the little home comforts like fresh fruit and flowers and the balcony. Very Olde Worlde English with bags taken on arrival and a maid who called to see if we wanted the bed turned down. Personally wouldn't have carpet in the bathroom but bathrobes and slippers were used. The Mirabelle restaurant is superb and our meal was absolutely fantastic, compliments to the chef who accommodated my gluten free needs, definitely 5* service. Really good choice of champagne to choose from. The Moet was a great accompaniment to our delicious meal. ALL the staff were very accommodating to our every need, couldn't fault them. Used the outdoor pool which was quite warm given the time of year. Definitely a 5* building on the outside, some changes needed inside but didn't spoil our stay one bit, 4* interior in places but definitely a 5* service throughout. However, for a 5* I would have expected the bins to have liners and all the lamps to have bulbs that worked. The Garden restaurant is adequate, I did need to request a clean fork however; great choice of breakfast. Reception staff were extremely helpful. Would definitely stay again!

Our family stayed at t his hotel for a weekend. Check-in was efficient and polite, and a nice man brought our luggage to our room on the third floor. The room was spacious, however a bit old-fashioned. A carpet in the bathroom sounds strange to most Norwegians. That the floor was a bit lopsided at the wall is charming, but also a bit risky. I put a bottle of wine on a commode at the wall; it was so lopsided that it glided off and fell on the floor. Otherwise great room, comfortable chairs and a huge bed. Slept very well.

Service is great at this hotel, although not very fast at breakfast (which was great, by the way). There is a dresscode for dinner in the hotel restaurant ("Gentlemen are requested to wear a jacket or a tie"), we ate elsewhere. In the information folder in the room men were even discouraged to use jeans for breakfast, it turned out however that they allowed it. We knew most of this beforehand so no complaints, we chose the hotel mainly for the possibility for our son to have a swim. The outdoor pool, which was great and well heated.

There are a few cons however. There was no hair-dryer in our bathroom, They also offered cabeled internet connection, but at a price that allowed only for quick e-mail checks. A five star hotel should provide free Wi-fi in 2012.

But all in all, we enjoyed it very much, although I guess there are as good alternatives nearby at a more reasonable price - if you don't need a pool.

My wife, daughter and I stayed in a master suite this year. It was truly grand, with high ceilings and loads of space spread over two big rooms with good furniture and comfortable beds. There was a Nespresso coffee machine in the suite with free capsules. Toiletries were excellent. The bathroom was a disappointment though: small with a dingy carpet.

The lack of WiFi is very annoying as my mobile phone also had hardly any signal, so I could scarcely use it as a local hot spot. I didn't manage to plug their cable internet into my PC and this is expensive to use anyway.

The Grand Hotel has a great pool, they're very child friendly. Breakfasts are super (we hardly had any cooked items so I can't comment on them). Dinner is quite good but nothing special. If you choose their "family dining" option for your child to have a children's menu dinner while you eat from the main menu, then you get a much smaller choice, even though it's in the same huge room as regular dining. Very strange and annoying!

The hotel's location is excellent. The porters efficiently coped with the parking mayhem when the airshow was on and I find the staff very agreeable and professional even when they're busy.

So why, with its various shortcomings, do I give the Grand Hotel 5 stars? We love it and we've stayed here three times. One year we stayed in a normal suite which wasn't grand, with a lower ceiling and rather limited floor space. With three of us we should have gone for more room. This year, with a master suite, we were very happy. The Victorians jolly well knew how to build a hotel and this one is well maintained and well run.

I cannot recommend this hotel strongly enough, especially if you have dogs. We had a lovely one night stay with out two very large Great Danes at the end of August 2012 and it was nothing less than perfect. The setting is heavenly, on the sea front with a lovely stretch of lawn before the beach, and the hotel is beautiful. We had an executive sea room for £250 and it was wonderful. We had a very tasty burger and chips in room service for £15 and a bottle of Pinot Grigio for £21....and it was scuh superb quality it was closer to a chablis that a pinot. The bed was Kingsize and very comfortable!!!!! This is a lovely hotel and the fact that it accepts dogs (with prior arrangement) is a double bonus. We will be returning regularly!!

We were greeted by a porter who wore white gloves and parked the car for us on site. Room was huge but furniture very old and dated and no A/C. The Molton Brown toiletries were lovely and the fluffy robes were lush. he dining room was similar to the Ritz and the breakfast was out of this world. both indoor and outdoor pools are heated,the jacuzzi was huge and the sauna was lovely. The hotel has a large fully equipped gym with really friendly helpful staff on hand.
A fabulous place tp spend some down time.

Grand entrance, staff helpful but not very friendly, they are just doing their job, rooms are large and well equipped although bed was most uncomfortable. Breakfast is well organised with a good choice. Due to dinners and afternoon teas being served the available seating area is usually full, so be prepared to spend time in your room during these times. Location is good as not a long walk into the main Eastbourne area or the shops.

Certainly lives up to its name. Grand hotel, grand entrance and corridors and rooms to match. Even the standard rooms were larger than average. The hotel is situated at the far end of town away from the hustle and bustle of the main area and pier which was a good 10-15 min walk away. Hotel directly on sea front.
Has open air heated swimming pool and sunbed area which was great on the summer's day we were there and in fine weather a barbeque is usually held at the weekend.
Several lounges to soak up traditional atmosphere of a seaside hotel, and a traditional cream tea!
Food and service in main restaurant was a disappointing and I was expecting something more special for the prices charged.
Overall a good hotel to experience a seaside stay. Hotel has free parking in its grounds which is certainly worth noting and the beach just across the road.

I was very dubious of staying at The Grand, it was an older established property which I was worried would be crumbling after years of use. But to my surprise, the great reception team put me in one of the newly refurbished rooms and I was very pleased. The room was large, spacious, a pretty view of a tree lined road facing inland, newly tiled bathroom all clean and sparkling with a lovely big old fashioned bath-tub. The included breakfast is simple but well prepared. Don't waste your time with the buffet you can order exactly the same items off the menu and have it made freshly to order which is far better and tastier. The bar is quite and civilised. The guests are older, retired seniors which offers a quiet and peaceful stay but certainly not hip or trendy, if that's what you’re looking for The Grand is not the place for you. The hotel is very large but has a very nice old English cosy feel. All the staff are very well presented and custom service driven, though the Russian staff could do with softening and polishing up their English language skills. I would definitely stay there again, it’s safe, quiet and in a great location. But there is no doubt I will be booking one of the refurbished rooms, and not taking a chance with the older rooms which have carpeted bathrooms.

Stayed here as a last minute (booked the night before) due to the impending weekend heat wave and fancied being by the sea. Chose the Grand due to its outdoor pool and the look of a wonderful historic building.
Whatever else is said about the Hotel the most impressive thing is the outstanding customer service. From the moment we pulled up, doors and boot were opened and our bags removed. Before we knew it our bags were inside on the trolley with the Concierge. We arrived two hours earlier than check in but our room was ready (possibly because we had one of the inside cheaper rooms) and were able to go straight in. I suspect if you had one of the seaview rooms that were always booked out you may not be able to get in so early.
Room was one of the cheaper, still £150 and just as we had expected.
We were shown to our room by the concierge who explained about the hotel.
I had visions of Miss Marple staying here and that is exactly what it was like a lovely throwback to the days when service was everything and everyone always said hello and had a smile.
We used the outdoor pool on both days we were there, without doubt the warmest outdoor pool i have ever been in, with an afteroon Jazz band playing, i quite expected Miss Marple to be sat there investigating a murder. Wonderful. Sadly the experience of the Costa del Sol mentality was very much in existance, at 8am on the sunday morning we were swimming, 3 of us in the pool, one person reading the paper in the sun and EVERY sun lounger had towels laid out reserving them for people who came down in their pyjamas put out the towels and clearly went back to bed. Though what you can do about that i am not sure.
For £150 sadly there was no aircon (it is old so not really surpised ) and you have to pay for wifi. In this day and age that could be free for the price you pay.
Our remote was broken so called the maintenance dept who sent a lovely man to fix it, that did not work so he got a new new, that did not work so he got a new television, all with a smile. Having asked reception for a fan to be told there were none i asked this wonderful man if he had one in his magic cupboard and he came back with one within minutes. Really there should be one per room if there was no aircon. I stayed in a modern hotel the week after which had put fans in every room due to the heat. Not a great expense but worth every penny.
Did not have breakfast as was on a diet but if i was not £20 seemed rather steep for brekkie.
All in all their attitude to service was exceptional probably the best i have ever had. £150 seemed a bit steep for the room alone. Bed was an original double ( perhaps you could think about updating them to Kingsize where space allows).

Room very basic not worth £200.00 a nite. The Bathroom was dirty and the bath had black hairs in it. There was no bedding provided for my sons cot he had to sleep on a bare matress.
View the rooms before booking to avoid disapointement. We asked for our money back but all we were offered was a free upgrade if we wanted to stay with them again.

Stayed for weekend and stayed in a suite which was lovely and had a view of the sea. Reception really good and concierge were great. Had dinner in the evening but didn't think it was that good for £200 that I spent and found some waiters dress looked like it had been slept in the night before and if your a 5 star hotel and spending lots of money I did not expect that and also I odd not expect my glass to be empty. May sound harsh but 5 star hotel needs to be faultless. Food was very good.

second day of our whistle stop tour over the bank holiday.
first impression of The Grand Hotel was WOW - what a fantastic building
The reception area was very calm - our room was not ready - so we were offered a complementary tea and sandwiches while we waited.
Our room was really very nice - the furniture was quality and the bed was comfy-the bathroom was well furnished with bath and shower although the bathroom was carpeted - nice one!
In the bar areas, we felt like we were the yougest ones there! The term "waiting for god" comes to mind.
Very attentive staff in all quarters - couldn't fault at all.
Breakfast was delicious - best one on our trip.
There is a spa, outside pool (which looked so inviting)
No fridge in the room but there was tea making facilities.
Dont think I would pay another £240 to stay at The Grand again

The grand hotel is full of oldy worldly charm without being too pretentious. We did a last minute holiday and stayed for one night. We have a dog and it is hard to find places near the sea that will take them. There were not many places inside the hotel where they would let the dogs hang out but directly across the road from the hotel was a huge grassy area for dogs to run around and the beach on the other side of the grassy area was okay for dogs too.

The hotel seemed to have lots of rules, you can't eat by the pool, no dogs by the pool, etc. but we found if you did it anyway, no one really complained. The staff were incredibly nice and very helpful, so I don't know why the hotel feels the need to be so strict about everything.

The rooms, food, etc were a little pricey for what it was but it was still acceptable. Overall it was a nice visit.

"Wonderful" is my answer when anyone asks how my holiday went at the Grand. We stayed 4 nights at the Grand and it was preferable to any 7 night holiday elsewhere, if that makes sense! Its the perfect place to relax as well has having plenty to keep you occupied in and around the hotel. It is a beautiful hotel in a wonderful setting with wonderful ambience, excellent food and, most importantly, consistently high quality service from helpful, friendly staff. What more could you ask? Looking forward to our next visit.

We stayed here recently just for one night when deciding to extend a visit in the area. The hotel was almost full, so our room, although perfectly nice (comfy, huge bed and a good sized room), was at the rear of the hotel overlooking a road. That said, it wasn't overly noisy, just not a great view. The rooms to the front would definitely have a better aspect, overlooking a quiet sea road and then the pebbly beach and sea. The hotel itself is as it's name suggests, very grand, with beautiful, luxury decor. The staff were all extremely polite and helpful. The indoor pool and spa were not huge, so choose a quiet time. The sauna was quite good, though very slightly dated with plastic seating rather than tiled. The outdoor pool was good with nice loungers surrounding it. Towels provided, and changing rooms well equipped with shower gel, shampoo, good hair dryer, etc. We didnt eat in the restaurant as my husband didn't have his jacket or tie with him but the breakfast was excellent, and lots of choice (smoked salmon, porridge, boiled eggs, etc.) and self selection of cooked items, fruit, cereals, pastries, meats, etc. The service was slightly erratic as so often seems the case in big hotels at breakfast. We'd definitely stay here again though.

Excellent service and ambiance. Efficient and kind staff. Curtains could do with a wash in our room though. No fridge in room. Noisy until after midnight in disabled room next to sitting room/ballroom.

Superb service with friendly and helpful staff who could not do enough for you. Brilliant food which you can taste. All amenities you require including indoor pool, heated outdoor pool, gym and spa. I defy anybody to find a better English hotel which comes up to the standards that the Grand offers. We will be back.

This is our third stay at the Grand and it is lovely that the exceptional service does not change.From the moment you arrive the attentive porters go out of their way to help you.The receptionists are friendly as are all the staff we have met ,The room for disabled residents is excellent just a shame their is only one as the facilities are extremely good.
Breakfast is a treat with very good quality food and attentive service.The ambiance and setting is superb.
Have booked again for next year what more can i say.

Here I am, once again, praising 'The Grand' at Eastbourne for providing all the facilities and amenities for yet another perfect week of opera at Glyndebourne.
It's staff who have remained in place for years and who welcome you like 'old friends' (which, of course, we have become by now) which indicate the hotel's ability to retain people who gain in experience and service-delivery.
It's the best 'Welcome' of any hotel I've booked into.
The front balcony suites are the next-best thing to a cruise-liner with magnificent views over the English Channel.
But there are difficult questions to have to answer .. which restaurant to dine in? swim indoors or out? .. tan in the Spa or on the balcony? .. the list goes on.
And the cocktail bar continues to enhance it's reputation for devising ever more exquisite offerings (you could say that I'm intoxicated with their success !).
Why, even the weather was 'grand' !

Our 6-night stay at The Grand in April was excellent in so many ways. Their welcome and hospitality make for a great start, with grand-children given special attention. The rooms, with traditional furnishings and decor, are really comfortable (particularly the bed), and the
housekeeping is of a high standard.

Room service was prompt and good quality. Breakfast was excellent.

The indoor swimming pool was popular with all of us, but only the younger generation braved the outdoor pool !

The abiding memory of The Grand is of being looked after. The word 'staff' does not do justice to all the individuals who try to anticipate your needs, always with a smile.

The Hotel lives up to it's name, and it's attention to detail in most parts of the hotel is exceptional. Room was very clean and turn-down service with water placed beside the bed is a nice touch. However, the service within the lounge was very poor; we had reserved a table for afternoon tea, which whilst was not the table location we had requested we were then proceeded to be ignored for 15 minutes. When we complained we were given a complimentary glass of Champagne, but this was not the point as it is not the service level expected within a 5* hotel. The selection of food was very poor based on other afternoon tea experiences, and we wished we had not had bothered. Evening drinks service was no better; such a shame as it really let the hotel down, and we were not alone with the experience as we heard others moaning, and one family left without being offered any drinks.

This was our first stay at the Grand and won't be our last. It's all done well - the concierges are very welcoming as are all the staff.

The rooms are very nice - but try to get one with as little road noise as possible. Some have got great sea views and will be worth paying for.

It's got indoor and outdoor heated pools, a spa and a great restaurant (bring jacket or ties chaps).

Breakfast is very tasty and there's a great selection too. Service is slightly haphazard (as it is with so many decent hotels) but it shouldn't put you off at all.