We visited the Grand Hotel for a formal dinner dance and arranged to stay the night of the function. We were delighted to be looked after so well as hotel guests and as guests of the function also. Attention to detail and service was excellent.
We shall look forward to repeating the experience another time.

I wanted to take my mother-in-law away for her birthday, she enjoys staying in hotels and I was attracted by the line "The only 5 star seafront hotel In the UK". We travelled as a group of 5 from 3 yeasr old upwards. I didnt fancy the drive to eastbourne so booked a bargain train fare in advance for under £25 for all five of us from Victoria.

I contacted the hotel directly well in advance and they were most helpful in assisting me to book a couple of rooms at a very reasonable price, I had a stinking cold when I booked and was not making any sense, but they replied to all my questions and emails promptly and politely.

The visit to The Grand was an absolute delight and is worthy of my only 5 star rating I have given on Tripadvisor ( so far ). It can be very tricky for a large hotel such as the Grand to balance the needs of a modern traveller whilst maintaining such rich heritage and keeping the building in the standard it deserves. The Grand manages this with aplomb.

It is also difficult for a hotel to offer family freindly visits without destroying the more formal elements that other guests require. The Grand achieved this well too.

I enrolled my daughters into the "Grand Kids" junior programme, and they were treated as welcome guests by all the staff in the hotel. They signed in under their own name, they were given goodie bags, and their own robes. This cost just £10 per child. We tooked advantage of the family dining session ( not included in the £65pp !), where they ate for free and the adults choose from the set menu. We dined in the formal dining room, which the kids really enjoyed. The service for dinner was excellent, we loved the silver service and the pianist.

We took the kids swimming twice, ensuring that they didnt distrub the spa dwellers, but mostly had the pool to ourselves. The spa staff were so helpful and welcoming.

I really enjoyed walking around the hotel, learning about its famous residents of the past, and loved looking round The Great Hall, where so much history has taken place. Taking a few minutes to sit on a sofa and looking up at the granduer of the the 4 storey hall, it was easy to transport yourself back a century, and imagine yourself to be a guest at the same time as famous classical musicians or royalty.

I would definately go back to the Grand, they made me and my family so welcome. With young children it's easy to be seen as a burden for some hotels, the Grand has set up itself to accomodate both young and old alike at the very highest of standards.

The Grand in Eastbourne is an iconic five star British hotel no doubt. The architecture and location in Meads (the posh bit!) sets it apart from just about all other Hotels (including those in Brighton) and it exudes an air of what was once great about Britain - a kind of understated class and efortless ease. Whilst the kitchens would not win any culinary plaudits the food is what a metaphorical Colonel would expect when taking his wife to dinner (no nouvelle cusine here). The rooms are spacious and very quiet (as is the whole town) and the facilities are good. I was very impressed by the gym and the spa. Room service is prompt and polite and all in all I was very happy. I will be going there again.

What was obviously once the Queen of the town has fallen on harder times. The bones are still good, but the hotel is a bit down at the heels and faded. From a distance still beautiful, but up close, not so much. High tea is still wonderful.

I went for a last minute spa day with a friend on 30th December, 2011 and it was one of the few places that still had availability. We thought it would be busy, however a lot of the time we had the facilities to ourselves. The pool was smaller than I thought it would be, however the jacuzzi, sauna and steam room were great. The pool was a good temperature for 'paddling' time away. The staff were very friendly and the half hour massage was brilliant. I had not been on a spa day previously and I must admit the idea has been sold to me. We had a fantastic 'girlie' day, however it would be a great break for anybody wanting just a total chill out and relaxing day. You can choose where to have lunch, so we chose by the poolside. The only advice would be to remember to take your swimming goggles as the chlorine was quite strong. Sorry I can't comment on the gym, the idea of using it was there, however that is as far as the notion went, afterall it was a day about relaxing! It looked small, not busy, and appeared to have good quality equipment in there.

Spent the weekend here for an anniversary and had a lovely time!! The deal we booked on was also very good value!

Our room was decent but with annoying, drafty rattling windows

We decided on a three night break at the Grand after a quiet Christmas.  Back in September we booked 'an Interlude' break - between Christmas and NY.  
We have stayed many, many times at this hotel over the years.  Having first come here for Conferences in the late 70s.  It's changed hands over the years but it still very 'Grand'.
We'd booked 338 on the third floor.  It's an Executive room overlooking the town.  If you crane your neck you can just make out the sea.  It's a very comfortable, large room and quiet. The bathroom needs a bit of updating but there's lots of very hot water and a jacuzzi bath.  The furniture is old fashioned but this is what this hotel is about.
The food in both the Garden and Mirabelle restaurants was very good indeed.  The service was good and the staff  were very efficient and friendly.
The hotel was very full and their were lots of children here too.  They had sectioned off part of the dining room for ' Family Dining' which we thought was a nice touch.  I wouldn't have classed this as a family friendly hotel but there you are.
My husband used the gym and said it was very good.  There is an indoor pool and a spa too. There is an outdoor pool but obviously not available at this time of year!
Whether this type of hotel will still exist in a few years time is debatable.  We think the younger generation will want a more modern hotel with all the gadgets and gizmos.  There is an Ethernet connection in the room which is free for 15 minutes a day.  There is no Wifi in the hotel.  We did manage to pick up a signal in front of the conference suites but it got very crowded there at times!!!!!
Overall we had a really good break and a battery recharge for the year to come.

We only stayed one night whilst travelling to Normans Bay to see family.
We hadn't pre booked and were fortunate to get a room on a walk in basis.
The hotel is old fashioned in some respects but certainly not dated.
We were probably the youngest there and we are in our forties but it was a truly lovely weekend. We loved it when we were asked to move in the bar so they could transform it to a ballroom floor.
Worth a stay for the old world charm.

We stayed here as part of a company "Christmas package" and I must say the hotel and location were very impressive.
The hotel is right across from the beach (all pebbles in Eastbourne), has its own outdoor pool plus indoor spa, but unfortunately being December we declined venturing to any of them. Although we did walk along the promenade to the pier in the late afternoon and that was lovely - very bracing, clean and safe.
The evening we stayed there were 3 parties taking place, but they coped admirably with plenty of staff around to serve food and drinks etc.
Our room was at the front and so I expected some road noise, but because the hotel is set back a bit there was none and we had a good nights sleep. My only fault would be that the "double" was in fact 2 singles push together and so there was a bit if a lump down the middle.
Apart from that we had a good time and everything else went off swimmingly.
Would thoroughly recommend, lovely setting and great walking country.

Good hotel for that special event.Bit pricey but well worth it.Good night to be had in the bar drinking cocktails

If you want a traditional but excellent British seaside hotel then the Grand is it. From the moment we arrived until the moment we left , the service , food and Accomodation was excellent . If we had to find something to comment about, it was the usual problem with British hotels ...lack of consistency. The towels were changed twice a day - good - but on our second night no face clothes were left!!! A small point.

Go to the grand. Not cheap but quality never is

This is how hotels should be. It deserves its 5 Star rating. It makes the chain hotels in London look like rubbish. From the moment we walked through the entrance everything was perfect.

From the minute you arrive the buildings splendor, the staffs professionalism, the cleanliness, the comfort, i could move in and live here what more can i say better than Claridge's Hotel in Mayfair thats saying something not quite the Ritz, but could these guys teach a few Hoteliers how it should be done, bravo everyone fantastic we will be back.
Only problem was the old fashioned Modem system that did not work all the time.

My husband and I have just returned from staying at the Grand Hotel, Eastbourne. We were celebrating our 3rd Wedding Anniversary. We booked a soothing spa deal. It wasn't cheap by our standards but thought it was well worth it and wanted to treat ourselves for a change. I was concerned that other reviewers had commented about the accommodation being dated, but I was pleasantly surprised with our room, although one of the smaller rooms it was very nice and comfortable, I would class it as more vintage than dated. We enjoyed our massage although I was expecting 50 minutes but got 25 minutes, neverthless, very nice. We had dinner included in the price in the Mirabelle room, and enjoyed this experience very much. All of the staff were very attentive and polite. When in our room we did not hear any noise and found the whole experience to be a wonderfully peaceful and relaxing time. I am sure we will be back sometime soon.

Have been here on several occasions for business, afternoon tea and dinner. The service is lovely and just like stepping back in time, in keeping with the feel of the hotel. Dinner was delicious, breakfast superb. Room was a bit small after some of the other rooms I have stayed in & the shower wasn't especially powerful. The bathrobes and Molton Brown toiletries helped though.

Thoroughly recommend lunch & afternoon tea.

We stayed here just for one night but it's a lovely step back into a different time. The staff are exceptionally polite and helpful. Their advice for dinner was excellent. Breakfast was lovely and the breakfast room is amazing.

My only criticism would be that the room didn't seem to be aired - it smelled slightly when we arrived - it cleared when I opened a window.

Excellent hotel - would definitely stay again.

Just returned from yet another excellent stay - this time a family weekend celebrating my mother's 95th birthday. I can find no fault with the service, accommodation and food. In fact no fault with anything. Everyone working here is determined to deliver high levels of service in a kindly and gentle way. They manage to create an incredibly 'homely' feel in what is a large hotel. We will be back.

This was our second stay at The Grand. We stayed there 3 years ago for a Valentine break and then last weekend for my husbands 50th birthday. We have thoroughly enjoyed both visits. All staff are very helpful and really looked after us. The food in both restaurants is sensational and the ambiance of the whole place is delightful. If you are looking for a modern hotel then this is not for you, this is a step back in time, a beautiful building with a history and you feel like you have gone back to a more 'old fashioned' time. We had the same room as before (by coincidence), we only have deluxe, but it is a big room and the bed is sooooo comfortable! The decor is fine but I cannot compare with more expensive rooms which others seem to have complained about as I have not been in one! As I said, ours was fine or perhaps we are not as fussy!? We had a good deal of 2 nights B&B and get 3rd free. We spend a bit while we are there but I can honestly say that as the food is so fantastic along with everything else, it's well worth the money and worth doing from time to time for special times. The breakfast is fantastic, scrambled eggs and mushrooms to die for! We will certainly be back in the future.

Stayed last weekend and from the welcome when you arrive, to checkout ,the staff are fantastic. My only negative was the room, for £270 per night it is very dated. I was quite dissapointed when entering room but by the time I left on the Monday morning I would gladly pay that again for a stay in this amazing hotel. The indoor pool was fab and due to the good weather the outdoor pool was very busy. Breakfast was very good, we had room service first morning but I wanted to go down to dining room next morning and was not dissapointed. Smoked salmon, cold meats, an array of yoghurts, fresh fruit and berries.. and honeycomb!. Yummy, and that was before the cooked breakfast!!!!!! All in all a perfect place with first class staff who are so professional and attentive without being intrusive.

We stayed at the Grand for 2 nights in a Junior side seaview suite. It cost nearly £600 B&B for the 2 nights. Whilst there are many positive things about this hotel such as the beautiful public rooms, the generally polite staff, the location. There are quite a few things which let it down and it really doesn't justify it's £300 a night price tag.
The main areas for improvement were:
The bathrooms, we had read that some of the bathrooms had been refurbished and the carpets removed. We requested one of these rooms but were given a room with the tired carpeted type of bathroom.
The pillows, if you like lovely soft feather pillows you will be fine but I requested foam pillows and they were not at all good quality.
The car park was full to bursting whilst we were there and we ended up parking on the roadside and paying for this and also having to be up and out at 9 to move the car.
The kids package as mentioned by a previous reviewer there is no sign of a treasure hunt or special check in cards for youngsters and the baseball cap was so small our son couldn't wear it.
The plumbing which was so noisy with the radiators turned on it kept us awake most of the first night, on the second night we turned all the radiators off so less noise but a bit chilly.

In conclusion, this hotel could be amazing but falls short of the mark and is ridiculously overpriced when compared with 5 star London hotels.

This hotel remains a gem in a sea of often rubbish and tatty other hotels nationwide..who profess 4/5 *...we stayed here last week without the children for once, room 126 whereas we normally take a suite. Staff are superb, the retention of these helpful people seems excellent, vouching for their satisfaction in post. Mirabelle restaurant is excellent..breakfast a marathon of good food should you wish...we must have stayed now 15 times in all..and keep coming back. I will comment that the bathrooms are looking tired now, please don't have carpet in them for obvious reasons..and green carpeting in all rooms we have ever been in are somewhat tired and tearing in places. Heating bills must be enormous as many windows are no longer correctly fitting, but we would not stay any where else...the whole experience allows us to keep returning. The defunct 2 for 1 offer was particularly good value..the current 3 for 2 I dont feel is so good. Well recommended...just needs some TLC in places...see you at Christmas!

My husband, 5 year old daughter and I stayed here for 3 nights during the October half term. We had a nice stay but it wasn't amazing.

The staff are very pleasant indeed. Professional and courteous. Their customer service could not be faulted at all. The main public areas are very lovely, however as I had an hour to myself on both Saturday and Sunday afternoon, I wanted to pop into one of the lounges for a cup of coffee to read my book, but they were overun by people who had come in for afternoon tea and there was nowhere for residents who hadn't booked afternoon tea to sit for a quiet cup of coffee. The first day I gave up, the second day I sat in two areas for 20 minutes until I went up to a waiter who found me somewhere to sit.

We booked The Grand for the Grand "kids" package;
The personalised registration cards and check in desk were not offered at all. The desk wasn't busy and another family in front of us were not offered it either.
The Grand kiddies rucksack with a selection of Goodies was sweet, it had a yo-yo, frisby small colouring books and pencils and cap.
The Complimentary milk and cookie at turndown was (bizarrely) problematic, they asked what time our daughter would like it and if she would prefer hot or cold milk. However the cookie on the first night was so rock hard she would've broken her teeth on it. They replaced it and gave us standard hotel packet biscuits for the other nights which didn't feel very special.
The Special children's robes were not in the room and we had to ask for it.
DVD players and films available on request - it wasn't obvious where we could find a list of films to view.
Board games for use during your stay - I couldn't see these anywhere, but to be fair I didn't ask for them.
"The Grand Quiz - A chance to explore the hotel and grounds with special 'Find It Quiz' with a prize if you get them all right" - I asked at reception about this - the receptionist didn't know anything about it.
The Family Dining is at the end of the main dining room. There was a puzzle book and squash on the table. More on food later...
- Mini sodas in the room - 3 small cans, that were not replaced and warm - no fridge.

The food was not good at all. The steak was well done when asked for rare and the beef my daughter had was like leather. The puddings were not at all nice, plasticy cheesecake and a trifle my daughter couldn't even eat. i would not book family didning, so very expensive and very poor food. The breakfasts were ok - good hotel breakfasts, but the poached eggs were ordered were hard and not soft - we heard another table complaining about the same thing.

The cost of drinks in the bar bar is very expensive, but one expects this in hotels.

The decor in the hotel rooms is very dated and 1980's - i.e. carpetted bathrooms. Though to be fair we were expecting this as their website does have honest photos that indicate the bedrooms have dated decor. The shower wasn't at all powerful, however the Molten Brown products were lovely and varied - and were replenished regularly. The beds were very soft - which I loved.

Once again the staff at this hotel truly make it. When I mentioned we were not happy with the childrens package - the receptionist gave our daughter a teddy bear and a tin of sweets and an apology which my our daughters day and made us feel better about the stay.

I think it's an old-school hotel. We liked it's location but it's not really for us. It was very much for the retired generation and it does well providing that sort of service. But we left feeling it wasn't value for money and a little cheated out of what was promised to us.

A beautiful hotel that ticks all the boxes. Its very classic and transports you back to the past.
We had 2 nights here, the Grand Hotel relaly comes on top for an experience Hotel, it makes you feel fabulous just being here.
Service is everything you want, professional and freindly. Everything was fantastic.
Its a place that has created memory for us that we will remember for a very long time.
Well worth every penny,

My husband and I stayed at the Grand for 2 nights for our wedding anniversary and we had an amazing time. The hotel is simply wonderful. We have stayed in many hotels around the world and the grand really comes out top for us. Everthing was fantastic - right from the moment we parked where were greeted by the extremely professional,helpful and friendly concierge. The check-in was very smooth and friendly (complete with wedding anniversary hard from the hotel - a lovely touch!) and the room was very large and traditionally decorated. This isn't the hotel to come to if you are looking for contemporary architecture, finishes and gadgets - it is very much a traditional victorian english seaside hotel with a lot of character and we loved it.

The food is excellent. We had dinner in the Garden restaurant. Fantastic choice of meats and carved off joints at your table. The staff made a real effort knowing it was our wedding anniversary which was lovely. The breakfasts we also fantastic. Far better than many big hotel chains I have stayed in. And how lovely to have fresh orange juice and not the concentrated stuff most hotels serve these days. You could order from the kitchen at no extra charge or choose from the very well supplied buffet.

A special mention must go to the staff at this hotel - their service and hospitality was faultless. We can't praise them enough.

The spa is also lovely - had a massage and really enjoyed it - again, excellent service, very clean and very helpful and polite staff.

This hotel is a real breath of fresh air and well worth its 5 stars! We hope to return very soon! Thanks so much.

We have stayed in this hotel over the last few years quite a lot since we discovered it, sometimes to chill out, but mostly for celebrations , birthdays and anniversaries. We have tried other hotels in between, but honestly NOTHING compares in the way of service or luxury.

This time we were here for my husbands birthday, instead of our usual 4/5 nights we could only manage 1 night due to work commitments.
Just driving up to the hotel being greeted by the fabulous concierge - with our own car park space reserved with our name on a board - thank you David, makes you feel very special.
Then on check in to be told you have been room upgraded and handed a birthday card for my husband. It’s little touches like this that make us keep coming back.

We normally request an upper floor with a view or balcony, but this time we didn’t request anything for just the one night, however we were happily surprised to find our room was on the ground floor with it’s own patio, table and chairs, leading on to the gorgeous lunch terrace and down to the outdoor heated swimming pool. What a fabulous room. Our room was a really lovely twin, it looked newly refurbished, although we didn’t spend much time in it, it is now our most favourite room and we will be requesting it from now on.

We had lunch on the terrace in the sunshine, which along with the outdoor pool was a first for us. Lunch was delicious, large portions and great service.
It was a heat wave in October, so to sit around and swim in the outside pool and relax on the loungers in the sun, what a bonus!
After our swim we went down to the indoor pool and facilities, happy to find our room was only a very short walk away this time. So we were able to go down in our robes and slippers and back to the room in them too.
We were slightly disappointed to find the Jacuzzi was out of service because the guys were working on it, also the steam room was not working, however my husband did have a sauna.

Dinner in evening was in The Garden restaurant where we were greeted by Sean and Barbara, (like old friends) Sean had reserved our favourite table for us. This always makes us feel special, they treat everyone that way. Absolute first class service, a great team.
We began with the appetizers in the bar with our cocktails while perusing the menu, an Amuse Bouche at the table, followed by a starter, then I had Fish and hubby had Pork carved at the table. I didn’t get to dessert or cheese course, but birthday boy had dessert with a candle on it bought over by Barbara, Lovely touch. Coffee and Petit fours in the lounge.

Breakfast is a buffet, but we always order from the kitchen at no extra charge - I had poached Haddock with a poached egg, and hubby had the biggest Eggs Benedict you have ever seen!
Short and sweet this time, but very, very enjoyable.

Thank you yet again to the staff at The Grand, please stay exactly as you are, don’t change a thing, it just got better for us this time. You work hard for those 5 stars and it does show, Again!