Spa was OK
Lunch nice

Excellent

perfect

Food with style

Great hotel.

For over 200 pounds a night this was not really up there with top hotels. First big minus is a shower curtain..for these prices I expect glass. The gym is not 24 hour closes at 9pm. The room was pretty big. Old furniture I suppose that is the style. Blinds a bit far from the window so quite a lot of light comes in the morning. Some traffic noise also.

The spa has a jacuzzi with a few jets. Steam and sauna closed.

Fantastic service all round. Made to feel special right from the start.

Nothing was too much trouble and we really felt like guests rather than just people visiting

We stayed for a week at the Grand in early September. I was very sceptical as I wasn’t convinced on a week in Eastbourne but I was pleasantly surprised. We had booked a seaview room but got upgraded on arrival to a suite which was absolutely beautiful with lovely views and plenty of space. The room was also ready at midday which was another bonus. The weather was beautiful all week and all meals in the hotel were lovely. Breakfast was great. Yes you. Had to book a time slot but if you bothered to read the booking confirmation, you would have been well aware of this. Service could be a bit slow in the mornings but like every other industry, the hospitality industry is probably being challenged with staffing numbers. Dinner was fabulous both the garden restaurant and the Mirabelle. However there were plenty of places a stones throw away to eat out too. The staff were exceptionally friendly, particularly the guys looking after the parking and luggage. They remembered and addressed you by name which gets a big tick from me - it makes things really personal. The outdoor pool was really lovely although the communal area was a bit tired and people were a real pain grabbing the sun beds all day and not actually using them but a lovely addition.
I’m not sure what all the moaning is about. The hotel is old but has bags of character and was very clean and well kept. I did feel the residents could have been more encouraged to mask up but staff were wearing them at all times. Don’t let a few moaners out you off as this is a lovely hotel, in a lovely position with lovely staff and we will definitely return.

Slight hiccup with meal in Garden Rest but Mirebelle restaurant superb.Room 009 Curtains needed adjusting by maintenance men.Service alround good. All in all a pleasant stay.

We recently stayed at this lovely Hotel for a 2 night break. We could not fault this Hotel its clean and the service was defiantly 5 star. We eat in the Hotel for one night as well as the breakfast which was included and the food was lovely. We used the spa facilities and it was clean and well organised. The staff are friendly and we really could not fault it. Its an old fashioned traditional Hotel with lots of charm. We will defiantly be returning.

Went into the lounge for my grandads 80th birthday. We all had coffee and a sandwich chosen from the menu. I had a club sandwich which was nice and it came with a little shot of soup which I thought was a nice touch. Not a massive amount of veg sandwiches or choice if you were not keen on prawns or beef. Service was ok staff could have been a bit more friendly they did what they needed to do but a smile would have benefited. Overall nice experience but the venue furniture needs some attention as you can tell it’s all worn to the point it’s not “old fashioned” it’s just old.

My partner and I visited for lunch on Saturday 18th September.
We had drinks in the lounge bar followed by lunch in the Mirabelle.

We come to the hotel either to stay or to eat and have a drink reasonably regularly. It has been a restful, civilised tonic for us during what has also been a hugely stressful time for everyone over the last 18 months or so.

As usual, last Saturday was a pleasure - Harry and his unflappable team in the bar continue to do their utmost to look after their customers during what must have been the most trying of circumstances - (anyone who has kept up with the news in even the most cursory of ways must know the difficulties all levels of this sector have been having).
Lunch in the Mirabelle was also a relaxed pleasure and our thanks to all of the helpful and knowledgeable there too - both seen and unseen.

I wish a few more people on here had the attitude of Jake below.
Most people have had a hell of a year and the staff at this hotel (in common with all others in this sector) deserve high praise for making efforts to keep service at their pre covid standards, but they are only human.
Of course things go wrong - I was in a very high end establishment in London last week where this happened and had a quiet word with the manager who put things right on the spot.
I always think it is better to give people the chance to put things right on the day rather than venting spleen (often spuriously) after the event, on this and other review sites.

Be kind. Staff serving you have probably been through the mill in the last year too!

We had a lovely week at the Grand at the beginning of September with family.
Breakfast was excellent though the service was a bit slow (lack of staff in the industry a contributing factor so we simply relaxed and enjoyed ourselves). The restaurant manager was a star. Here every day, every service. He was off on the Thursday of our departure and by Wednesday dinner, he looked in need of a well earned rest.
We were on a DBB rate, which had a £42pp dinner allowance. This is ample. The menu is asterisked with dishes you can have if you fancy three courses but as I generally only have two, there’s not much you can’t have (two courses) for £42. The fillet steak was superb, as was the lobster.
You are offered a time slot for breakfast as the venue is still covid aware. Some people on here seem to have an issue with this. They’ve obviously been living under a rock for the past year and a half. Or simply like to moan. And a tip for the reviewer who was whining about the charge for the latte - this costs considerably more to make both in ingredients and labour. If you really, truly understood five star hotels, you’d know that these things are ALWAYS charged for.
The room was clean, bright and fresh. Though the housekeeping needs to be a bit sharper in replacing the coffees and teas. One tea bag for two is a bit tight. Also, an in room fridge would be a huge plus. It’s almost an expectation of a five star hotel.
There is a lot to like about this hotel. Not least it being nice to walk into a hotel that invokes an era of romanticism as opposed to the soulless corporate bed factories that are so prevalent today.
There are some minor niggles that have stoped me giving five stars, because for five star prices, you expect five star service and on occasions, this was lacking. Mainly due to not enough staff as the staff that were there were superb.

My wife gifted us a one night stay, with sea view, evening meal, & breakfast. We were joined by 3 family members for the dinner in the less formal but smart Garden Room.
Two of us were vegetarians with no liking for mushrooms; this wasn't a problem as the mushrooms were replaced by the desired cheese for their delicious gnocchi. Three of us enjoyed perfectly cooked steaks. We were also presented with a dainty cup of soup as a complimentary starter, very tasty & a nice touch.
Our morning swim in the heated outdoor pool set us up for a good hearty breakfast.
Throughout our short stay staff were upbeat, courteous, helpful, & attentive without being overbearing - even presenting me with a birthday card.
This splendidly-located hotel is mature in years & a reminder of perhaps more gentile times; as a result it probably is due for a significant financial investment to restore the physical fabric however these are tough times for a business & it didn't detract from.our stay.
So we'll done to the staff & their immediate management for creating a good experience.

It’s a nice enough hotel - lovely pool (which was empty when I went!) and jacuzzi. The breakfast is good and the staff always friendly. However, the hotel as a whole is dated in its decor (most guests are elderly to be fair though). It’s not classic - it’s tired. The cleanliness around the communal areas could be better (lots of dead flies in the staircase, pretty gross!). The rooms were a let down as they don’t have fridges - unusual for a 5-star hotel - and my double bed was REALLY uncomfortable (it sagged in the middle where they had put 2 single beds together ).
I would summarise by saying you could have a perfectly decent stay but there is definitely better out there

We are still at the hotel but I wanted to leave an early review to reverse some of the misinformation and ridiculous poor comments left by previous reviewers!
From reception to housekeeping, the staff are all extremely friendly and helpful and very well trained. Our room (a junior suite, room 209) is spacious and airy and not in the least bit shabby as other reviewers have claimed… and all windows are fully operational !

We have eaten in both restaurants, the cocktail bar and the terrace by the outside swimming pool for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the food is outstanding and the service is first class. We have eaten in some of the best restaurants and stayed in many of the worlds finest hotels but my fillet stake was amongst the best I’ve ever had !

It’s true that some parts of the hotel are a little dated but everywhere is spotlessly clean and well maintained and I just hope that I look half this good when I’m 145 years old.

If your idea of a good five star hotel is limited to a modern glass tower block where everything is brand new and the staff wear fake smiles and polo shirts, then please go elsewhere and stop leaving unfair reviews. On the other hand, if you appreciate the elegance and opulence of Victorian splendour, first rate food and drink and genuinely five star service then you’ll love this place as much as we do.

Thank you Grand Hotel - we’ll be back !

We had booked a Sea View Junior Suite for 2 nights at a cost of £958.00 (considerable cost!). On arrival, I was informed (in a not great manner) that we couldn't park as hadn't reserved, I explained I had asked the question of Reception a few days earlier and they said "it will be fine". Doorman said I shouldn't have listened to Reception it is Reservations that I should have spoken to (felt like a child being told off) - anyway, he was very nice from this point as I told him off for being condescending, he managed to find us a parking space so all good (perhaps be was having an off day). Reception advised we had been upgraded to a Suite with Balcony which was lovely - what wasn't so great (and I'm not being ungrateful) is that it was like an oven without any windows to open apart from one at the top but no pole provided (didn't want to leave doors open at night). Asked housekeeping to open window, he was very surprised that it opened at all but managed to do it - all good! First night, we asked for an ice bucket and 2 glasses, husband had gone to the bar to request, not by phone - they charged us £5 for room service!! He could've brought it up to the room himself but was discouraged from doing so. I was really looking forward to my first meal out since lockdown 2020 and hoped that tables would be spaced out etc - nope! so close together that it freaked me out a little bit, only staff wearing masks and literally nearly all residents not wearing them as they wandered around even tho it says Mandatory on the web site, likewise in common areas - I did not feel comfortable at all I am afraid. Now for the crowning glory - rough sleepers in the park opposite (we have been here a few times and they used to be on the front in the huts but have moved up) we were approached for money on our second day and just ignored which was fine, however on checking out one of them walked past me in reception stinking of drugs, he used the facilities and then one of the waiters brought him out a drink - whilst the staff may think this is helping it isn't and isn't what a hotel should be doing - take the drink out to them in the morning with a bacon butty or something. Both of our breakfasts were cold and requests for more toast as lukewarm didn't materialise. This is our last time at this hotel, we have been a few times over the last 5 years and it needs complete refurbishment etc, it is NOT 5 STAR and cost us over £1000 by the time drinks and coffee etc were added for two days!!

Professional, friendly staff, well maintained room, good swimming pool.

This trip was a long time coming but was originally booked during the first week of lockdown. We knew, at the end of it, we would need to be able to sit and look at the sea but it is surprising how few spacious balconies with a sea view there are in this country. However, the Presidential Suite at the Grand has this and more.

By the time we finally arrived, the suite had been refurbished and it cannot be faulted. A huge and tastefully decorated sitting room, large equally elegant bedroom with king-sized bed, huge [if slightly dated] bathroom with whirlpool corner bath, walk-in shower plus his and her washbasins, all with a huge, very well-furnished balcony overlooking the sea. With the fantastic weather we were able to eat breakfast on our balcony on five of the days of our stay. On three other days we ate at the dining table.

My husband had his total hip replacement four weeks ago and we ventured out little. The suite was perfect in the circumstance, enabling him to get the exercise he needed but always be close to somewhere to rest.

If both restaurants were, perhaps, a little disappointing [it seemed that the hotel may have been suffering from the well publicised shortage of hospitality staff] room service was fast and efficient, and in every other area of the hotel service was impeccable. Without fail. staff greeted you, usually by name, and checked if there was anything they could do for you. The housekeeping staff were excellent keeping up my husband's stock of teabags. Do remember to request a fridge him, you prefer proper cold milk.

The final jazz BBQ lunch if the season on the terrace was a lovely start to our stay. Sitting there watching people in the magnificent heated outdoor pool [in constant use during our stay despite the time of year] we almost expected Miss Marple to arrive with her little suitcase.

Having never been to Eastbourne before, prior to departure we booked the same ten days in the same suite next year.

Lovely afternoon tea. Not until I got home did I realise I had been charged £18.75 discretionery service charge - discretionery is just that - I would expect to be given the option to choose whether to tip or not and this DID not happen. My fault for not checking my bill but others should be aware

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at The Grand, clean and comfortable, the staff courteous as well as warm and friendly, always ready to help. I would like to mention both David and Robert, at door/reception, who were both so kind and helpful on our arrival and when we left. The food was delicious and I particularly enjoyed an early morning swim in the outside pool

Always enjoy this wonderful hotel whether it's for lunch, evening meal or special afternoon tea. Everything is always first class, excellent staff, always kind & helpful. Never stayed overnight but I'm confident that would be great too. Always recommend.

A perfect day of lunch and spa. Staff extremely friendly particularly in the restaurant and make us feel special. Thank you for a special day x

Great old hotel, generally well maintained. Lovely staff, every one helpful polite and friendly. Ate in the Mirabelle restaurant - smashing food. Unexpected stay - thoroughly enjoyable stay. Happy to recommend.