Although the hotel was beautiful and facilities really nice the whole experience wasn't five star. On arrival we found a contact lens on the bed side table, not great at anytime but didn't fill us with confidence of the cleaning procedures which now should be perfect. Also breakfast was more of a Fawlty towers experiance than a five star hotel. Maybe the team were getting used to the new way of doing things however you would expect better in a £300 a night 5 star hotel. Disappointing.

From arrival to departure we were mde to feel welcome. The dining experience in the Mirabelle was perfect way to celebrate our silver wedding anniversary. The room had everything we needed and the bed was very comfy!

We stayed at the Grand for three nights to celebrate our wedding anniversary, as we have done before. We had postponed our visit because the outdoor swimming pool was not open earlier (because of COVID-19). We were pleased to see the hotel was very busy as they must have been short of income during the lockdown. We like the early twentieth century style although the plumbing is showing its age a bit too much!

First class high quality hotel, which we have no hesitation in recommending. Always an enjoyable and relaxing stay. Also this hotel has done an excellent job in adjusting to the current Covid 19 circumstances and they should be congratulated for that too.

Great 5* hotel recommended for families and dog owners.
Nice outdoor heated poll.
Great Restaurant.
Close to beach.
Room was spacious and clean
Breakfast was exellent
We recommend having smart outfit for dinner, no flip flops and shorts

To celebrate my husband's birthday we have just stayed at this lovely, old hotel for two nights. It was our first visit because, to be honest, it is rather more expensive than we would usually pay in the UK. But, in the absence of a holiday abroad this year, I decided to treat him. We were greeted by a delightful concierge who rapidly found us a place to park. Even though it was almost 3.00 pm, our room wasn't ready, but I think we all need to make allowances at the moment because the extra protocols undertaken by the staff to make sure the hotel is Covid safe, really do take up extra time. We decided on tea and cakes while we waited. A pot of tea comes with hot water and is really enough for two people we found. This comes with freshly made biscuits and we also ordered some small pastries which were absolutely delicious. Our room was ready for us and our luggage had gone ahead. We were in room 101, an Executive double with sea view. It was spacious and the view over the pool with the sea in the background could not have been better if we had been in a sunny spot abroad. The furnishings were rather old fashioned, but totally in keeping with the old building. The quality of the bed linen and towels was first class and we discovered later that our bed was gorgeously comfortable. There was plenty of hot water and Molten Brown toiletries, which was a nice touch. We had pre-dinner drinks in the cocktail bar and the service was friendly and efficient. As was service in the dining room and our waitress Dominika was delightful. I will mention the food later. Our room was very quiet, apart from the odd squeaky floor board, so we slept very well on both nights. As others have mentioned, the hotel is in the perfect situation and it is a flat, easy walk along the esplanade to the pier (which is closed). We decided to spend a couple of hours poolside and again we were looked after in a very friendly manner. Pool towels are provided. We chose not to swim, but we understand the pool is very warm and Covid safe precautions are undertaken in a seamless way. Every member of staff we encountered was friendly and helpful. They are constantly bustling around cleaning, spraying and generally ensuring that guests feel safe. We certainly did.

Sorry to finish on a slightly downbeat note but we have to mention the food served at dinner time. Whilst perfectly acceptable and in some cases very tasty, we do not think it was value for money. On the first night my husband had lamb and I had breast of chicken. We did not think the quality of the meat was top class, which it should be for almost £29 per serving. The Dover sole we had on our second night (£39) was better quality, but really should be for that money.

We would certainly consider a return stay, but would maybe book on a bed and breakfast basis and eat out.

Excellent service from all staff that couldn' b more helpful and always smiling,we had a great time at the spa ,definitely recommending Mirablle restaurant which was a wonderful choice for are evening meal thank you!

A beautiful hotel, with great location, and wonderful history.

Sadly, our confirmation (of booking) email said that the swimming pools would be closed, when in fact they were open, and consequently we had to purchase expensive swimming costumes, having left our own at home.

Breakfast on Friday was chaos. We realise something must have gone seriously wrong, but it would have been better to have told us what was going on. We ordered our cooked breakfast at 8.17am, and it arrived at the table at 9.17am - exactly an hour. My wife's porridge never arrived. We ordered toast (once) and received it three times. We requested cold milk and received hot milk. The people on the next table left without breakfast, as they couldn't wait. Chaos!

The concierge/door staff on Friday were rude, discourteous, and unhelpful. I was really shocked. The (different) concierge on Wednesday (when we arrived) was lovely, but the door staff on Friday were rude and unpleasant.

Having said that, we also encountered some truly superb service, particularly at reception, and from room service. Afternoon tea was lovely, and the staff serving it were attentive and polite. Also the breakfast staff were excellent, even when the breakfast service collapsed and died on the Friday morning.

In summary, 90% of the experience was truly 5-star. Unfortunately, the other 10% was absolutely dreadful, and really left a bad taste! Excellence has to be consistent, or it is worthless.

I’ve just returned from a pleasant one-night stay at this delightful, traditional hotel. I’ve stayed a number of times as one is made to feel so special and I always have an amazing experience. This was my first break post-lockdown stay and I wasn’t disappointed.

I wanted to set the record straight after reading some negative reviews. I agree that the service was slow at times, and we had to wait a long time for orders, particularly at breakfast, but the staff were doing the best they could. Customers do need to realise that we are in the middle of a pandemic and the hotel has health and safety guidelines to adhere to. If we as a society (and I include myself in this) want to go away so soon after lockdown, we have to allow for changes and minor hurdles along the way, and that goes with any business reopening.

Some may argue that it is a 5 star hotel. but discounted rates are offered, and I really do think that some people are expecting too much so soon. Normality has not yet returned anywhere!

I have already booked another visit to The Grand later this year and am looking forward to another amazing experience.

Very lovely with old world charm. Spacious inside with comfortable room sizes. Heated outside swimming pool available up until October time. Check with hotel for exact dates. Not cheap but as said, you get what you pay for. I must add that breakfast is excellent. Call the hotel in advance to allocate a breakfast time. This may change hopefully in the future should the breakfast buffet return.

Hotel staff and public areas are fantastic. However for the price I would have expected the rooms to be more up to date and being the hottest day of the year I would really liked to have air conditioning in the room. Having said that you can’t fault the service, location, or the restaurant which was incredible.

Not great. Went to the lawns. Bad service. Waited 10 mins n blazing sun before drinks order taken. Could have asked us if we wanted a glass of water.
Then had to wait for menus.
Then had to wait for cocktail menus.
Then had to waiyfor drinks to come, took ages. Tbf can't fault the martini, mind u it was 17.50
Food very underseasoned. I suppose catering for a particular clientele, but I doubt they would order seafood pizza anyway so season it!
Then had to wait for pepper salt mayo etc.
I queried the small knife and fork. Like a desert fork etc. Apparently they are the luncheon ones. Makes sense on a picnic, not eating a pizza. No I didn't want to wait for them to be changed.
Finished food asked for bill. Then waitress Congratulated us on our anniversary, and was surprised we weren't ordering desert. Obviously they were gonna do the swirly chocolate plate / sparkler/ freebie congratulations thing. That would have been nice, but not for me.
Overall too little too late. I came intending to spend a lot more.
Even leaving was a ball ache cos the card machine / WiFi doesn't stretch to the garden.
Feels like someone had a great idea, but there's no commitment to really making it work. Maybe they don't want to?

Booked a room for 2 during early August (COVID Social distancing rules in place)
Room availability delayed 30 mins upon arrival
Checkout is only 11:00, extended to 11:30
No Air conditioning: so we had plug in AC unit in the room
Rooms are very majestic, but lacking modern features ( eg mixer tap, AC, Temperature adjustments in the shower)
Pool area had lots of restrictions, but that was due to COVID
Staff are very professional and presentable.
Overall, a great hotel but not worth the £250 p/night price

Beautiful place, nice room and a great restaurant. But maybe avoid the bar and lounge, they're good at ignoring customers and to get a drink requires a lot of patience. Very poor service!!

This is a bit of class. Service was excellent and the food was exquisite. Hotel speaks for itself. Certainly recommend to anybody considering staying or eating there.

Beautiful and classic old hotel, absolutely vast, with two pools and very attentive staff. Also being really careful with health controls over who comes in and out and who is allowed to visit etc.

Very large hotel with lot of character and history. Big rooms. Nice breakfast but no buffet due to Covid 19. Friendly staff.

Beautiful old building, immaculate service, basically they make you feel like a millionaire every time you visit. Afternoon tea here is one of those things everyone should do at least once

Afternoon tea was delicious plenty of food staff very friendly helpful

Brilliant location, old world charm, great service and friendly staff.

Very nice hotel , friendly staff

Very slow restaurant service

Greatocation on the Esplanade

This is a lovely old hotel with lots of history and famous guests. The rooms are spacious with high ceilings. Probably it is a good idea to get a room with a sea view. The breakfasts were served at the table, no buffets. The dinners are a bit pricey but the quality was top notch. Both the indoor and outdoor pools were open but you have to book a slot in advance and turn up swim ready rather than use the changing rooms. The steam room was out of action. A few other Covid-19 procedures were in place but nothing too restrictive.

This is a charming old hotel with lots of history. It has an indoor and an outdoor swimming pool. At the moment the steam room is closed and breakfast is served at the table, i.e. there is no buffet.