Recently stayed in The Grand Hotel. First impressions were amazing! Driving up the drive being greeted by the concierge who drove our car to a nearby parking bay. The reception lobby was every bit grand. It was a very hot day on our arrival our room wasn't ready so decided to go and sit around the outside pool it was lovely. When our room was ready it wasn't what we excepted the room was dated and overlooking the back street. Outside our room there was a dresser it looked as if it hadn't seen a duster for along time. The pictures and sills were also dirty. The carpets were loose and quite dangerous. Considering the hotel attracts alot of elderly visitors you would think this would be a priority to fix.
The next morning we ventured down to the indoor pool/spa Again in great need of a lick of paint. The steam room had stains allover the seats which looked as though someone had been sick... it felt dirty. I was also given a towel which was torn. I was expecting something special staying in an iconic 5 star hotel unfortunately that wasn't the case. People visiting from abroad must thing we have very low standards.

I can't fault the staff they were all very polite and courteous

Let's hope they can pull this iconic building/hotel back and bring the standards up.

A good booking experience with very helpful lady - decided to take advantage of good weather for 2 nights - we booked a spacious sea facing room which was very comfortable and made for a relaxing and enjoyable break.

My stay was wonderful. This hotel is great for children. My niece received a lovely bag with a bucket and spade, a cap and water holder along with milk and cookies at bedtime which was a lovely touch. My room was lovely and very large. Would stay here again.

An excellent hotel with delightful staff and delicious food. Attention to detail is paramount. There are many places easily accessible by bus plus an excellent sightseeing tour bus which takes you around the town and out to Beachy Head.

The Hotel equipment is luxurious but old, sometimes even out-worn and should be renovated here and there. The pool and spa area is nothing special really. Also the wifi should be improved and the room got heated up cause of the lack of air conditioning. Despite that the staff was really friendly an the breakfast very good. The ambience is impressive with its large entry halls and the garden restaurant.

This review is solely dedicated to the afternoon tea at The Grand Hotel. I wasn’t staying here, so I can’t comment on other aspects of this hotel.

If you’re looking to treat yourself for an afternoon tea in Eastbourne, I’d suggest looking elsewhere. I’ve been to a few in the past and this one was, by far, the most disappointing afternoon tea experience I’ve had. This is a shame given that the price led me to expect better service, but I think you’d be better off spending your money elsewhere.

Let’s start with the positives. I was able to secure a last minute booking, the server I was greeted by was incredibly sweet and polite, and the kitchen accommodated my requests for changing one of the sandwiches with ease. I recently had my birthday, which I left in the booking comments, and one of the waiters surprised me with bringing out a slice of carrot cake with a candle towards the end of the afternoon tea. Very thoughtful! The scones were also still warm when I had them, which was a nice touch.

Now let’s move onto the less great aspects of the afternoon tea. I was not walked through the selection when the three tiered stand arrived, which was a bit unusual but by no means a problem in and of itself. As it turned out, a samosa was placed on the cake tier of the afternoon tea, which was a rather unwelcome surprise after having several sweet treats and really spoiled the experience! Overall, with the surprise birthday cake slice included, I only had three cakes in the afternoon tea, which is definitely on the stingier end of any afternoon tea I’ve had in the past. The menu stated that there is Pimms jelly included in the tea, but this never materialised on the table and no explanation was given as to why not. No refills were offered, and the waiting staff generally didn’t check in much or ask about how things were going, which is why I never got a chance to inform them about issues such as the surprise samosa. Lastly, I was sat near the bar, where the staff typically retreated to chat and catch up with each other. As a general suggestion going forward, I think it would be beneficial if they moved slightly further out of earshot when they’re catching up. I was able to overhear personal anecdotes, gossip / complaints about customers and debates about how to correctly make the cocktail a patron just ordered. I know we are all human, but given that The Grand advertises itself as a five star experience, this definitely took away from the professional approach they’re aiming to portray.

None of these issues are insurmountable, and I hope that the staff can take note and look at these as constructive pieces of criticism. For now, however, I would recommend that you spend your £26-37 (depending on the type of tea you order) elsewhere.

From the moment we entered the hotel reception area, assisited by the concierge, we were welcomed and made to feel at home.
All the staff were friendly and helpful, food excellent and a wondeful suite with balcony overloking the sea.

The Grand Experience is one of the most luxurious in every way that I know. On the whole it is good value for money except the drinks are over priced, almost £12 for a measure of gin and now there is a 10% service charge added to everything that you order. Surely at £12 for a single measure you have already paid for the service!
Despite this carp, I thoroughly recommend it.

Flawless service from start to finish. Outstanding food in the Garden restaurant with traditional service but conducted in a friendly manner. Comfortable beds and great housekeeping. A truly relaxing experience.

Generally a very good place to stay. Good welcome from the doorman and a parking space had been allocated to us. Room service was excellent. One or two niggles though about the pillows which were too bulky and the duvet which was too hot (microfibre). After the first night we had the duvet changed to a cooler one but it was still too hot. Again this was microfibre. In a 5 star hotel I expect to have goose down pillows and duvet or at least duck down. The excuse seems to be that everyone has allergies these days so they use these other non breathing materials.
Generally the food was disappointing. Breakfast was hit and miss on several occasions and the cooked breakfast had the egg and black pudding overcooked and the bacon undercooked. The vegetarian sausage was better than the pork sausage(which was undercooked). Tomatoes and mushrooms were watery. It was no trouble for the chef to remedy the situation once he/she knew of the problems however with more care and attention it should have been cooked properly first time. Cappuccino coffeee was very nice. The evening meals were not very good. The choices offered on the table d'hote menu were fairly uninspiring and are only changed after 3 days. The modern trend to not serve much on the plate is irritating. When we had chips we had to ask for them to be cooked properly as they were initially pale and anaemic. Service was generally friendly and efficient although we always seemed to be in the restaurant for dinner for two hours.

Family weekend at the only 5 star hotel on the south coast. Food and service were excellent. Any criticisms were dealt with expeditiously and satisfactorily. We will certainly return to this hotel in the future.

And there are good and bad things about this blast of nostalgia. First, the good things: the views from the sea-facing rooms are amazing, especially if you have a balcony; the rooms are large, light and comfortable, with most things that you could need including good WiFi and quality toiletries; breakfast is excellent. Eastbourne is a delightful resort and after a weekend at the Grand you will definitely feel that your batteries have been recharged. The staff are in abundance, and extremely helpful and friendly - we had very good service both in the restaurants and elsewhere. Room service was rapid and did the hotel credit - the housekeeping staff likewise, and the turndown service was impressive, with generous replenishment of bottled water, teabags and toiletries. We were particularly impressed with the 'doggie package', which included food and big bags of treats. The bad things: the Garden restaurant in the evening appears very staid and stuffy, and I'm afraid the sign stating that gentlemen should wear a jacket dissuaded us from eating there. The menu was also unimaginative, certainly compared to the Mirabelle in the same hotel (where, interestingly, despite having the same dress code this appeared to be largely ignored and the ambience was much more relaxed despite the fact that it's more expensive). The bathrooms need upgrading, and soon - those tiles are HIDEOUS and the plumbing could also do with an upgrade. In a 5-star hotel you'd expect a sink not to be blocked and a toilet to flush properly. The mattresses are too soft for my personal preference, certainly compared to most hotels these days. It was also slightly annoying, in a hotel which advertises itself as being dog-friendly, to discover that we were not allowed to sit with our dog and have a drink outside on the terrace - I agree that they should not be allowed in public rooms and restaurants, but most hotels do allow them outside if they are well behaved. However, none of the negatives would put me off returning, if only for those views and the fact that traditional 5-star hotels like the Grand are sadly in danger of extinction.....

We are a family of four With two grown up kids and stayed at the Grand hotel for the weekend. The hotel is elegant and in a great location by the sea. The staff were very polite and attentive at all times. Food was amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

First thing to note is the welcome you get when arriving at The Grand Hotel in Eastbourne.
That corny, but oh so relevant old phrase "You only get one chance to make a first impression" couldn't be in better hands than that of the Concierge at The Grand. On the day we arrived, Gary and Tony were the epitome of good manners and hospitality and offered a very warm and helpful welcome. Thank you gentlemen.
The Grand Eastbourne is a bit of an enigma. Service was great and the selection at Breakfast was, as always, amazing.
And yet, the décor in some of the rooms leaves a little to be desired and shows that The Grand is getting a little tired and could do with some TLC.
Beds and Pillows are pretty soft and, whilst I know we all have different requirements in this area, one would have thought that bedding of 'average firmness' would cater for most tastes.
Overall though, a great place to stay, as we invariably do when we visit Eastbourne, particularly as we take advantage of the fact that they are Dog Friendly.
The only specific criticism I will make is the fact that I don't really want to know that one of the girls working behind the Bar was undergoing training and had to be tutored on how to make a cocktail in front of the guest. Yes, we all have to be trained to carry out a new task - there are far more subtle ways of doing it though. Guests like to think that the staff catering for their needs know exactly how to fulfil those requirements.
Notwithstanding my critical comments above, we enjoyed our stay overall. I just hope some of the issues I mention above can be dealt with so that a 5 Star Rating can be offered next time.

Superb hotel in wonderful building. Friendly welcoming staff throughout. Great location on seafront and close to town. Would recommend for short break at any time of year. Afternoon tea in the Great Hall is a good experience.

Great hotel, great staff. Great breakfast. Convenient parking and helpful concierge.
Would have preferred firmer bed pillows. Internet good but variable in the room.
Location very good within walking distance to all amenities, restaurants, etc..

An excellent hotel in a good location by the sea.
Celebrated with fine dining at Mirabelle’. This was a superb restaurant. We enjoyed exceptional food and wine choosing their seven course taster menu.
All of the hotel staff were attentive and friendly.

We received a warm welcome from the staff, the room was comfortable and we enjoyed sitting on the balcony with the lovely view. You are offered buffet or freshly cooked from the menu for breakfast. We had two enjoyable evening meals. Hotel is perfectly placed for walks along the esplanade.

A frequently asked question regarding hotels is 'would you come back' ? I'm afraid that as far as the Grand Eastbourne is concerned the answer would be no. The hotel is a very pleasant old world typical hotel which is fine but it does not have that special something which would entice me back .Some boutique hotels offer that special something with their individual quirkiness and warmth and larger more established hotels with their history,grandeur and grounds . I felt that the Grand hotel just did not give me a feeling that I was somewhere special .We had lunch in the Garden which was a very large room and had a handful of customers ,as a result it was lacking in atmosphere.The lunch at £26 for two courses (from memory ) was decent .The service was polite and professional but we felt slightly rushed.We had dinner at Mirabelle restaurant which was much more cosy.There was a pianist playing which added to the ambience.We had the tasting menu at £64 each .It was pleasant enough although the main beef dish was served medium to well rather than the ordered medium rare and was returned .When he waiter did offer to discount the price of one of our bottles of wine and in so doing defused the problem . In saying that the bill would have been over £200 for two people which in my mind (in comparison with many other tasting menus) was not good value .The food was adequate but not memorable.I suppose its the price that one pays for being able to walk up a flight of stairs to your room after having dinner.

Stayed for 2 nights to celebrate our silver wedding anniversary. On arrival we were greeted by two very helpful doormen. They found a parking space and took our luggage to the room. We booked an executive sea view room but were slightly disappointed with the furnishings. The bed was very comfortable but the headboard on one side was lopsided! The wardrobe and dressers all looked a bit 'tired' The bathroom was very nice. Breakfast was a real treat with a large choice and very attentive staff.
We will probably go back for short breaks in the future as overall we had a nice time.

We love the Grand for its comfort, friendly staff and it’s facilities, we have been coming here for the last 15 years and celebrated many events here with family & friends. All of whom have enjoyed this 5* resort on the South Coast.

Generally excellent hotel, all staff kind and friendly and keen to help. Outdoor pool heated. Only had breakfast but very tasty, self service except for 'to order' items but extremely large choice. Lounge service great and very knowledgeable cocktail and bar staff. Teenage son got 2 vouchers for mocktails, very happy. Two connecting rooms which were serviced brilliantly. Great service but not over fussy so helped us all have a very relaxing but too short a stay.

Loved our stay here and the friendly, helpful service. The hotel is in a great location, both for the seafront and the town. The room(118) was delightful: both super clean and comfortable. I thoroughly enjoyed the Milton Brown toiletries, super soft towels and all the different types of teas available. Breakfast was delicious and so relaxed. All the staff were very friendly and efficient. It was lovely to be able to leave the car at the entrance on arrival and have it parked in a suitable space. We enjoyed being able to swim in the outdoor pool and found it was not very busy at about 5 o’clock which suited us fine. The only negative points were that there was no blackout blind, so you may need an eye mask, and the WiFi in room 118 was quite weak, although that may just have been when we were there. However, we enjoyed our stay so much that we would most definitely return.

Perfect blend of attentive friendly staff, excellant dining & refreshments, charming historic atmosphere, very comfortable bedroom.. in a relaxing seaside location - made for a Grand Stay. Thanks to all involved.

Dining staff as on previous visits still not yet trained to 5* level. Doormen as always very helpful and can not do more for for you. Reception staff ok but could have been more helpful on arrival as room not ready (cup of tea or coffee while waiting?)