How we ended up here is actually a funny story. I wanted to plan a weekend getaway for my sisters and myself near the end of summer. Immediately we thought of Brighton! We had been there before and enjoyed it, so we settled on that location.

We booked the Grand Hotel thinking it was the one in Brighton, but little did we know there are two hotels with that name. One which is in Brighton and the other in Eastbourne. Can you guess what happened next?

The day arrived and we drove down to the hotel. When we got there, our reservation could not be found on the system. We stood at the front desk going back and forth for a long while until the receptionist asked to see the booking confirmation. When we showed her, she took great satisfaction in telling us that we were at the wrong hotel and the one we had booked was another 45-minute drive away. At this point, it was either laugh or cry and we chose to laugh. I’m sure you can imagine it, four girls standing outside the hotel with our bags just looking comical. Luckily, we had driven and hadn’t taken the train so we just got back into the car and drove to Eastbourne. I was dreading the drive as I had done two and a half hours on the road already, but the journey was so scenic and pleasant that I couldn’t complain.

Anyway, long story short we got to Eastbourne and finally checked into the CORRECT hotel and let me tell you, it was totally worth it. The Grand Hotel is stunning and the most luxurious 5-star hotel in Eastbourne. You have great views of the dramatic cliffs and it’s only a short walk to the seaside. The hotel itself looks like a white palace and the service we received was second to none. The staff were super friendly and made our stay so comfortable. We had booked two rooms both of which were large and beautifully decorated. The hotel also has a spa that is complimentary to guests which include indoor and outdoor swimming pools. After checking in we made full use of the spa facilities and were very impressed.

We could have spent our whole trip at the hotel, but we wanted to explore the area. We had no idea on what to do or where to go and essentially had to wing it since all our original plans were centred around Brighton.

After walking around and scoping the area, I can honestly say I prefer Eastbourne to Brighton. It’s far less crowded and feels more like a holiday destination. Palm trees line the street across the sea and the water is a stunning shade of teal. I genuinely felt as if I had left the UK. We walked to the pier which is an impressive white structure with a gold dome. There were tonnes of restaurants around as well as the classic fish and chip shops. I’m disappointed we didn’t have enough time to go into the town and explore but that just means a PLANNED trip is on the horizon.

We took early morning walks along the seaside and up near the cliffs and every time we passed someone we were greeted with good mornings and hellos. The people there were so friendly. The weather was just as lovely, coming to the end of August we were graced with blue skies and sunshine.

This was the best wrong booking we could have made! We had a great time and have already planned to go back. I would really recommend taking a trip here if you’re looking for that seaside holiday that makes you feel as if you’ve gone abroad. The Grand Hotel is a stunning place to stay if you want something extra special however there are many hotels on the waterfront to choose from.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

•