We stayed at the hydro hotel for a short break holiday .as soon as we walked in we knew that it was going to be just what we needed from a hotel the receptionist was lovely and friendly and when we saw our room we had a view second to none we looked out over the sea and the peace was perfect.we had dinner in the crystal restaurant and received first class service. At the end of our holiday we wished that we had booked for a longer time .we will definitely go back to the hydro for every reason.

My wife and I have just returned from a three night stay at the Hydro Hotel in Eastbourne, we were visiting my parents and sister who live in Eastbourne.We all ways try to stay at different hotels whenever we visit, the Grand,Cavandish and the Chatsworth etc.We were so impressed with the Hydro with its well kept lawns and fantastic views, this hotel is located in the Meads and is in an ideal position for the town and seafront.There is something about the Hydro, it's like stepping back in time in a good way.The staff are very friendly and helpful and it is a joy to go to breakfast everyday as the staff obviously love their jobs as they are genuinely interested in their guests.My parents and sister joined us for afternoon tea and this was absolutely perfect and was made very special by the staff.As far as we are concerned this is the best value for money and we certainly will certainly not be staying anywhere else when we visit Eastbourne again.

Whilst not on the promenade, up the hill towards Beachy Head, the sea views are fine.
Our room was very well prepared and standards good.
We always enjoy our meals in the restaurant and normally go for half board.
I think that because the hotel is very slightly off the promenade it is quieter and the atmosphere relaxed, even when busy. Certainly not manic. Staff are always pleasant and helpful. Will we return again, most likely.

Four of us met her here for a couple of nights. A spacious hotel located on the west side of town just behind the cliff tops. We enjoyed the excellent dining room service for all meals with no buffets which made a lovely change. The pristine white linen tablecloths were a real treat too. All meals were of a high quality with an excellent range available. The breakfasts were delicious and dinner was very well presented and of a high quality. Delicious fish, steaks etc from a daily varied menu. We had a Sussex tea as part of our deal and was very tasty being a very large scone and a generous portion of cream. The 20 minute leisurely walk into town was very manageable. This hotel offers fine dining and good rooms at a reasonable cost. Only issue we had was the very hot sea facing room as glazing absorbed all the heat so,room was so hot overnight thou we understand that this is being remedied with a reflective coating on the windows. Recommend a stay here

I book the Hydro for a midweek break for my elderly parents. I booked a disabled room for them has my mother is disabled. The ease of booking was excellent and the receptionist was very helpful. I like to thank the staff for looking after my mother especially at breakfast. My parents came back with glowing report of the hotel. And have ask me to book a room next year for them.

Comfortable rooms, good food, plenty of public space BUT...

They can't serve a hot breakfast no matter how much you complain.

They will hire out all their public rooms at times and their own residents have to cope as best they can.

Sorry - this is NOT the way to run a hotel.

An excellent location for late-summer break for a retired couple. Good facilities, good food, excellent service, comfortable bedroom. The good weather also helped! The garden facilities were also most satisfactory.

This is am English hotel in a fine traditional style. The rooms are comfortable and spacious with highly functional bathrooms and the public areas are from a bye gone age, but elegant and welcoming. The restaurant is splendid, the staff really accomplished and the food, for an English hotel, mostly acceptable. The situation on the cliffs is magnificent. I would definitely stay here again.

This is a lovely hotel bedroom well furnished and comfortable. We had a sea-view room
and what a lovely tranquil view. The weather was absolutely fantastic such a pleasure after coming from a very wet Scotland. The staff are very helpful and pleasant nothing too much trouble. The crystal restaurant is very nice and food was good although it could have been warmer. We were attending a family wedding so our stay wasn't long and we would happily have stayed longer.

We enjoyed our stay at hotel with the Excel Bridge group. It was good to see that the hotel is maintaining their standards of quality and service and maintaining the fabric of the hotel while recognising that their are limits to what can be achieved, e.g. virtually impossible to update the lift. A big plus for Eastbourne is the walk along the downs above Beachy Head, one of the best coastal walks in the South of England.
An example of outstanding care and attention was the return of a pair of misplaced reading glasses within 24 hours. The General Manager arranged this by first class mail immdiately after receiving my phone call.

Arrived at Hotel at 2pm on friday, called at reception lady very busy but very polite and
helpfull, said our room avaliable at 2.30 and asked a porter to take our cases up.
Lounge areas very comfortable with plenty of seating. Room on 3rd floor very clean
and comfotable, We had a sea view which was not requested but very nice.
Hotel has a car park but was full when we arrived but plenty of free street parking
close by. Restaraunt very nice, food very good and served up hot. Nice well kept
grounds. All in all very well run Hotel with excellent staff, a nice hotel with that bit
extra.

Having first visited the Hydro in 1966 (watching the World Cup Final in the, as then communal television room) this hotel continues to draw a clientele of invariably more senior years, but the fact that so many keep returning is testimony to its enduring features. The past three visits have been as part of a bridge weekend and the attendance was fully subscribed.

The food is of a very good quality delivered in the Crystal Dining room going back to a bygone era of high chandeliers and personal waiter/waitress service.

The lounges are still the original, set with high backed seating and plenty of settees, and the afternoon teas are extremely good value.

The hotel has moved into modern times with a very popular conservatory overlooking the gardens and serving light lunches, and for the more athletic client there is an outdoor swimming pool .

Evening entertainment is limited but it does give the opportunity for visitors to engage in conversation rather than constantly looking at social media. There are special themed weekends and there is a real tranquility, if given good weather of sitting out in the beautiful gardens overlooking the sea.

Rooms are comfortable and in fairly good state of decor. Of course there is always room for improvement, but anyone staying at the Hydro with the above fore warnings should have a very enjoyable stay as verified by the many other positive reviews.

This must be my third or fourth visit to this hotel and ,as usual, the high standard has
been maintained. My room was clean and well equipped. The restaurant food was
excellent and the service good at all times.
I am thinking of going again in December for a Winter Break.
Thoroughly recommended.

Fantastic! Wonderful staff,beautiful rooms and fantastic food in a fabulous location
I can not praise it enough.It is perfection.Make sure that you have a sea view.Beautiful walks from the hotel,all by the sea.Do go and visit Meads

Stayed here on a one night deal that included, cream tea, glass of wine, dinner and breakfast. This hotel is a walk away from the Town in a quiet residential area. We found it well decorated to its own style and adequately staffed. All the staff were polite, efficient and friendly. Our room was tidy and clean with tea/coffee, ample toiletries and a bath/shower, we had a wonderful sea view. The bed was very comfortable.
The bar and restaurant staff were very good and the dinner menu varied.
All in all a very pleasant stay at a good, well run hotel.

My extended family stayed here to celebrate my mother in law's 90th birthday. From initial group booking till checking out, the process was very easy. The hotel is perfect for this type of celebration as there are lots of areas to 'gather' as a group - not private, but almost. All staff were most attentive and helped the weekend to be a success. To sum up, The Hydro is a quintessentially English hotel and offers all that you would expect to go with that description.

It was a really nice stay we had at the hydro hotel we found the staff very friendly and helpful and the service was excellent .room service was very good and on time when we asked to have our breakfast in our room .rooms were very clean and tidy and facility's in the room was excellent would recommend to friends and family and would stay again in the future when we want a weekend away

The Hydro Hotel has a wonderful position adjacent to the sea front in the more residential part of Eastbourne, near the original village of Meads and near the foot of the South Downs and Beachy Head. It is a place where once you have stayed there you will want to return again and again, to experience the calm atmosphere and the exceptional friendliness and great service of the staff. Don’t be put off by the old-world appearance of the public rooms shown on the website – the hotel was built over a century ago and the elegance of that era remains, but the facilities are right up to date. We have stayed there five times in the last eighteen months, and would recommend the hotel as a great place for a relaxing holiday or short break.

I have been staying at the Hydro Hotel for the past nine years. Each time I make bookings for a group of friends numbering around twenty and each time we all look forward to staying at the Hydro. I last reviewed this hotel some years ago and I think it is time to review it again.

The Hydro is a medium sized hotel with 83 rooms, ranging from single rooms to suites. All are well appointed with safes and trouser press etc.

Upon entering the hotel, the decor and furnishings are of an age gone by, and that is the theme throughout the hotel. The lobby and lounges are very nicely furnished and extremely comfortable and each time I stay there, there are always improvements that have been made.

Leading off from the lounges there is the Conservatory restaurant which serves morning coffees, lunches, afternoon teas and dinner in the evening for those who do not want to dine in the main Crystal restaurant. The view from the Conservatory is superb over the hotel's garden. The other restaurant is the Crystal restaurant which is for formal dining at lunch time and dinner. This restaurant is very attractive and the cuisine is superb. Over the years the menu has expanded and is now very extensive. The service is impeccable and dining is a pleasure. Likewise, breakfast is cooked to order and served to the tables by the waiting staff. Only cereals, juices and fruits are buffet style.

The hotel's garden is beautifully kept with ample chairs, deck chairs and benches and mini golf and croquet is available on the lawn. Down below the garden is the pool area.
The swimming pool is kept to a very pleasant temperature and around the pool are sun beds and tables and chairs with parasols.

The hotel has a variety of function rooms for social and corporate events and all are very attractively appointed.

Throughout the hotel, the theme is of elegance and formality. The service throughout is of an age gone by and is kept spotless by a very professional staff, many of whom have been at the Hydro for many years.

If you like peace, tranquility and the finer things in life, then this is the hotel for you.

Free wifi is available throughout the hotel.

If you have found this review of help, I would appreciate it if you would press the "helpful"
button. Thank you.

I love the ambience of the Hydro, its relaxed charm and peaceful location coupled with comfortable rooms, great views, enjoyable food and pleasant helpful staff. Already looking forward to my next visit!

Mid week stay. Perfect weather made our short break perfect. Rooms with a sea view are worth paying that little extra for. Cream tea lovely. Good light supper in the conservatory. Breakfast good too. Staff attentive but not intrusive. Would stay again.

Built in 1895, The Hydro Hotel retains much of its original grandeur and elegance complimented by unparalleled views of the sea and Beachy Head across well kept lawns. Set well back from any main roads there is virtually no road noise. The very relaxed and comfortable atmosphere also owes much to the markedly friendly, helpful and professional staff. The rooms are comfortable, nicely furnished and cleaned to a high standard, whilst the food is most appetising, varied, ample and suiting to all tastes. My wife and I have been frequent visitors over many years and will hopefully return again and again. Brian and Joan. Sussex Residents.

Made a return visit to The Hydro - would be there more often if it wasn't so far away - and from arriving to departure, we have experienced the same excellent standard as we have had in the past. Couldn't find fault with any aspect of the hospitality received although a coat or two of paint wouldn't go amiss. There were a few extras on this occasion that really put the icing on the cake.

4 of my family stayed from Monday to Thursday last week, as we have on many occasions over the past 12 years. Having been a hotelier myself for many years, I cannot help notice the direction a hotels style and service levels are going. I'm delighted to say that under the control of new General Manager Mr Owen, the service is even better than before and the restaurant food has really taken a step forward with modern twists to traditional dishes. In fact there are lots of little touches throughout the hotel that make staying at the Hydro more enjoyable.
The Hydro is a grand old hotel with levels of service way above the norm. Returning to the hotel is always a pleasure. Well done Mr Owen and all the staff!

I have visited the Hydro hotel on several occasions over the years for various events, mostly family gatherings and once for a more formal business training event. The staff are always very friendly and welcoming, the food is delicious and the service received on every occasion has always been professional. I visited the Chrystal Restaurant yesterday afternoon to celebrate my parents golden wedding with family and friends and it didn't disappoint. The food and service, as always was fantastic and an enjoyable time was had by all. Every area of the hotel is spotlessly clean, the croquet lawn is a delight and the views are beautiful. The hidden pool area is a real sun trap. The pool itself looks a bit tired and could do with a bit of TLC but again the view from the pool terrace is stunning. Myself and family will defiantly be back in the near future.