Staff location rooms and facilities as one would expect whilst at the Air Show. Car park too full but not unexpected and good for a pleasant working weekend. I aim to come back for a jolly at Christmas.

There aren't many places in Eastbourne to get a sophisticated drink but you can guarantee one at The Grand Hotel. We pop in for special occasions, the service is always impeccable with a huge range of cocktails to choose from and a selection of free nibbles. My favourite is the citrus Harry's Iron Lady followed closely by the sweeter Passion Fruit Martini served with Prosecco on the side.

My first visit to The Grand and it won't be the last. The staff are all very friendly and helpful, the building itself impressive and the food was delicious. The service is amazing and it's the little extra touches that add that 5* quality. My friend and I will be back next year for another birthday treat.

Went for a birthday, with elderly parents who've been regulars at this hotel for 15 years.
But we're never recognised as such, hotel reception is very friendly and delivers very good service in contrary to bar and retaurant service. We were in a suite with seaview.
So we're the parents, surrounded by trees on ground level and first floor, not much of a seaview, but rooms were fine but to highly priced in comparison with other the luxe hotels. With no air con in the rooms and windows painted shut and not able to open is a
A big down side for this quality hote !!!!salon was dated so was bar. Many waiters for the bar just wandering around but not much action, having to chase one personally to get to place an order is not 4*
after ordering being able to order a few cocktails having to wait 20 min. For delivery makes it sure not to order 2nd. Had also first to ask for drinks menu, delivered after 10 min. Restaurant , food for a 4* was terrible what can go wrong with just cooked vegetables?. It did. Lamb ordered by 3 of us medium rare requested, received overdone, had another wait to come from the kitchen to get it medium ( again not rare) in the mean time veg. We're cold , so not a good experience, another bottle of wine have to chase the waiter again. Being in many 5* hotels this was the worst.

Stayed at Grand as a Silver Anniversary treat for 3 nts dinner, bed and breakfast.

The hotel is as its name says pretty grand, especially the entrance and area to rear of there. We had a nice room on 2nd floor, clean, tidy, spacious. Bed was fine though not the largest or firmest. Bathroom was fine, recently refurbished.

We ate once at Garden restaurant and twice at Mirabelle. Both were v nice, Mirabelle a bit more formal and price to match. Food was v nice indeed, service v attentive but not fussy. Wine was good but not cheap. Breakfast was in Garden restaurant and v nice, plenty of options for all tastes.

Hotel has two swimming pools (indoor & heated outdoor) plus gymn. We used outdoor pool - was just perfect temperature, well-maintained and little-used so peaceful.

Overall, really highly recommended.

So the hotel itself looked beautiful from the outside. The staff were very lovely and very attentive, couldn't do more for you. Inside is like going back in time, but in a good way as it's kept very pristine. Now this is when I have discounted a star. The first time we went the room we had was very small, looking onto a dismal old dreary view of other windows and 3 other walls, it was also just not worth the money we had paid £215 for and very tired and dreary . The room was just not acceptable. However the duty manager apologised for this and offered us a return stay free of charge and when we returned , we'll oh wow we got a beautiful room, the bathroom was the size of the previous room, the bedroom was just what you'd expect to receive in a place named the grand and totally made up for the disappointing stay previously. I must say the manager was very understanding and helpful and I appreciated this and that they offered to try to make up for it. Breakfast was lovely and would definitely go back after the last stay.

We had a 4 night stay here. The staff are very polite, friendly and
helpful and the rooms are very clean. The hotel itself is in urgent
need of refurbishment and updating - windows, carpets, furniture etc.
Avoid the breakfast buffet and have food cooked to order.
There is constant noise from outside generators in some rooms
which made our stay rather disappointing.

Excellent seafront location. An elegant old hotel offering first class accommodation and service.
Excellent restaurant and a superb breakfast.
Well worth the fairly high prices. We will definitely be back.

The Grand Hotel Eastbourne is a must do when you're in town. This place is a bastion of traditional hotel pomp and ceremony.
Every time we visit Eastbourne we come here for high tea and this year was no exception, we had high expectations and were really looking forward to this special afternoon with close friends.
Unfortunately it was a little disappointing, the staff although polite were busy and forgot a few things such as water for the table and an extra set of crockery.
The coronation chicken sandwiches had gone a little stale and crusty. The custard tarts a little economical with the filling and the scones, although delicious, we just weren't provided with enough clotted cream for all six of us and had to ask for more.
We consider ourselves high tea professionals and one thing that makes good high teas stand out from the rest is a bottomless cup of tea and although the Grand does this it's not offered, we had to request it.
Aside from this, we love The Grand and have a wonderful affinity with this gorgeous place and we will be back on our next visit!

With our travel arrangements being made by friends, we weren't able to stay in the hotel itself. But we did enjoy lunch and morning coffee on the terrace and in the luxurious lounge. Service attentive and surroundings glorious - so nice to be in a hotel where the setting lives up to the name in terms of "wow" factor. We look forward to a stay there in the not too distant future to enjoy the full hotel experience.

We always enjoy are stay at The Grand. Very friendly and attentive staff. The afternoon tea is lovely. If you like a little luxury we won't go far wrong staying here. The sea views are fantastic and the open top bus is a must up to beachy head.

Stayed here for two nights over the weekend. Not been here before. We were greeted by torrential rain but two fabulous doormen with brollies to keep us dry between car parking and the reception. Check in was smooth and cases delivered to our room quickly. The hotel is grand looking with big bright lounge areas to sit. The one thing that was prevalent throughout our stay was the friendly nature of the staff. They are a real credit to the hotel.

The hotel is old and in need of some careful renovation so as not to destroy the history of the building. Our room was quite small and in need of a refurb. I would have liked a room where I can open a window. I queried this but advised they would have given an upgrade but the hotel was full.

My advice is if you are looking for a modern/boutique hotel, The Grand isn't for you. But if your looking to stay somewhere with history and the best customer service from the front of house staff then try it.

There is a grand hallway, grand staircase, a grand dining room and vast lounges! Our ground floor suite had lovely comfortable beds, armchairs and sofa and it was a haven of tranquility, with the hotel set well back from the busy coastal road and the Victorian walls letting little sound through from adjacent rooms. However it was described as a seaview suite but the sea view was so insignificant as to be not worth mentioning. It is unfathomable why hotels overstate such things as the truth will be immediately revealed on arrival and all they have done is to set themselves up for an argument with disappointed guests. In fact we did not let it bother us but I am sure others would feel differently. We had a wonderful shower room with quality toiletries and overall we had a most enjoyable stay - I hardly wanted to go home! Negatives: no integral air conditioning (not invented in 1875) and we did not want to use the rather noisy freestanding unit; wi fi was very slow; quite pricey (cup of tea in the lounge £4.95!) For goodness sake do not pay the enormous advance parking charge - as soon as you pull into the forecourt the doorman will find you a parking space.

As a great supporter of the Grand Hotel I was so disappointed on how this once exceptional hotel has deteriorated over the past 3 years. We a have enjoyed the pleasure of staying at the Grand over the past 20 years with its cleanliness exceptionally good service and top quality food however this year everything was wrong from the start, on booking direct reservations spelt our name wrong even after being told three times therefore we had no confirmation and was forced to ring back the day before we went just to confirm. On arriving to our room it was hot and stuffy widows were stuck due to recent painting, a fan was supplied. We proceeded to go to the garden lounge for an early meal waited 15 mins to be served, the order was taken, a few minutes later they came back to take the order again, more time passed they came again to take the order, when the order finally came they had forgotten to order part of the meal, apologies were given. Following morning ordered the haddock it was uncooked worst haddock that I have ever been served, following morning could not understand why for the salmon one has to pay extra, when it came thus was greatly over cooked and was like a piece of leather, the Buffett is extremely poor and service staff poorly supervised with no training most appeared to be on work experience.
Although the bathroom was fairly new with good shower there was only a small wash basin and no where to put shaving equipment tooth brushes etc,
It became obvious that senior management and directors are more interested in profits for themselves than customer satisfaction
Another great hotel ruined by poor top management however many thanks to reception and Megan deputy manager for trying to put matters right

This was a great experience. We booked a package to celebrate my birthday, which included champagne, strawberries and chocolates in the room on arrival and a 3 course dinner in the Mirabelle restaurant, and a nice turn down service probably more suited to a wedding night but it was fun.

From the moment we rolled up with a parking space waiting with a board with my name on it to the time we left everything went smoothly. The room was spotless and appeared freshly decorated with not a blemish on anything. The bed was soft and comfortable and it was a room in which one was inclined to linger rather than simply use as a base for activities outside. The bathroom amenities were Molton Brown, there was a Nespresso machine, robes, slippers, sea views, high ceilings, plenty of space, a great bathroom, really nothing not to love. Obviously given the status of this fine building there is no air con but there was a decent new tower fan in the room which provided air flow and a little white noise that always helps me to sleep very well, which we both did. There is also a neat little cube clock/digital radio with bluetooth connectivity for music and USB charger for smartphones etc.

Cocktails in the bar were good but it lacks atmosphere and the drinks were expensive without being anything special. For these prices, a free pouring mixologist is required rather than a bunch of charming but inexperienced staff. There is a crack in the plaster towards the north end of the rather vulgar modern overhead addition which curves above the line where the bar stools sit which, with overhead spotlights, clashes rather horribly with the otherwise flawless Victorian surroundings. It really needs some polyfilla and then a pianist or some jazz playing quietly or something like that. Having said that, dinner in the Mirabelle restaurant reflected the overall impression I gained from this hotel - getting the balance between the Victorian and the modern day generally right and delivering it at high quality and with excellent and friendly service.

Breakfast was OK, you don't have to do the buffet to any great extent if that's not your thing - I ordered some slightly too firm poached eggs on toast which were brought to my table without having to bother helping myself to much more than an orange juice and a bowl of melon, but I think that the breakfast service does leave some room for excellence. Buffet breakfast = disappointing Hilton and this hotel is clearly far better than this and capable of so much more. Having said that, I've stayed in countless hotels in the UK over the years and I genuinely love this one.

Yes it was expensive. For just 1 night I could certainly see why they call it the Grand. But overall I was very happy and thought it was worth it.

We were on a 3 day 2 night break, a special offer, including a tea and dinner one night. The food and service is very good indeed. We asked to change room because it was noisy, and the one we were offered was bigger and better. Old fashioned style but classy and chic. Very enjoyable stay as always. Food excellent and lots of good service and attention to detail. Only drawback was the huge and noisy seagulls which sat on our balcony and made a racket and mess from 4 am onwards! Maybe you could rent a falcon or hawk to clear these birds as they are a real nuisance. It was hot so the windows were open. The other minor thing was that we had to wait a long time to get served drinks at dinner time in the bar, prior to dinner. I don't remember this happening before. We ordered our food and drinks in the bar but no one took us through to our table which we had booked so we took ourselves in. I think you could have a manager coordinating this. We loved the pools and walking by the seafront. Recommend it as a great hotel.

Stayed with friends for a one night get together. Room was clean & bed very comfortable. Rate charged for half board was good value and included a glass of wine or pint of larger with dinner. Breakfast was a buffet style and regularly replenished. All the staff were friendly & efficient, Luke served us at both dinner & breakfast and gave a good impression.

The staff, food were a credit to the hotel, our room was not good for the price we paid. The bed was uncomfortable and the room was plain and boring, the bath was chipped in 2 places and no attempt had been made to hide it. (Not good for a 5 star)
I know all holiday hotels have found it hard but this hotel makes a good profit, I was told the hotel was going to renovate top to bottom which it really does need but the owners pulled the plug on it due to Brexit.
I'm worried if it gets much worse it may go down to a 4 star hotel.
In my eyes in its present state that's what it is.
Fingers crossed it gets that revamp soon.

The Grand Hotel is I think the only 5 star hotel that is located on the beach on the UK.
It has all the traditional values and decor that will make you think that you are walking into a time warp. The very high ceilings give you a sense of space and luxury. Although it is traditional, the facilities are subtly modern so as not to spoil the history of the building.
The quality of food is very good.
The service of the staff is excellent.
The cleanliness is very good. The cleaning staff are also dressed in traditional maids uniform which gives an extra quirk to the hotel.
The hotel has an outer and indoor pool.
It also has a spa.
Overall the services provided and the location of this hotel makes it an excellent hotel to stay in!

Stayed here in a Suite with family and loved it. It reminds me of a different era, of course it is expensive, but you get what you pay for. I especially love the lobby.

Would love to stay again but will have to start saving!!!

I spent one night a month ago and enjoyed my stay.I was greeted and directed just as a grand hotel would ( see Waldorf ) do.The car was taken care of and parked and the bags carried up to our room.
The beds were comfortable and the rooms spacious and well provided but the trappings and decoration were dated and need attention to bring it up to scratch.
The food and restaurant were very good and we enjoyed a good supper and breakfast,recommended.
There is a large leisure centre with an indoor and outdoor pool .I swam in the outdoor pool which was spacious
and even though it was windy and cool.It could also do with updating/refurbishment.Inside the leisure centre seemed to have everything necessary,and the staff were attentantive.
I would have no qualms recommending this hotel and would return again.
It is pricey but it is GRAND with all the trappings for this sun trap town on the south coast Eastbousne long may it flourish

So happy after our three day weekend at the Grand Hotel. I booked this as a surprise for the end of term and I am absolutely delighted that the Child thought it was fabulous too.

Such little things really make a weekend special. The nice gentleman at the door who parked the car & brought our luggage in. The welcoming receptionist who put the biggest smile of the day on the Child by asking when would she like her bedtime milk & cookies brought up and would she like the milk warm or cold - well that just made her day. The lovely big bright clean room with a Nespresso machine sofa & armchair that immediately felt like home. The enthusiastic team at the spa who showed us around all the facilities. The attentive staff at breakfast who appeared and replenished the table... could go on and on.

Every single interaction we had with staff members was warm, helpful and kind. Blown away by the service.

We didn't try the restaurant as the Child is only 12 & still a huge fan of burgers & chips but I think we experienced everything else about the Hotel and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

We will be back!

We were looking for somewhere to have afternoon tea. Our other choice was unavailable due to a wedding event taking place so we plumped for the Grand.

I suppose the ambience/decor might not be to everyone's taste but our party of 6 (including 2 from abroad) loved it.

There was a huge choice of actual tea to pick from our European friends picked something exotic but we chose the English Breakfast variety.

The food was the usual fare, smoked salmon, coronation chicken sandwiches etc but all were very tasty. There was also scones, cream, jam and butter - eaten in a mix of Devon and Cornwall style! Strawberry tarts and chocolate éclairs along with Pimms jelly. £27.50 per person.

The surroundings were lovely and very stately and as many others have already attested to, the staff cannot be faulted. Proper service which is rarely seen these days.

We also had a drink outside on the terrace by the outdoor pool which, given the heat was most welcome.

We would definitely return for a special occasion.

My cousin and I were on holiday from the U.S.A. and hoped to experience a proper English tea, bit didn't necessarily need a full High Tea. We looked online at several places and I'm really glad we chose The Grand. The range of pastries were deliciously perfect, the tea was tasty and everything was impeccably, politely presented in a classy atmosphere. The weather was good during our visit, so we enjoyed having our tea in the garden area.

The hotel was beautiful, with lots of facilities (indoor and outdoor pool) and a great location on the beach. Our standard double room was ok, but could do with a refurbishment. The bed was small (I suppose we are used to larger double beds in modern hotels), soft mattress and the furniture old and a bit of a miss match. The bathroom was lovely and big. We were there as part of a company weekend, so we only ate in the evening as part of a function. The food was lovely on both evenings - one was a buffet and the other a sit down meal. The breakfast was really nice with lots of choice.