5 Best places to stay in Brighton

Brighton has long been the destination of choice for a sexy couple’s weekend, and decadent Drakes, set in a renovated Georgian townhouse, continues the tradition.

The main pro is its location – the beach is right outside the door, and Kemptown is Brighton’s hippest neighbourhood, with great restaurants and bars.  

Step out of the front door onto Marine Drive, and you’re instantly hit by a blast of sea air. Rooms are thoughtfully designed, too, with claw-foot bathtubs in some of the bay windows, making the most of the sea views.

The chic little cocktail bar, with its must-try cocktails, and elegant restaurant (one of Brighton’s best, specialising in locally-caught fish and seasonal produce) make it the top romantic, luxury choice along the seafront. 

Never has a hotel been so aptly named; everything about this seafront icon oozes grandeur, from the vast, vanilla-hued frontage that rises up above the busy beachfront promenade like a vast wedding cake, to the coolly stylish bedrooms – many with balconies looking straight out to the water – and cavernous dining spaces, softened with plush velvet furniture and leafy plants. 

This is peak old-school glamour, but there’s nothing faded about the Grand – dress up for cocktails among the artworks and potted palms in the Victoria Bar and indulge in the seafood-themed menu at Cyan, the hotel’s signature restaurant. 

Brighton’s original boutique hotel passed into new hands in 2021, and after a thorough revamp, the sleek Regency-style property is back to its elegant best.

Rooms are light, airy and unfussy, with nice touches; Aromatherapy Associates toiletries, hand-made biscuits and super-comfy beds.

There’s no restaurant, but the chic champagne and cocktail bar – all burnished golf armchairs and coffee-coloured walls – is a great place to start the night; expect a young, hip crowd ready to make the most of Brighton’s buzzing nightlife.

My Hotels aim to be the antidote to bland, formal city stays. Rooms come with murals inspired by Asian art, orange accents or circular beds; communal spaces gleam with slabs of coloured glass and high-shine white floors and walls; and staff treat you like friends arriving for a house party.  

Situated at the heart of the North Laine area, the hotel is a stone’s throw from the city’s shops and main attractions, and its groovy cocktail bar gives you a taste of Brighton’s nightlife. For special occasions, splurge on the penthouse – a spectacular suite that is remarkably good value.  

Rather than its own restaurant, the Myhotel dining space is given over to a new branch of the Chilli Pickle, one of Brighton’s best-loved curry houses.   

If Brighton was a hotel, it would probably be this quirky, art-themed, boho-chic hotel that sits at the head of Regency Square, looking straight out to sea. Every room is different, from small cubbyhole rooms up in the eaves, to light-filled rooms with clawfooted baths tucked away behind exposed brick walls.

The art is a diverse mix that engages rather than overwhelms, with more works dotting the Clubhouse – a buzzy bar and restaurant that’s home to everyone from locals on their laptops to overseas guests.

Although the hotel feels young and hip, the welcome is warm for travellers of all ages, and anyone who wants to get under the skin of this extraordinary city.