Brighton’s fabled Victorian Grand Hotel is where modernity
blends harmoniously with tradition. Recently, having had a face-lift, this
hotel standing regal on Brighton’s seafront is an address that lives up to its
name.
Walk in through the revolving doors and into the lobby
and you know you have entered somewhere special. Like many guests before you
will be duly impressed by the lobby and the magnificent sweeping staircase, a
fine example of the Italian effect on Victorian architecture.
Built in 1864, just as Brighton was establishing itself as a
fashionable spot for tourists, this now independently-owned hotel welcomes a
diverse clientele from business leaders to politicians to people coming to
enjoy a weekend break.
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| The Grand Hotel, Brighton |
Ensure you book one of the sea-facing rooms with
triple French windows opening on to a balcony. The view gives you that instant
feel-good factor. Rooms are plush and spacious. Decked out luxuriously in
neutral shades complete with bed dressed in Egyptian cotton sheets, cosy sofas
and chairs to sink into, you won’t want to leave.
While afternoon tea here is a crowd-puller, you must try the seafood restaurant and bar,
GB1 which is contemporarily furnished with leather banquette sofas set
against a backdrop of white-louvered windows. Relax over a glass of champagne
and some oysters at the eye-catching central bar. Or, if the sea air has
given you a hearty appetite and you fancy something more substantial, try the
main restaurant.
Alan White, executive chef of the hotel told me that
his fish supplier has day boats which sail within a radius of four miles of the
hotel so you can rest assured that the food
is good.
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| A room with a view |
The scallops I had were delicious and the lobster, cooked to
perfection, which I washed down with a glass of Bourgogne Clos de Loyse
was scrumptious, A sorbet and a glass of desert wine rounded the meal off
beautifully.
For coffee head to the Victoria Lounge, it is a lovely place
for a night cap or for that matter to refuel during the day.
Being by the sea is always revitalising, but should
you want to indulge in a little relaxation, there is a spa with a sauna and
steam room which offers an array of treatments, There is a charge (£35) to use
the facilities even if you are a guest and don’t book an hour long treatment.
The Grand is a seaside treat and the perfect base to explore
this lively city.
By Daralyn Danns
For more information visit www.grandbrighton.co.uk
