Birch at Brighton Marina

We had a great stay, with a gorgeous view over the marina and free parking, which is a huge bonus in Brighton. The room had funky decor and was very comfortable. Reception were fantastic, especially Rachel, who was outstanding. It’s about a 30-minute walk along the beach to the centre, and that was lovely each morning. Highly recommended!

The marina was a good base, with several restaurants to choose from, though it’s away from Brighton itself. We stayed for one night at the end of a road trip. The room was clean and modern. The only reason for four stars is that the man who checked us in wasn’t very friendly.

We asked about spa facilities before booking our anniversary stay, and the hotel confirmed they were available. At check-in, we learned there’s no spa for hotel guests, only a gym for members. That made the booking misleading and hard to justify at this price. We also waited more than 30 minutes past check-in time for our room. The next morning, reception told us we had to move because a large group had booked the whole floor. We’d booked two months earlier, yet were inconvenienced so the hotel could accommodate a later, more lucrative booking. It disrupted our stay and made it feel as if money mattered more than guests. When we raised the issues and asked for compensation, they refused, saying the booking details were “unchanged.” Given what had happened, that response was unacceptable. The hotel is overpriced, misleading in its advertising and poorly managed. It ruined what should have been a special anniversary stay. I regret choosing it, wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, and would say to avoid it.

Conor made a stressful situation much easier. He listened to the issues I was having with Booking.com and handled everything calmly and professionally. The whole team were friendly, polite and attentive throughout my stay. Malmaison Brighton was clean, well presented and in a great spot by the marina. I had a fantastic stay, would happily return and recommend it to others. Thanks again to Conor and the team.