Leonardo Hotel Brighton

The facilities were good, although very crowded, especially the sauna. I enjoyed the swimming pool. For the price and a four-star hotel, though, the experience was underwhelming, and I wouldn't return. There are much nicer and more attentive hotels or B&Bs for the same money. The bathroom wasn't clean when we arrived. There were small body hairs in the shower, on the floor, and on the sink, which was off-putting. The room wasn't serviced until I specifically asked at around 3 pm, even though I'd seen the housekeeping trolley in the corridor in the morning and again just before noon. I ended up making the bed and washing the cups we'd used. When I raised it at reception, the woman at the counter didn't apologise and said room servicing was an additional service. That surprised me, since even most bed and breakfasts service rooms as standard. It's hard to understand why that wouldn't be included at a four-star hotel.

I was in Brighton for an exam just three minutes from the hotel, and the quiet made it easy to revise throughout my short stay. I didn’t hear any disruptive noise. Check-in and check-out were both quick, and reception staff were friendly and helpful before I arrived and while I was there. I’d called ahead about parking and got clear directions for using Brighton Station car park with the QR code at reception; once I arrived, they talked me through the process too. I also briefly met a room cleaner on my way out, and she greeted me with a smile the next morning. My only tiny suggestion is to wipe the dust off the little coffee machine and clean the tea and coffee tray, which had a few visible marks. I had a great stay at Leonardo Hotels in Brighton and would come back.

We were eventually moved to a standard room, which was perfectly fine and up to the usual standard. The reason was the executive room we’d been upgraded to had a strong sewage smell. It took several attempts to get help: nothing happened after my first complaint, so an hour later my wife went to reception. After her shower made the smell unbearable, she had to go down a third time. Before we changed rooms, she spotted a receptionist on our floor and invited her in. The receptionist experienced the smell herself and could see how bad it was. I often stay here for work trips to Brighton and the rooms are normally fine. But the reception service after this was really disappointing. One particular receptionist avoided eye contact, wouldn’t speak, and only nodded whenever we went to the desk. It left us feeling uncomfortable, almost as if we’d done something wrong by complaining. As a regular guest, I think the staff need proper training in how to handle guest issues.

The people here are a real highlight. Verona and Chiara, who work in the restaurant and bar, stayed cheerful and welcoming even when we saw them dealing with a very busy service. They made us feel like old friends coming back. Thanks to both of them, they made our stay. It’s a lovely place, right next to the train station. The food and rooms are great too, and I’ve got nothing bad to say about it.