Strawberry Fields

The beach is only a minute’s walk away, which made this a great budget friendly base for my solo trip. My stay was pleasant and eventful, and when I arrived at 2am the staff were very cooperative.

We were lucky enough to get a sea view room at Strawberry Fields, just a stone’s throw from the Palace Pier. It’s in the middle of Kemptown, close to the action and right by the sea. The building is old, but inside it’s decent, with clean rooms and fresh linen. For one of the most affordable places around, it’s a solid deal if you’re on a budget and want to stay by the water.

The reception staff were really helpful on the phone and in person. The person who checked us in even carried our heavy event merchandise suitcases all the way to the top floor, thank you! We were there for a volunteering event over a busy weekend, and the hotel stayed quiet. Later in the summer may be different, since this was the first good weekend of the year. Our small attic room was clean and well looked after, even underneath the bed, where I had to crawl to get my phone. It had a sink, kettle, tea and coffee, but the toilet and shower were shared and very small. The shower room had about a foot of space in front of the cubicle, so anyone taller than my 5’3” or on the larger side might find it hard to bend or move around. One man on our floor kept leaving the toilet seat up and missing the bowl, but that’s part of sharing facilities with other guests. The hotel has ensuite rooms if you want more privacy for a bit more money. It was a nice stay for a budget hotel right by the sea, and the room was fine as somewhere to crash during a busy weekend.

The location was good, with easy access to the city centre, but two nights didn’t feel like good value for the price. You have to upgrade to avoid shared bathrooms, and the facilities are pretty basic.