The Old Ship Hotel

My mother-in-law booked us a Christmas 2025 stay at The Old Ship, and the Google reviews had made me quite nervous beforehand. It turned out to be nowhere near as bad as they suggested. The hotel is old, and you can see its age around the edges and in some back areas, but the current management seem to be putting time and money into repairs and restoration. Our bedroom was clean, the bed was comfortable, and the decor looked recently redone. There were a few rough spots on the wall below the window and on the ceiling, and a gap under the bathroom door, but that didn’t bother us. The shower was powerful and the water hot. The dining room also looked recently refurbished and redecorated, and it was a nice place to eat. We had Christmas dinner in the beautiful Paganini ballroom, with the festive decorations adding to the atmosphere. All the staff were kind, lovely and helpful.

The hotel’s location is hard to beat, right by The Lanes and ideal for a walk along the prom. We were upgraded to a Seaview room, which was a lovely surprise and really added to our stay. The old building has charm and character, and I hope it gets the investment that’s planned. We’ll definitely come back. It does need quite a bit of TLC, and the bedroom felt tired, but it was exceptionally clean and the bed was extremely comfortable. The staff were brilliant. Louis at reception was kind, helpful and clearly proud of his work. The young women at the bar were lively and fun, and the busy breakfast team were helpful. Breakfast had everything you needed to start the day.

We loved this heritage hotel. The welcome was warm, the staff lovely, and our night was clean, warm and comfortable. We also had a great meal in the restaurant. The hotel has real history, so look past the exterior paint and quaint fittings. It’s right on the seafront amid the main shopping and restaurant area. We were in town for a show at The Dome, and had a fun evening playing pool and having cocktails before bed. Just avoid parking right next door at The Lanes Car Park, it’s the most expensive in Brighton.

The location is excellent, and the staff were friendly and helpful, but I didn’t feel it was good value. Breakfast was £18 each, which seems steep when you can eat in plenty of places in Brighton for half that. Years ago, this may have been a four-star hotel, but it’s in tired, worn-out condition now and badly needs a major refurbishment. There’s too much to list, and it’ll take a significant amount of money to fix things inside and out. Hopefully they can restore it to the four-star standard they seem to think it has.