Brighton Harbour Hotel

Affordable parking was hard to find, and dropping off our bags was difficult, but we had a great time and hope to return. The sea view room is a must, clean, nicely decorated, and with a super cozy bed. It’s very central, and there’s a mini fridge for food, a Nespresso machine, and tea. Book through their website to have the spa included. We loved the pool, hot tub, and sauna. The spa was cute and had a lovely atmosphere, and robes, slippers, and towels were provided. Each room comes with free gin and tonics, which was nice, but my husband and I don’t drink. We asked for bar tickets instead, and they had lots of alcohol-free options. I could see that the free alcohol might be triggering for someone in recovery. We hope to be back. Thank you, Harbour!

The staff were all friendly and helpful, and they left a birthday treat for my husband’s 40th. We had an absolutely wonderful stay and would happily come again. Our package included cream tea, a three-course dinner, breakfast, and spa access. The food was delicious and there was more than enough, while the spa was fantastic, with a big pool, a hydrotherapy pool, hot tubs, and a sauna. We also had a lovely time exploring the grotto. Our room was beautiful, with a wonderful view of the seafront and pier, and a huge bed.

The spa was the best part of our relaxing getaway at Harbour Hotel Brighton. The facilities were nice, though the hotel room felt standard rather than special, and the place didn’t seem as luxurious as the online photos. Some staff were friendly, but customer service overall could have been better. What made the stay very upsetting was how other guests and people around the area treated us. We faced constant stares and uncomfortable looks. When we used the hot tub or pool, people would leave shortly after we arrived. We felt judged and unwelcome walking through the hotel. As a couple of colour, this was one of the worst experiences of racism we’ve ever faced. We raised it with the hotel, who offered a complimentary spa treatment and told us to contact higher management. We appreciated the gesture, but it didn’t change how unwelcome and uncomfortable we felt, and we left early because the atmosphere was so negative. It’s a real shame, as we’d been looking forward to a peaceful break. We wouldn’t return or recommend the hotel to other people of colour based on our experience.

The spa was amazing. On Saturday evening, Mara gave me a proper deep tissue massage and listened to what I wanted beforehand. We used the spa fully on Sunday morning, when I was up early as a new mom. At 7:30am there were only three of us there. I didn’t have to share the jacuzzi or sauna, and the swimming pool was empty. Most of the others were in the jacuzzi and steam room, which suited my introverted side. We got rooms on higher floors and chose sea view rooms. Even with a wedding reception downstairs on a Saturday night, there was no street noise from outside. I’m a new mom with light sleep and had no noise problems. The rooms were fantastic, with a large bath overlooking the sea and a separate area for morning coffee or evening cocktails. The one issue was the heating. In December it was chilly at night, around 18 degrees. The air conditioning wasn’t working properly, and neither was the central heating. When I asked reception at 4am, someone came to show me how to use the air conditioning correctly. The room has a chiller rather than a fridge, at about 12 degrees, which was a little too warm to keep fresh baby milk in all day. They gave me a bucket of crushed ice, so I stored the milk in that without any problem. We had an amazing weekend with our family and two-month-old baby. I’d highly recommend coming off season, and we got really good rates too.