Hotel Du Vin Brighton

The room was a little too warm, and we couldn’t work out the air conditioning. There was no bathroom fan either, so it got steamy. Luckily, we had a small terrace on a flat roof and opening the door helped. The scaffolding and building work didn’t bother us. We had a lovely two-night stay and will definitely come back. The staff were friendly and efficient, and the room was clean, comfortable and had everything we needed: different teas, coffee, a hairdryer, robes, slippers and gorgeous toiletries. The bed was large and comfy, on the softer side, with big pillows. And the shower was the best I’ve ever had. Thanks for looking after us 😊

We’d loved our first stay, with its beautiful, spacious room, freestanding bath and large walk-in shower, so we booked again. This visit was a disappointment from beginning to end. There’s no parking on site, so we had to walk through pouring rain and arrived soaked. At check-in, the card reader wasn’t working. While the hotel dealt with the technical problem, the receptionist was defensive and insisted on immediate payment, as if we might run off. The room was a shock: tiny and cramped, more like a single room and nothing like the quality of our previous one. It felt as though we’d been given whatever was left because the hotel was full. When I phoned to complain, the staff member was arrogant and dismissive. She insisted it was the “same quality” and blamed my partner, saying he had booked a lower-tier room. She also admitted she’d “assumed” during their phone conversation that he’d booked the same room as before, which made no sense. They offered a measly 10% discount. Given the huge drop in room standards and the staff’s attitude, we found that insulting and turned it down. The next morning, while we were already checking out, they offered 15%. By then we couldn’t care less. We’ll never stay here again.

The Christmas turkey dinner was superb, and the whole meal was a delight. The chef’s own cranberry sauce was the best I’ve tasted. Mo Ashton and the woman at the welcome area also helped make it a first-class experience. The price was surprisingly reasonable. Thank you so much!

I’d been looking forward to having a roast here for years, but the way we were treated means I won’t book again. We were also due to stay at the hotel for my birthday, but I won’t spend money with a business that treats customers like an inconvenience. We booked a 4pm roast through the hotel’s booking system because we wanted to eat at 4pm. Some of our group arrived early and were met by a flustered staff member who said we had to order right away because they needed to close everything down and set up for dinner. They said they’d tried to call me, but I had no missed calls. Even if they had reached me, hurrying us to arrive earlier wouldn’t have worked for me as a customer. It’s unprofessional to rush guests to order and eat because the restaurant needs to prepare for the evening. There were no apologies. They blamed us for supposedly being unreachable, but I didn’t receive any emails either, so I don’t think anyone tried very hard to contact us, if at all. The website shouldn’t allow bookings for a 4pm sitting if they can’t accommodate one before dinner at 5pm. Changing the booking system would be simple and would save disappointing customers.