Malmaison Brighton

I checked in late and only just made the restaurant’s last orders, by a few minutes. Alfie gave me plenty of time to look over the menu and order, with no pressure to hurry. I don’t usually eat in hotel restaurants, since they can be uninspiring when guests are a captive audience, but this food was superb. The rare fillet steak was cooked perfectly and tasted delicious. The portobello mushrooms were juicy and full of flavour, and the truffle parmesan fries were outstanding. Full marks to the chefs. It was one of the best dinners I’ve had in ages. My room had a balcony over the marina, and the staff were welcoming and very professional. I loved the decor, even the corridors look cool. I’ve stayed at a few Malmaison hotels, and each one has its own character, which makes them memorable. It’s also great value. I wholeheartedly recommend staying here, and you have to eat at the restaurant.

My son and I tried the Thursday offer at Malmaison, Brighton, and ordered the fillet steak. I’m usually put off ordering steak after past disappointments, but this was the nicest I’ve had in a restaurant for a long time. The watercress and dressing were amazing, as were the other sides. Our waiter and waitress were friendly and attentive. We’re looking forward to eating there again.

Breakfast was decent, with a good range of continental options and hot dishes cooked to order. The location changed on all three mornings, though, which made things feel a bit chaotic. Also, several restaurants and bars in the complex are permanently closed, so check ahead if there’s somewhere in particular you want to visit. That isn’t the hotel’s fault. We stayed three nights at Malmaison Brighton for some significant birthdays, after finding a great Booking.com deal on a Signature Suite, the De Mar suite. The spacious room and bathroom were both very clean. There was a very comfortable superking bed and a balcony overlooking Brighton Marina. The bathroom was fantastic, with a double rainfall shower, a big deep bath, shower gel and shampoo. All the hotel staff we met were friendly and helpful. We’d definitely recommend staying here, especially if you can find a good room rate.

Breakfast was really good. We had a full English, French toast and shakshuka over the stay, as well as items from the continental spread. Even the bread came out perfectly toasted in one go. We skipped dinner at the hotel, though if it’s anything like breakfast, I’d expect it to be good. One night we used our free cocktail vouchers at the bar for a pornstar martini, cherry Manhattan and old fashioned. The old fashioned was one of the smoothest I’ve had in a long time. We were in the marina over Christmas to see family, and had a wonderful, comfortable stay with friendly staff. It felt like great value, especially with a Booking.com deal. Normally we couldn’t afford somewhere this nice. Our club room had plenty of space and what we think was a sofa bed, though we didn’t use it. The shower was roomy and easy to use, and the coffee machine was a lovely touch for fresh coffee as soon as you get up. The bed was very comfortable and we slept well. There are plenty of nearby options for different budgets.