Afton

The staff were lovely and made a real effort to help. The hotel had Christmas decorations and trees everywhere, and we even got a small present from Santa on Christmas Day. Sandwiches and cake were laid out at lunchtime, and drink prices seemed reasonable for a hotel: wine was £18.99 a bottle and I understand a pint of beer was about £4. At least I didn’t have to shop or cook. We came from the Midlands on a coach trip, our first visit to Eastbourne, and stayed over Christmas. My husband had wanted a hotel Christmas for years, but after trying it, I don’t think we’ll repeat it unless there’s more to do than a short Christmas Eve trip to Hastings. There was nothing much between meals. We went out for a bit, but it was so cold and windy that we couldn’t stay long. Evening entertainment began at 8 pm with bingo and then a singer; some daytime activity, maybe a quiz, would have helped. The lounge didn’t have enough comfortable places to watch TV, so we watched a few programmes in our room, where the only chairs were dining chairs. We’d have been more comfortable at home, and I needed more entertainment. Our room was a decent size and stayed very warm with its radiator running all the time, even with the single-glazed windows and strong wind. The bigger ground-floor rooms, though, weren’t warm enough. Since the hotel was full, we were assigned a table on the first night beside people from another coach and a different area. That first meal was bland and a disappointing start to a special break, but the meals after that were better, so it wasn’t a total disaster. The hotel could use decorating and updating. It has no frills, but the staff certainly tried hard.

Everyone was helpful, and chatting with the staff felt like talking with friends. We had bingo each night and good entertainment in a comfortable bar and lounge. The hotel is also close to the pier and shops. It was my first time in Eastbourne, and I hope to come back in a couple of years, especially to this hotel. They took our suitcases up to the rooms. My bedroom was spacious, with a comfortable bed, a warm temperature and complimentary toiletries. The three-course dinner was served hot and tasted good, with three choices.

The location is a real plus, right by the pier and close to plenty of good restaurants. The staff are lovely chaps and the service was great. The hotel itself is very dated, and the room took me back to cheap university accommodation. There’s WiFi in the lobby, but no free WiFi in the rooms, which feels ridiculous in the 21st century. I can see there’s a market for this sort of place, but at £40 a night it seems vastly overpriced compared with what £50 gets you at nearby hotels.

For a two-star hotel, the rating feels fair. It’s right on the seafront with a view over the pier, and the food was good. Staff were friendly and the service was excellent. The building is old and quite dated, though, and really needs a full refurbishment.