Eastbourne Riviera

The receptionist was excellent, breakfast had a good selection, and the room was well serviced. For what we paid, it was good value. I’d booked a sea view room but needed the walk-in shower I’d requested, so they moved me to a room with one. That room was very small, and there was nowhere in the shower to put shower gel, so I had to keep bending down.

The hotel is right on the seafront, and parking can be arranged through the hotel on the road at a cheaper rate. Finding a space during busy daytime periods is almost impossible, though. Staff were available all the time. The rooms were clean and tiny, the toilets decent, and overall the quality was decent. They weren’t soundproof. Getting to your room felt like a game because the corridors are like a maze.

The location is great, which makes the disappointment a shame. A number of the facilities could use an update, as with several hotels along the beachfront that need some care. The bed creaked and nothing felt comfortable. There isn’t really a bar, and painting started around 8:30 in the morning, with a ladder banging outside the window. The Riviera seemed to be getting a paint job during peak holiday season, for some reason.

The staff were brilliant, the room spotless, breakfast tasty and the location very central. It’s such a shame the rooms look so dated. The electrics in ours were running from a main socket via an extension lead, which didn’t feel very safe. I’d definitely return if some money were spent on the rooms.