Marine Parade Hotel, Eastbourne Pier

That ocean view was stunning. Waking up and looking straight out at the sea was worth the trip on its own. The staff were super friendly, and the cozy, home away from home feeling left me properly refreshed. I had such a great time at the Marine Parade Hotel and will definitely be back.

Just a few steps from the town centre, and Mr. Ahmed at reception was helpful and cooperative. Our sea-view room was clean and not large, but there was enough space to move around freely. The toilet was totally new and clean, the TV had plenty of channels, and the bed and pillows were okay.

I was looking around for a friend, and the owner was very rude. When we said we weren’t sure whether to book there or somewhere else, he told us to leave if we weren’t going to book. There was no politeness or customer care. One woman staying there described it as much more like a hostel than a hotel, with dirty, small, noisy and unacceptable rooms. She said she was asked to pay an extortionate amount when she wanted to move rooms. This man is a disgrace to his ‘hotel’ and a sham. I can see why it has two stars, though even that baffles me. Don’t go in, let alone consider staying. You’d be wasting your time.

We ended up leaving days before the trip was over after getting ill and hurt from tripping on the tatty stair carpet. The place was dirty and cold, with dirty rooms and bedding. Yobs drank on the fire escape stairs every night, and drunk people walked past our room arguing. There were boarded-up windows all over, and we could hear what sounded like rats or mice scratching all night in the room directly above us. I can say 100% that I won’t return.