The Hydro Hotel

Just wrapped up our first visit, one night with three rooms and a dog. The rooms and the service for accommodating our dog were good, and the fan in the warm room was just right. The price was good too. Cooked breakfast was a little small, though, and I was disappointed that I couldn't get a cup of tea in the morning. I was up at 7, but unless I checked in for breakfast there was no morning drink in the lobby. The room had tea-making things, but I can't have the milk they provided. Still happy with the stay, and I'd visit again.

I was at the Hydro Hotel for another Chamber of Commerce breakfast. Its old Great Hall opens into different rooms, including a former smoking room, a drawing room with pictures of 17th-century Men of War resting in a bay, and a library where the Marquess of Vane in full Order of the Garter regalia rather steals the show from a picture of the Prince Regent, c. 1795. Staff were smartly dressed in black, white shirts and ties, and the old-fashioned service was comfortable. The hotel was formerly the Hydropathic Company, with spa facilities dating to 1896. It's set back about 60 m up Mount Road, above the seafront, and you can get a spectacular view of the chalk cliffs at Beachy Head by going through the Conservatory and past the croquet lawn to the terrace. The residents look mostly over seventy, but there are family facilities and a nice-looking pool. I can imagine inviting someone for tea in the Conservatory. For now I'm sitting on the terrace among tulips, listening to birds and the breeze ruffling white crests on a fairly flat sea, under an azure sky. Is there a finer place in Eastbourne, or even Sussex, at 12:30 on a Tuesday in April?

Getting married beneath the pagoda, with the sea behind us, was unforgettable. The Hydro Hotel gave us a beautiful setting, a relaxed but elegant feel, and views that made a perfect backdrop for the ceremony. Hannah, Barry, and the whole team were wonderful from the planning right through the day, keeping everything smooth and stress-free. The service and food were lovely, and our families and guests commented on how attentive and friendly the staff were. We'll treasure those memories forever.

Emily was our main host at lunch and did a fantastic job. The food, setting and service all felt like great value, and the hotel's lovely old-fashioned charm, as if time had stood still, added a lot to the atmosphere. We had a really enjoyable visit.