A grand two days out in Brighton

By chansford

With a name like The Grand, Brighton's best-known hotel has some fairly lofty expectations to live up to.

Dating back to 1864, this iconic Victorian building on the city's seafront has a star-studded history. JFK and Margaret Thatcher are just two of the famous faces it has hosted, while some of the nation's favourite television shows, like Coronation Street, EastEnders and Only Fools and Horses, have been filmed there.

So I was ready to be dazzled when I arrived for a two-night stay in late October along with my wife, Sandie, and our two children under six, Bradley and Aimie.

It didn't take long to win us over. The Grand's imposing exterior is a mightily impressive sight and it soon became evident we were in the lap of luxury as we entered through the revolving doors.

A towering 123-step staircase leads to the hotel's 200-plus en suite rooms, although with ours situated on the fifth floor the lift was always the more attractive option.

The room itself – clean, modern, but retaining a traditional feel true to its 19th-century roots – offered us a fantastic view of the English Channel, either from the small balcony or through the French doors.

It was quite something to wake up after the most comfortable of night's sleep in an enormous bed, draw back the curtains and be greeted by the sight of the waves crashing onto the pebble beach below.

Fortified by a breakfast fit for royalty, served in the magnificent and aptly-named King's Restaurant, we set out to explore what Brighton had to offer. The answer is plenty. We could have stayed for a week and still run out of time.

This is a thriving and trendy city but still manages to cater for people of all ages.

As one of Brighton's focal points, The Grand is situated close to many of its fellow attractions.

Bradley and Aimie were particularly desperate to visit the Palace Pier, featuring a fun fair, arcades, rides, and fortune tellers, after I failed to convince them that the rusting remains of the old West Pier – cut off from the shore and a mere pebble's throw from the hotel – was the best I could offer them.

Rated as Britain's finest pier, this proved a sure-fire hit with them, but after spending all our tokens on the dodgems and a few too many pennies on the arcade machines, we decided to take what we had left to the city's vast and varied shopping area.

All of the big-name high-street stores are located in Churchill Square but it is The Lanes, a labyrinth of narrow roads packed with smaller gift and antique shops, together with bags of character that really stands out and is a must for any visitor.

Brighton also boasts tranquil parks, museums, art galleries and a variety of bars and restaurants but time flies when you're having fun and there was some fine wine and classic English cuisine waiting for us back at The Grand's Victorian bar.

Here, the children were made particularly welcome by the hotel staff, who were friendly and helpful throughout our stay, and we were impressed that the menu catered for the children too.

We agreed that the delicious steaks we were presented with were in keeping with the five-star surroundings and a gorgeous sticky toffee pudding each rounded off a truly memorable day.

After reluctantly checking out, we consoled ourselves by crossing the busy King's Road to the beach to collect some shells and throw a few pebbles into the sea, the unseasonably warm weather betraying the fact that we were just two days away from November.

The whole experience was a very English one and offered a reminder that while we as a population are quick to run our country down, we are incredibly lucky to be able to call it our home.

And it was perhaps best summed up by the slogan that appeared on door hangers and menus at The Grand, which simply read 'This is the Life'.

Room rates at The Grand are: standard double £170 bed and breakfast, Seaview £220 bed and breakfast and Seaview Deluxe £290 bed and breakfast. For more information visit www.grandbrighton.co.uk or call the Grand on 01273 224300. The hotel's address is 97-99 Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 2FW.