Hotels in Brighton

One of the hippest places in England, Brighton sits on the South Coast, about 50 miles directly south of London. Technically, it is part of Brighton and Hove, the only city in East Sussex. Visitors will revel in a hedonistic, boho atmosphere, one of the UK’s most distinctive buildings, a glittering nightlife and the country’s most accepting LGBT+ scene. This seaside resort doesn’t take itself seriously as is evidenced by the revelation that the city has the UK’s highest population of followers of the Jedi religion!

Being a very welcoming place, the city is a great host and visitors will find plenty of holiday accommodation of all sorts. Budget travellers will find that cheap hotels in Brighton are readily available.

Neighbourhoods of Brighton

Everyone will find their spiritual home here. Some of the most attractive areas for visitors are:

• The Marina: Lined by upscale apartment buildings, the wave-shaped marina has designer shopping, restaurants and entertainments. It’s also home to the Hollywood-inspired Walk of Fame of famous names associated with Brighton.
• Seven Dials: Sitting on a hill, this pretty Victorian village is known for its gourmet restaurants representing global cuisines and delicatessens.
• The Lanes and North Laine: A ramble of quaint, winding passageways filled with antique and vintage curio shops, trendy boutiques and chic cafes and coffee shops are the heart of the city.
• London Road: After regentrification, this street is now a haven of creativity and community. It also has the Duke of York, the oldest cinema in the UK.

What to see and do in Brighton

You won’t be at a loss for ways to spend your days and nights in this vibrant, happening city. Highlights include:

• The Beach: The shingle beach runs for more than 5 miles and more if you include the Hove section. There is a sandy section east of the pier at low tide. This area also has Blue Flag status. The area known as Cliff Beach is a nudist beach.
• Palace Pier: This Grade II listed structure dates to 1899 and runs out to sea for 525m. It’s a typical seaside pier with a funfair, amusement arcades and stalls selling seafood, fish and chips, rock and candy floss.
• The Royal Pavilion: Instantly recognisable by the onion domes, this fanciful architectural chinoiserie folly of a palace is one of the most grandiose and opulent buildings in the UK. It’s even more decadent inside than out.
• i360Tower: Go to the top of this 162m tall observation tower for the most breath-taking views of the Sussex coast.
• Sea Life: Unusually. Many of the exhibits here are underground but there’s plenty of fun to be had seeing and feeding the marine species. There’s also a glass bottomed boat ride over sharks.
• Brighton Museum and Art Gallery: Housed in the renovated stables of the Royal Pavilion, it has a collection of 20th century art, including Salvador Dali’s famous (Mae West) lips sofa.

What to eat in Brighton

Food is of a truly international flavour with eateries from sophisticated restaurants to gastropubs and from cosy tea rooms to stalls on the beach. There are some local foods and drinks to look out for:

• Seven Good Things of Sussex: These are seven fish and game the county is famous for. They are: Chichester lobster, Arundel mullet, Amberley trout, Rye herring, Pulborough eel, Selsey cockle and the Bourne Wheatear.
• Banoffee Pie: Despite the American sounding name, this banana, toffee and cream dessert was invented 20 miles east of the city.
• Brighton gin: The city’s own well-regarded version of this spirit is made in small batched from organic ingredients.

Typical events and festivals in Brighton

The city parties in real style and its events are as colourful and engaging as the surroundings and people.

• Brighton Festival and Fringe: the second largest fringe in the UK (after Edinburgh) happens every May
• Pride Festival: the biggest UK LBGT+ parade takes place over the first weekend of August
• Brighton Live: a week-long show case of free gigs by local bands and singers
• London to Brighton Veteran Car Rally: A parade of veteran, antique and vintage cars travel between the two cities every November

How to move around in Brighton

It’s nice to stroll along the seafront or take the number 7 bus, but it’s even better to ride the Volks Electric Railway, the oldest of its kind in the world, which has departures every 15 minutes. There are bus routes throughout the city and plenty of taxis. Brighton is well connected by motorway and railway.

The climate in Brighton

Visitors can expect both summer and winter to be cool. The average annual daily temperature is 14°C with the highest hitting 22°C in July and August and January and February being the coldest at an average of 3°C. There are frequent cloudy periods, and the wettest month is October. Spring and summer are the best times to visit.