insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 20 - October 2016 | Page 88
GETAWAYS
UNDERSTATED BRILLIANCE AT THE
BRIGHTON HARBOUR HOTEL
As a Brightonian (by way of London, maybe, but I have a 10-year pedigree), it’s very rare I get the
chance to stay somewhere in my own city and look upon what it offers as a visitor would. And,
as a writer, I’m often loathe to use the word cool - it’s dug it’s way deep into casual slang; its
meaning now akin to ‘OK’, which has stolen a bit of its shine. By definition, ‘cool’, as an adjective,
means ‘fashionably attractive; impressive; excellent’, and the brand new Brighton Harbour Hotel
fulfils each one of these descriptions with bells on. It’s made me want to move away, just so I can
come back and stay. B Y P O L L Y H U M P H R I S
There’s always such a sense of anticipation when
something new opens in Brighton. It’s a small
city, so anything appearing on its popular ‘scene’
is spied upon during development by locals, then
usually leapt upon in a sea of excitement the
minute the doors are open. Which is where the
Brighton Harbour Hotel is cool once more: first
the restaurant, The Jetty, opened (flick to p52 to
read more about this; the food’s so good it got
its own page); then, leisurely, followed HarBAR,
the hotel’s modern, friendly bar; and now, the
hotel above – a treasure chest of 79 bedrooms,
each with a stylish interior that brilliantly belies
the buildings 19th-century exterior – is open for
us to rest our weary heads.
As embodies the relaxed signature style of the
Harbour Hotel group (there’s a few in the pack,
including Chichester), the Brighton Harbour Hotel
has been developed to relish bit by bit and is
instantly relaxing from the minute you enter the
bright reception area. The staff are welcoming and
smiley - a feature so often missed by other hotels
who appear to confuse the term ‘luxury’ with
‘uptight’; the walls are decorated with textured
wallpaper and quirky prints and paintings; and the
atmosphere is upbeat and jovial.
Don’t be fooled into assuming this equates to
lacklustre effort, however. Everything from the
entire staff (who read like a who’s who of many
of my favourite haunts in Brighton and beyond),
to the finishing touches in each bedroom, a
staggering 35 of which offer spectacular views
across Brighton’s iconic seafront, has been
expertly planned and executed. It’s a well-oiled
machine already, confident in its position as a
destination hotel that’s as suitable for couples
and families as it is for businesspeople, or
groups of friends.
The rooms are gorgeous; a lesson in how to do
luxury linen in style, and with all of the finishing
touches you’d expect from somewhere so chic.
Each is decorated in a consistent shade of either
blue, pink, or red, with contrasting splashes of
colourful artwork and fashionable geometric-print
furnishings, and beds so comfy you won't want
to leave are made up of plump duvets, Oxford
pillows and Egyptian cotton sheets; clean white
bathrooms with power showers are stocked with
White Company toiletries; and flat screen TVs
are standard. Forget free WiFi (which, of course,
is provided), they even throw in complimentary
decanters of gin and sherry in every room.
Speaking of drinks, I’m pretty sure I’ve found my
spiritual home in HarBAR. I’m always a bit wary
of the words ‘cocktail bar’. As any lover of a
quality mixed drink will testify, cheap spirits and
a bit of sickly sweet fruit juice do not a cocktail
make, and there’s a fair few unwarranted
‘cocktail bars’ in and around Brighton merely
peacocking to unruly hens. HarBAR is about as
far from that as you can get. The recent recipient
of Brighton’s ‘Best New Bar’ at the Brighton
Bartender Awards, it’s slick, but not in an ‘oh
god, I’m so underdressed’ way, and the only
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thing better than its design-led interior – think
curved stools, art deco lamps and a beautiful
marble-top bar – is its expert mixologists. I
thought I’d found ‘the one’ in the vodka-based
‘Made in Chelsea’ from the classics menu until
my wandering eye fell head over heels for the
specialist copa gin and tonics. All of them.
I haven’t even told you about the spa, but that’s
only because it was still being constructed when I
stayed. I can assure you it will be as phenomenal
as the rest of the hotel though and I know we
are to expect two floors comprising ESPAladen treatment rooms, a gym, a mood shower,
hydrotherapy pools, and a whopping 17-metre
by four-metre swimming pool. Ooh, and a
rooftop relaxation zone with an infinity pool too.
Slap bang on Brighton’s buzzing seafront, this
brand new hotel just oozes, well, cool; in every
proper sense of the word.
Brighton Harbour Hotel
64 King’s Rd
Brighton
East Sussex
BN1 1NA
01273 323221
[email protected]
www.brighton-harbour-hotel.co.uk
@BrightonHHotel
/BrightonHarbourHotel