Feeling right at home in party town

Bev Fearis appreciates the extra touches on a two-night stay at a funky little Brighton guesthouse, but isn’t so enamored with the seagulls.

"I’m a big fan of Brighton – the architecture, the restaurant scene, the quirky boutiques, the vibrancy, the craziness, and of course the sea. Only two things spoil the experience – the parking and the noisy seagulls – neither of which my hosts could do anything about. However, when it came to everything else, Mark and Arif went above and beyond.

Their seven-room B&B, Nineteen, is right in the heart of the action, just off the seafront by the big wheel and the main pier. It’s a converted Victorian town house in a narrow one-way street where, after eventually working my way though the heavy traffic of central Brighton, I had to mount the kerb and switch on my hazards while I unloaded my bags. Luckily, Mark spotted me arriving and was quickly to my aid, carrying my bags up the front steps and handing me my key. Quite rightly, he advises visitors to come by train if possible, but I had no choice but to drive. Having dumped my bags, I drove along the seafront to the closest place I know where you can still park for free for more than two hours (around Hove Park if anyone’s interested), then hopped on the bus back into town. Much cheaper and easier than parking in town for the weekend.

Saying all that, if I had read the website properly I would have known that Mark and Arif can buy Parking Permits from the Council which allow guests to park in the neighbourhood for 24 hours from their arrival for £10, which is cheap by Brighton standards. They also offer a semi-valet parking service where, if there are no spaces in their street, they will jump in the car with you and guide you to the nearest spaces.

Anyway, car discarded, it was time to hit the shops in the Laines before heading back to Nineteen to check out my room. I had one of the two Superior Kings, the largest rooms, with a bath and super high-tech shower, toilet and twin washbasins, with posh toiletries (Aromatherapy Associates) and a heated towel rail.

My room, number 7, was on the top floor and from the bay sash windows, with white venetian blinds, I could just about see the pier. The room was super contemporary, with white and lime walls dotted with funky art work, a King-size bed, good full length mirror, smart HDTV (with digital Freeview), a lounge chair, a clothes rail with two fluffy bathrobes, a little fire place with two pairs of slippers (which you’re invited to take home), hair dryer, umbrella, a small fan, and a table and chairs for two by the window. On the table were two large bottles of South Downs mineral water (still and sparkling), a bowl of fresh fruit and the breakfast menu.

Breakfasts here at Nineteen, served in the room, are more than your bog standard guesthouse breakfast. You can choose from Twinings tea, Red Rooster or Kenco coffee, Innocent smoothies or organic juices, fresh fruit salad with or without bio-yoghurt toasted seeds and honey, and then a host of cereals, including Kelloggs favourites and special mueslis and porridges made by Brighton’s popular health food co-operative, including gluten free. Then, there’s toast or croissants, with semi-skimmed or soya milk, butter or soya spread. They even do a Bloody Mary for the morning after.

Brighton, of course, is a party town and Mark and Arif are used to welcoming guests who’ve come to party. The guesthouse is a short walk to Brighton’s bars, restaurants and nightclubs and on the edge of Kemp Town, known as the city’s ‘gay village’. They know the city inside and out and shared recommendations of buzzy new eateries and bars. Like many hotels and guesthouses in Brighton, they only accept two-night bookings at weekends, but for the central location the rates are very reasonable, from £126 a night for a double and £178 for the superior King, including VAT and breakfast. These were much cheaper than the rates I was being quoted for the big hotels on the seafront.

Mark and Arif have created a home-from-home feel, with an open kitchen where guests can help themselves to hot drinks and digestives from the biscuit jar. "It seems to make people feel they’re staying at a friend’s house, which is exactly the vibe we try to create at Nineteen," they say on their website. They’ve achieved just that. They’re happy to call you taxis, print boarding passes or other small documents from their office, free of charge,  and will even put balloons in your room, again for free, for celebrations – or chocolates, scattered rose petals, helium balloons, or banners, for a charge.

I came and went with my own front door key, nipping downstairs to the kitchen to make a cuppa to take up to my room, and occasionally bumping into Mark or Arif for a quick chat. Mark told me the guesthouse had an upgrade last year, with new ensuites, the Bluetooth speakers and the new HDTVs. They’d also boosted the wi-fi too, which worked well most of the time, and put in new double glazed sash windows. Sadly, even these didn’t manage to block out the squawks of the seagulls at 6am, nor the sound of the drunken couple arguing in the street half an hour later. By 7am I knew it was too late to go back to sleep, so I hauled myself out of the comfy bed and went for a jog along the seafront down to the Marina, the sun shining, no longer cursing the seagulls but remembering why I love Brighton."