Hotel of the Week: The Grand in Brighton

The Grand in Brighton is perhaps Britain’s most iconic seafront hotel. This great old building, which is indeed Grand, has hosted several heads of state from around the world during its long history, but it is perhaps best known as the place where the IRA tried to blow up Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1984.

My first recollection of The Grand is watching the BBC news and seeing the then trade and industry secretary Norman Tebbit being hauled from the rubble in his pyjamas after the bomb had blasted a hole through the heart of the building.

Five people were killed, although Thatcher and her husband Denis escaped unharmed. Astonishingly, the Victorian hotel was so well-built, so sturdy, that it remained standing and became a symbol of Britain’s defiance against terrorism.

I first stayed in The Grand 10 years later, in 1994, to celebrate my mother’s 50^th birthday and  the birth of her first grandchild (along the coast in Hove, actually) and my recollection is that the hotel was stuffy, the staff were unfriendly and the rooms – although enormous – were drab and depressing.  The whole place was uncomfortably at odds with the rest of Brighton, a lively city with a young, off-beat vibe.

Eighteen years later and mum has another five (and a half) grandchildren, but when I walked into the lobby of The Grand Hotel last week it was as if nothing had changed – except that the hotel, like the area of the seafront where she stands, is somewhat shabbier.

Walking up the imposing iron staircase to my bedroom, with its peeling wallpaper and fraying carpet, felt like being re-introduced to an old great aunt; outwardly you admire that she’s still alive and you’re impressed that  she’s managed to retain a whiff of grandeur, but secretly you want to say "Come on love, isn’t it time for a facelift?"

So I was relieved to hear that Devere Hotels, The Grand’s owners, are spending not a penny less than £5m renovating the 201-bedroom hotel from top to bottom, giving the property its first major overhaul since it was redone following the bombing.

Sixty of the hotel’s standard rooms, all of which are pretty large, have already been given fresh minimalist but cosy interiors and modern bathrooms. The 90 seaview rooms, including the cavernous third-floor suite I was given, will be the last to be re-done, hopefully by early summer 2013 (see below).

One of the modernised seaview rooms

On the ground floor, the hotel’s elaborate but dated restaurant is being transformed into a modern, lighter space where a new fish bar serving fresh, local catch will be the centrepiece. The restaurant, to be renamed GB1, is due to re-open on February 10.

Opposite, the hotel’s dark and slightly gloomy bar and lounge is also currently being refitted; the swirly carpet has been chucked out, to be replaced with a wooden floor, and new furniture will be installed. The conservatory, where guests like to take afternoon tea, will remain.

In the basement, the swimming pool has gone, soon to be replaced with a wellbeing spa with steam room, sauna, seven treatment rooms and four nail bars. All will be managed by Genevieve Ainsworth, who has spent the past two years at Raffles Hotel in Dubai, where she has looked after Royalty and a host of international celebrities including the exceptionally well-groomed David Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sophie Dahl plus Bruce Springsteen and many others.

By the time the refurb is completed, the hotel should be one of the most luxurious in the city. Just across the road from the beach, only a short walk from the excellent shopping in the historic Lanes and North Laine and only slightly further from the Brighton Pier, the Pavilion and the attractions of Madeira Drive, the hotel is certainly very well-located.

Even in the winter, it’s worth a visit to Brighton, if only for a spot of shopping. There’s no shortage of retail therapy in London, where I live, but, like most cities, the shopping is dominated by the big high street chains from Prada to Zara.

Brighton also has a lot of dross, but head to the historic Lanes and you’ll find they’re crammed with quirky, independent boutiques like the vintage clothes store DollyDagger, Pecksniffs perfumery where you can design your own scent, Baroque Bespoke Jewellery, Gresham Blake where Fat Boy Slim gets his clobber (apparently) and lingerie boutique She Said, where nipple tassels fly off the shelves.

On the Saturday I visited, the Lanes were crowded with a curious mixture of trendy couples, yummy mummies, ageing hippies and hen weekenders in fake veils and onesies. It might be easier to visit mid-week.

Temptation, a cosy café on Gardner Street, is a good place for a pit-stop. My salad with local sheep’s cheese was delicious. Also worth swinging by to see the Brighton Pavilion and Brighton Wheel in the window, knitted by the owner. Yup, Brighton is a bit bonkers!

For dinner, you must try Chilli Pickle, a curry house but with a difference. There’s no deep red flock wallpaper and Bollywood sound track; instead it’s all scrubbed wooden tables, bright splashes of colour and the most sublime dishes, the likes of which I’ve never heard of before. My Tamil Masala Dosa alone was worth the over-crowded 5.30pm train journey from Clapham Junction.

Of course all that shopping and eating is exhausting so go for a relaxing back and shoulder massage at The Treatment Rooms on New Road, only a short walk from The Grand.

For a spot of culture, a tour of the Asian inspired Royal Pavilion is a must. Nearby, the Brighton Museum & Art  Gallery has an interesting exhibition on the 1960s iconic fashion brand Biba, until April. For the kiddies, there’s an ice rink just outside the Pavilion, which will be open until January 20.

Brighton isn’t short of nightclubs – the latest to open is Funfair – yet Proud Cabaret Brighton, which has taken over the former Hanbury Ballroom slightly out of the centre in Kemp Town, still attracts quite a crowd, probably due to the free bus service it offers from the city.

I went along to its Saturday Boogalu Stu night, which is hard to sum up except to say there was a (possibly) transvestite singer, a strip-tease act involving hula-hoops, and a camp compere with candy floss hair who dry-humped guests while singing Happy Birthday. Like I said, it was hard to describe, but the hen-weekenders (who’d swapped their onesies for vintage frocks) were loving it.

To soak up any excess alcohol the following day, I’d suggest Sunday lunch at the Hotel du Vin, which is amazing value at £19.95 for four courses. However, I wouldn’t suggest a tour on the Wheel of Excellence on the sea-front (right next to Sea Life) to anyone with a hangover. Although it offers lovely views of Brighton and an informative but funny commentary from local resident Steve Coogan, you’re likely to be feeling a little sick by the third or fourth revolution.

By Linsey McNeill