During the Tudor years, Brighton was burnt to the ground in 1514 but was soon rebuilt. Attacked again in 1545, the farmers and fishermen stood their ground and warded off the attackers. A blockhouse was erected containing large guns and cannons in the event of further attacks. The small city continued to flourish into the 17th century but experienced a decline in the fishing industry, which also meant the population decreased to around 1500 people.
In the early 1700s, storms ravaged the coastline and destroyed many of the homes as well as the cliff and the seashore. Times were tough, but the city rallied back in the late 18th century when a book was written extolling the medicinal effects of the sea water at Brighton. This brought in an influx of rich people to take healing baths. The Prince of Wales visited Brighton in 1783, bringing many of his friends. His support sparked more interest, which brought even more people to visit.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Brighton continued to grow in popularity and population. More people meant more commerce, resulting in steamship travel between northern France and Brighton. Homes, businesses, Brighton General Hospital, a library, Preston Park, Clock Tower, and an electric railway are just a few of the additions to the ever-growing city.
Today, Brighton stands as a historical reminder of times past blended with 21st-century technology, creating a memorable and exciting vacation or business destination.
Best Time to Visit Brighton, England
The best time to visit Brighton for sun, sea, sand, and festivals is during July and August. This is the busiest time of year, and rates are higher and hotels are booked, especially on weekends, when crowds descend upon the city to enjoy the attractions and scheduled events. Temperatures generally run in the low 60-degree range.
The crowds thin out during the autumn. The sun is still shining and the temperature averages around 53 degrees. The Brighton and Hove Food and Drink Festival runs throughout the month of September, so there are still visitors exploring the farmer's markets, food and drink tastings, and planned events.
The winter months of November through February bring brisk winds and temperatures in the low 40s. When the wind kicks up, it feels even colder, but crowds are fewer and rates are reasonable.
Below is a chart of the current pricing seasonality of hotels and motels in Brighton, United Kingdom:
Averate Rates by Star Rating
Below we've posted 3 graphs displaying average price patterns by star rating class in Brighton, United Kingdom. Analyze these charts to calculate the best time to make a reservation in Brighton for any future trips.
Luxury Hotels in Brighton, England
4 Star Average Prices: $142.60
A stay at Drakes means luxurious attention from the moment you enter the hotel. Each of the hotel's rooms is designed using space to the maximum. Enjoy scenic sea view rooms with floor to ceiling windows radiating brilliant sunlight, or choose a city view room to watch the interesting people passing by. Select a feature room and indulge in the opulence of a free-standing bath, then slip into a complimentary robe and slippers and relax on a plush chaise lounge with complimentary coffee and magazines. Rooms also feature free Wi-Fi, iPod docking station, and a flat-screen TV. Start the evening with a well-made cocktail at the bar then make your way to the restaurant for a sumptuous dinner.
Experience the historical ambiance of the oldest cobble-stoned alleys and walkways of The Lanes while staying at Hotel du Vin. Beautifully detailed rooms and suites await your pleasure. Experience amenities such as a roll top bath, monsoon shower, fireplace, four-poster bed, and private roof terrace, to name a few. Dining is casually elegant at the Bistro Du Vin, which features traditional French home-style cooking. Visit the Pub Du Vin for a refreshing libation in a vintage British pub atmosphere. If you prefer a quiet dining experience, book one of the private dining rooms for an inspired meal.
Affordable Hotels in Brighton, England
3 Star Average Prices: $119.13
At the Hotel Ibis Brighton City Centre, it's all about guest comfort and convenience. With stylish and modern rooms, sumptuous all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, and a restaurant and bar to please the palate, everything you need is nearby. Located seaside, you're just minutes from the Brighton Train Station, as well as the city center and Brighton's interesting “laines,” lined with cafes, creative shops, attractions, and entertainment. Relax in a contemporary standard double, standard twin, or premium double room with a sofa bed, each featuring free high-speed Internet, phone, flat-screen TV, and coffee and tea facilities to perk you up each morning.
With a stay at The New Madeira, guests are steps away from all that makes Brighton a premier destination. The hotel is located opposite the Brighton Wheel and a short walk to the Brighton Pier and The Royal Pavilion. Select from a range of room sizes, from a single room to a four-bed grand room, and enjoy amenities that include a coffee maker, flat screen TV, and complimentary Wi-Fi. Each morning a cooked-to-order breakfast will fuel your day for seaside adventures. For non-stop entertainment, music, dancing, and specialty libations, visit Bar Red Brighton and the Funky Fish Club.
Best Discounts in Brighton, England
The New Steine Hotel is an example of elegant Georgian architecture situated in the heart of Brighton. The boutique hotel is an ideal choice for leisure and business travelers, who can book direct through the hotel's website and receive a 5 percent discount. New Steine also offers special rates for group events and has a group rating of 6.4 out of 10. Choose a single, double, deluxe, or family room overlooking the square and the sea. Each has plenty of space and features a desk, en-suite bathroom, LCD flat-screen TV, luxury toiletries, and complimentary Wi-Fi. Enjoy the French flair for food at the New Steine Bistro.
Enjoy the peace and beauty of the sea at the Holiday Inn Brighton – Seafront, just a 10-minute walk from Brighton Pier and the city center. Relax in comfort in newly refurbished standard, executive, and family rooms complete with plush bedding, TV, coffee-making facilities, free Wi-Fi, and 24-hour room service. Additional amenities include mini bar, robes, slippers, and laptop safe in the executive room, and a pullout sofa in the family room. Dining and cocktails by the sea are available at your leisure. Business groups have access to meeting rooms featuring state-of-the-art equipment, refreshments, food items, and Internet access. The hotel has a 9.9 out of 10 group score and a group savings average of 18 percent.
Best Value Options in Brighton, England
Luxuriate in one of the 12 renovated themed rooms at Blanch House, which features cozy, comfortable rooms decorated in warm and welcoming colors, furnishings, and accessories. Choose a beautifully detailed room with en-suite shower and king or queen beds. Relax with the comforts of home such as soft robes, bottled water, and homemade biscuits to munch on while watching your favorite programming or tapping into complimentary Wi-Fi. After a day by the seashore, schedule and indulge in a full massage treatment by the in-house therapist using soothing aromatherapy oils. Business travelers can enjoy all the amenities of Blanch House, including meeting facilities.
The Ambassador Brighton has beautiful views of the sea from its Georgian Garden Square location. Business and leisure travelers will like the hotel's easy access to The Brighton Centre for business meetings, and Brighton Pier, Brighton Beach, bars, restaurants, and clubs, all within walking distance. The Ambassador offers single, double, and family rooms, and a private suite. Each room leaves guests with a feeling of comfort and relaxation from the plush feather and down pillows and luxury toiletries. Freeview TV, phone, and complimentary Wi-Fi are also included. Each morning, enjoy a tantalizing Sussex Breakfast, and the bar and lounge are available all day.
Things to Do in Brighton, England
For a panoramic view of the area, hop aboard the Brighton Wheel for a 12-minute ride.
Two impressive structures are The Royal Pavilion, with its impressive Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture, constructed in 1786, and Preston Manor, with its stunning Edwardian-style mansion and walled garden.
Brighton has many museums with interesting exhibits and displays. Just a few include the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, the Brighton Toy and Model Museum, which has over 10,000 exhibits, the Booth Museum of Natural History, and the Brighton Fishing Museum.
Built in 1899, the landmark Brighton Pier is the place to go for leisurely walks, casual dining, and assorted entertainment.
When your idea of a fantastic vacation or event location includes sea shelling by the seaside in a quaint city with an upbeat atmosphere and plenty of things to see, do, and explore, Brighton should be at the top of your list. With hotels conveniently located to the train station, city center, attractions, dining options, bars, nightclubs, and the fresh breezes from the sea, it is a destination where memories are made to last a lifetime.
'I feel more comfortable in a place like Brighton - a town, with one centre, one bus station, one train station. And there are so many arty, creative people, and things are less rushed, less stressed.
Gabrielle Aplin, an up and coming English singer and songwriter, expressed her love for life in a city like Brighton in the words quoted above. We can treat these emotions as representatives of thousands of other people who just adore life in Brighton to such an extent that they end up spending a lifetime of sorts in this seaport down south.
Take Graham Greene, for example. The noted English author and screen play writer spent many a summers and winters in Brighton, away from home, just to soak the healthy Brighton air to his fullest. The results were far from ordinary “ he came up with the immortal story of Pinkie the gangster in ˜Brighton Rock'.
In the same vein, Brighton has acted as an inspiration, a source of joy and charisma for many an artiste and creatively gifted people. Apart from that magical element, Brighton is a wonderful place to spend your holidays in. A part of the larger city of Brighton and Hove, Brighton is a perfectly moderated party town that knows how to rock out a night, without stooping down the rungs of decency.
The cultural and music scene has, as a result, thrived healthily in Brighton, bringing top ticket acts regularly to perform here. So, if you are planning on or at least thinking of taking the next flight to Brighton, be assured that you have a lot planned out for you already.
A little ground information about Brighton hotels will be handy in case you actually manage to materialize your plans, and that precisely is the purpose of this quick guide.
Budget Lodging in Brighton
In the 60's, Brighton established a notorious reputation for being the hippie capital of England. Days have changed since then, and Brighton houses some of the most reputed hotel establishments within its city boundaries.
However, finding cheap hotels is still not a prospect beyond redemption, here. There are over 200 budget hotels in Brighton that can fit right into the budget of tourists without causing them too much of discomfort.
Among these, the most notable is the Lanes Hotel. Established over eight decades ago, the Lanes has become a landmark of sorts and is located right by the seafront. It is also easily accessible from the airport.
Premier Inn City Centre Hotel is another landmark hotel that, in spite of its imposing building, is a really cheap hotel and provides all the basic amenities guests could hope for.
Other similar establishments include names like Legends Hotel, Kings Hotel, and Langford Hotel etc.
Brighton Bonanza “ Luxury Hotels
Being a seaside city that's known for its vibrant cultural and music scene automatically implies that Brighton is filled with a number of luxury resorts that take great pride in providing their patrons the best of the best facilities, at a hefty cost, albeit.
The Grand Brighton is perhaps the oldest in this category. Established way back in the 19th century Victorian times, this is a fine example of stately living that oozes class and sophistication. Known locally as the Grand, it offers a time-agnostic experience of lavish living to its guests.
Drakes Hotel Brighton is another luxury hotel that knows how to spoil its guests to the highest order of comfort. The Waterfront Hotel Brighton and Hotel du Vin are also great choices in this luxury segment of Brighton hotels.
Alternative Accommodation in Brighton
A large share of tourists that visit Brighton all year round is made up of day trippers from London and Kent. This means that they are not really looking for conventional hotel solutions, and something out of the ordinary is needed for their convenience.
Hence, beachside shacks and summer villas make for a perfectly independent lodging option that is both affordable and convenient.
The best part about such establishments is that they are quite lenient when it comes to check in and check out times, making it easy for tourists to not base their schedule on the hotel. This is a massive advantage that independent hotels in Brighton have over conventional ones.
Quite curiously, only about 50% of tourists coming down to visit Brighton choose flights as their primary mode of arrival. This is partly due to the fact that Brighton is quite easily reachable (a 2-hour drive) from London.
Despite that being the case, it makes sense for tourists to look for a hotel that is easily reachable from the Brighton Airport.
In this category, a number of cheap hotels can be easily included as the majority of them are newly built, and hence are located away from the expensive city centre, towards the airport.
Perfect Time to Visit Brighton
Summer is, quite obviously, the best season to visit a seafront city like Brighton. So, planning your trip around March, April and May would be quite a good idea.
The official summer tourism season in Brighton starts on the 1st of April with the internationally awaited and acclaimed Brighton and Hove Food Festival that draws over 1 million people annually. The festival is generally spaced out over two weeks and a number of culinary delights are offered to visitors who take great pleasure in ˜food shopping.
By the time Easter finally arrives, Brighton is in its brightest and fullest of glory, bathed completely in summer sun, enjoying every bit of its warmth, getting ready for enjoyment that known no bounds. Easter is a grand affair in Brighton, and it would be difficult for you to get a hotel room in Brighton on short notice around Easter. Easter is promptly followed by the biggest festival in town “ the Brighton Festival. It features traditional folk music, street dance, parades, art festivals, music events and a number of miscellaneous events that make your presence in Brighton during this period totally worth the expenses you incur.