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Boasting Grade 2 listing status, The Burlington Hotel is a grand and impressive hotel, ideally situated on Eastbourne’s picturesque seafront. The hotel overlooks the spectacular Carpet Gardens and Victorian pier and is within comfortable walking distance of the town’s wide variety of shops and local theatres as well as the seafront. One of our largest hotels, the Burlington has 159 bedrooms including many with spectacular sea views and the opportunity to upgrade to a Superior or Premier room. The restaurant has been recently refurbished and there is also a well appointed bar and coffee lounge serving refreshments throughout the day. Located at the base of the beautiful South Downs, Eastbourne has enough to keep the most enthusiastic visitor busy with abundant history, numerous scenic castles and lots of places of interest to see.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Bay View
Great View
Languages Spoken
English
Location
Grand Parade, Eastbourne BN21 3YN England
Burlington Hotel
3.4 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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The Burlington Hotel offers a prime seafront location that guests love, just opposite the pier and close to the town's attractions, yet reviews suggest the atmosphere is a blend of contemporary charm and areas in need of an update. While rooms are generally clean with comfortable bedding, there are noted concerns regarding the need for deeper cleaning and modernization.
The staff receives accolades for their friendliness, although service can sometimes lack consistency. Opinions on the hotel's value vary, with some travelers finding the costs reasonable and others less so.
Location
Beachfront
Atmosphere
Outdated
Rooms
Neglected
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Underwhelming
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The Burlington Hotel is a beautiful historic building. The glory of it has faded and so yes, there were a few water stains on the ceiling and new lower quality later insertions into the fabric. But for the price it was a fantastic stay. The small single had everything I needed and the bed was very comfortable. It was all very clean, but could do with a refit or at least redecoration. My curtain was hanging off the rail at one end, and there wasn't a maintenance man to fix it, but I managed fine. Dinner was a pleasant surprise. 3 courses included and great portions. Breakfast was a great full English and there was also pastries, cereal, yoghurts etc on offer. The dining room is fabulous. A real gem of the Edwardian age. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful and let me explore the ground floor. The location is ideal for tourists as it is right on the beach and opposite the pier. Parking spaces were limited, so I ended up parking on the street behind rather than in the hotel car park. However I only needed to purchase 1hr as street parking is free after 6pm, so it actually worked out cheaper.
Downsides:- Maintenance could have been better. For example the curtain being off one-end of the pole and too high for me to fix myself. There was no liquid soap left in the dispenser, which could easily have been checked by the maids. The shower hose was a little blocked from limescale, so I had to run my hand over the silicone nozzles to get full flow. A deadbolt would have been a good addition to the bedroom door for extra security, especially for solo travelers.
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:If you need a car parking space and are visiting at the weekend, it is cheaper to park on the...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Burlington Hotel Management Team, Other at Burlington Hotel
Responded 10 Feb 2025
Dear REL3003, We very much appreciate your comments regarding your stay at the Burlington. It is always a pleasure to receive positive feedback. I will share your comments with our team. I am sure that this feedback will encourage all of our staff as we strive to improve the quality of our services continuously. Please be assured we will pass your concerns regarding the Curtains hanging, soap not being replenished and the shower head not being cleaned to our maintenance/housekeeping to investigate. We’re always looking for ways to enhance our guest experience, and your feedback helps guide our improvement efforts. Thank you again for sharing your experience, and we hope your next visit will be as pleasant as the previous one
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Ok, good bits first. The staff are exceptional, very helpful, always have a smile on their faces and you can see they genuinely enjoy working at The Burlington. If they don't, they cover it up well 🤣.
I went half board. Although the breakfast was a bit sparce and not much variety compared to places like Premier Inn, non the less, it was tasty and hot, and you could go up for 2nds. The evening meal was a set menu. There was a good variety of options and the food was excellent. I found it very tasty and wholesome, and it was a decent plate size too.
Location is superb, you could literally throw a stone and it would land on the beach. Plenty of shops and places to eat within a 5 min walk.
Dog friendly, which works brilliantly for me because I love to take my little travelling buddy wherever I go.
The not so great bits......
The owner is obviously happy to let this once grand hotel fall to ruin. The saying "you can't polish a turd" comes to mind. You can't put pretty pictures up and introduce new furniture to areas of the hotel, including the rooms without actually decorating first!?
My room was in desperate need of an overhaul. No fancy pictures or new "basic" furniture is going to excuse the fact that the bathroom was still living in the 1980s with the original limescale by the looks of things.
The was wallpaper desperately trying to get away from the wall, the bed was as comfy as a z bed your Nan used to have. The carpet was looking sorry for itself, no wonder with the amount of stains on it, I'm glad I had my slippers with me!
The head house keeper really needs to up their game and make sure the cleaners are actually cleaning ( yes that includes getting rid of limescale)
To be fair to the cleaners though, if the rooms look run down, it doesn't give you much inspiration to go that extra mile.
Overall, a decent experience, but with the state of my room, it was only worth £25 to £30 a night.
I hope the owner reads these reviews, and puts more effort into this hotel. After all, it was probably extremely grand and lovely in its day, it just needs the extra love and care to bring it back to life.
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Burlington Hotel Operations Manager, Other at Burlington Hotel
Responded 31 Oct 2023
Hi, Thank you for your review as we appreciate all feedback. All reviews and comments posted are discussed during the HOD meetings and any remarks that can be remedied are actioned. We hope you will visit us again should you be in Eastbourne. Kind regards
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The Burlington Hotel is like an elderly Aunt, very tired, needs a lot of money spent on it to make it more comfortable. The ancient sash windows need replacing especially in the front of the building. We spent our last evening there sat in a mini gale. The radiator in our room didn't work so a mobile radiator was supplied The carpet in our room was very dirty. However, having decided we couldn't spend the night in such a cold room, the receptionist kindly moved us to a superior, renovated room at the rear of the building which wasn't getting the wind coming through the window. Car parking, even though we had to pay for it, was at the rear of the hotel. Breakfast was usual buffet. Staff friendly and helpful. Building needs tlc.
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Burlington Hotel Management Team, Other at Burlington Hotel
Responded 05 Jan 2025
Dear Devizegrandma, Many thanks for taking the time to leave a review. We're sorry to hear you had issues with the windows and heating during your stay, We are happy that our reception team were able to move you to a more comfortable room. We are committed to enhancing both our facilities and service quality to better meet the needs of our guests. Your feedback is incredibly helpful in guiding those efforts. Thank you once again for sharing your experience. We hope you’ll consider staying with us again so we can provide you with a more enjoyable visit. Kind regards Nicci - Reception Manager
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Couldn't ask for a better location in Eastbourne, limited car parking is available at £6.00 a night. This place really is a mixed bag, it's an old seafront hotel that whilst tired in a number of areas is clearly having huge amounts of money being spent on it through refurbishment.
In my room all of the furniture appeared brand new whilst in contrast the bathroom was something from the 70s. The mattress was rather soft but the sheets were good quality and seemed brand new. The view was as good as it gets, (in Eastbourne) and the room itself was well heated to the point where I had to open the window.
The corridors all seemed recently decorated but one or two of the stairwells haven't yet been redecorated. The lifts were something I can imagine appearing in a Harry Potter film but easier than the stairs.
The public areas were numerous and spacious with new furniture throughout, the viewing areas onto the seafront were a great place to sit with an evening beer or two. Some areas towards the rear of the hotel were tired.
The staff were smartly dressed and friendly and the drinks well priced, didn't try the food as had already made plans to eat elsewhere.
There was clearly refurb work going on although I didn't hear any noise from it I could see new carpets being taken in, what looked like windows being replaced at the back etc.
All of this said, the price I paid for the room was low and with that comes lower expectations but I left happy as although there's a lot of work needed to bring the hotel up to standard it's clearly well underway.
I shall be cheesed off though if I get the same copy/paste reply to my review from 'The Burlington Hotel Management Team' as several other reviewers have received recently. People are taking time out to pass on feedback, good and bad, the least they could do is put some effort into their replies...
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Date of stay: November 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:The carpark only has 40ish spaces for a hotel with 150+ rooms so if you want to park there you'll...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Burlington Hotel Management Team, Other at Burlington Hotel
Responded 25 Nov 2024
Hi StuckinIpswich As requested your personalised response from the Management Team at The Burlington Hotel!! Thank you for your wonderful review!! We all work towards making our guests stay with us the best possible. We are doing a lot of work to refurbish the hotel and make it more welcoming, but you can't please everyone, on this occasion, we have done something right. I will let the team know of your feedback, and we look forward to seeing you once more at the Burlington Hotel.
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Where do I start. I'm easily pleased and rarely complain unless it's real bad. I booked 3 night single room. Male receptionist was lovely on arrival. Bar staff really friendly and kind, food ok but cheap quality. First off it seems fine, cheap and cheerful. Room appeared clean. I had to wipe around the toilet, which wasn't cleaned. The bed linen was clean and bed was fine.
I slept well the 1st night, the location is great, next to beach, pier, shops, restaurants and transport.
Second night I used the toilet in the night, when I switched the light on, I saw 2 what looked like baby cockroaches run and hide. I spend the night looking with my phone torch, catching and throwing cockroaches down the toilet. I found 5 altogether, the 2 babys in the bathroom and 3 large 1s in my room. The next day I went and get bug spray and put the card out for my room to be cleaned. Came back 3 hours later and still the same. The cleaners walk around with a vacuum but you never see or hear them hoovering, and the hallways, like room never cleaned for entire stay. On closer inspection the room/carpets was filthy and dusty, and I don't think was cleaned or vacuumed for a long time, just clean towels and linen provided. The hotel is huge and it seems too much for them to manage to even a 3 star standard.
I did not book breakfast and ate out most days. 1 day I needed to take medication and asked if I can just get a coffee and a pastry or something small, I didn't want the full breakfast and wanted to ensure I wouldn't be charged for it, but was happy to pay. I felt like I asked for the world, 1 female receptionist in particular, has an off energy, rolling eyes and smiling sarcastically. She advised me to ask the restaurant as she didn't know and she didn't know what they would charge. The restaurants didn't know and said she would know, they then went back ro said receptionist in conversation while I waited and said yes for £3. I was grateful but felt embarrassed and wished I just went to a cafe. The lifts, 1 fits 1 or 2 small people, and the other maybe 4. Not practical at all for the size of the hotel, they are also dirty, to the point of not wanting to touch the handles or press buttons. This hotel really needs some TLC! I love Eastborne, but I wouldn't stay here again.
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Date of stay: August 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:On surface things seem fine, look a little closer. Behind wardrobes, in corners ect.
Bring...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Burlington Hotel Operations Manager, Other at Burlington Hotel
Responded 14 Sept 2024
Thank you for your review as we appreciate all feedback. All reviews and comments posted are discussed during the HOD meetings and any remarks that can be remedied are actioned. We hope you will visit us again, should you be in Eastbourne. Kind Regards, The Burlington Hotel Management
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I had terrible experience with this hotel. Please don't choose this for your stay. Worst stay, worst room, worst smelling in hall, in room, worst customer service. First when we came to hotel we have asked about parking, they said to park just in the back of building, they ask us number plate and we were sure that everything is fine and we just will pay for parking at check out, but after two hours we seen penalty charge on our windscreen, as it turned out that we parked in wrong place. Okay could be our fault. so, we straight paid charge and parked car where man from reception said. Next situation: rooms!!! we had two rooms first on first floor, and second on fourth floor. Dirtiest hotel rooms where we have been staying ever, carpets all with stains, windows couldn't be open, in bathroom lot of small hair, pillows smells, with stains. we asked to change at least pillows, yes, they changed. Toilet paper roll when we came to room was used (not full) and nobody gave to us new. so next situation: next morning as paper have been finished at 6am I had to go to reception from four floor to ask for toilet paper as they don't have phone to call in rooms) And one more experience: we are coming back to parking!!!!! On check out nobody asked as about paying of parking as man from reception said that he just will not charge us in stand penalty what we got in first day, is can be for us like goodies. But after nearly one month we are getting another notice of parking charge, for that place where man from reception said to us to park!!! I'm shocked!! Now I'm sad only because I'm not British and can't to describe all my whole attitude to this hotel in my own language.
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Date of stay: August 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Burlington Hotel Operations Manager, Other at Burlington Hotel
Responded 14 Sept 2024
Thank you for your review as we appreciate all feedback. All reviews and comments posted are discussed during the HOD meetings and any remarks that can be remedied are actioned. We hope you will visit us again, should you be in Eastbourne. Kind Regards, The Burlington Hotel Management
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Booked two nights through Booking.com for my wife's birthday. Only stayed the one night. Check in was fine and no problem (Note: parking is £6 per night but Blue Badge holders can park on the road for free 24/7). On first impression the room was better than expected, but as we settled in and the night went on Bl***y horrendously cold with near Arctic conditions. Unfortunately the hotel did not provide any acceptable hotel standard accommodation. The room was very cold, windows were not wind proofed, with so much draft we had to put towels in the gaps. Bedroom radiator not working/disabled? and only a small panel electric heater that was inefficient for the size of room. Bathroom heated towel rail did not work at all. The room got so cold at 1 o'clock I had to dress and go down to reception to ask for some blankets and towels to stop the window drafts. The whole ground floor had stand alone electric radiant heaters dotted about (dinning room had 4/5 heaters). Hot water was warm and not hot enough to shower. Decided to leave after first night having no shower or a decent wash. The only good thing we found was the breakfast (evening meal had hard dry roasted potatoes). Staff were very good and I feel sorry for them to put up with so many complaints. Many people complaining and at least two were leaving early at the same time as I was at reception. I expect a full refund for a totally miserable and cold stay. In the morning we see staff running around with fan heaters for the complainants! Any reviews on here that say great hotel must be delusional or live in a hovel. So glad we came in a car, as those in the Shearing coaches they must have felt trapped or suicidal.
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Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Don't book a sea view room, wind is a like gale through the window gaps.
Drive so you can go...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Burlington Hotel Operations Manager, Other at Burlington Hotel
Responded 26 Jul 2023
Hi richrich51 I am currently catching up with reviews that have been made as the hotel is now under new management and wanted to take the time to respond to all of our guests. I am sorry to hear that your time was not enjoyable however we are now in period of refurbishment and restructuring the in-house processes to ensure that all guests enjoy their stay. I am however delighted to hear that the staff impressed you and I will ensure this is mentioned to them. Once again thank you for your feedback and hopefully, we can welcome you back in the future Kind regards Reception Team Burlington Hotel
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We stayed for 2 nights in a sea view room on the 1st floor room 116 !! And what a view it was !! The building has so much character the sash windows the old staircase the squeaky floors ( they weren’t too bad) So if you’re expecting a modern hotel this is not for you!! Our room was massive, it had a bath and a shower and was spotless The room was immaculately clean and had everything we needed. I paid £75 a night and I can honestly say what a bargain !! The staff were helpful and happy at all times! The breakfast again quite a bit of choice, pastries , yoghurts , fruits the buffet cooked breakfast again always plenty of choice and always hot. If you want the ritz , go pay the prices !! I have actually stayed in a well known chain for a special birthday which was £200 a night and to be honest the Burlington was a lot better at less then half the price! It is close to the pier the town and lots of different independent shops. My parents had another room 113 and again they had no complaints whatsoever! I think some of the reviews on here do not justify how lovely this hotel is! Our room was massive, clean, had added extras (hairdryer, fan, extra pillows, iron and ironing board) The only minor thing I would say is the heating in the room one radiator that was always like warm and the pillows weren’t too puffy but that is a personal preference! Well done to all the staff at the hotel from reception, restaurant, and the people cleaning the rooms.
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nishant Barua, General Manager at Burlington Hotel
Responded 20 Dec 2022
Dear GrandTour13511241047, Thank you for your kind review and I am so glad you enjoyed your stay at Burlington. We are thrilled to be welcome guests back and hope to see you again soon! Best wishes, Nishant M. Barua General Manager
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I have just returned from a lovely 2 night stay. My room was a standard single, which was much larger than I was expecting (it would have easily fit a small double) with a reasonable sized modern bathroom that was spotlessly clean. I was informed by the friendly reception staff that the room cleaning service is 'on demand', which is exactly how it should be. The room was not centrally heated, but a small heater was supplied - when I opened the room for the first time, it was like a greenhouse, so the portable heater definitely worked! As I prefer the cold, being able to turn the heater off and open the window was a much better solution for me than any central heating would have been. The tv had a particularly good reception, and the picture on all 50+ channels was excellent. It was also remarkably easy to link up to the free wi-fi . My stay included breakfast, and I found this particularly good. A large selection of self service hot food, cereals, yoghurt, fruit salads and toasts - even the fussiest eaters couldn't complain about choice. Complementary juices, teas and coffee served by super friendly staff made this a meal to look forward to. I'm well aware of the problems that this hotel has, but my own personal experience of it was very enjoyable, and I would happily return. Do not go into a hotel which is offering budget rates, and expect 5* luxury.
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Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:Temper your expectations with the budget paid.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nishant Barua, General Manager at Burlington Hotel
Responded 13 Apr 2023
Dear Angela261, Thank you for your kind review and I am so glad you enjoyed your stay at Burlington. We are thrilled to be welcome guests back and hope to see you again soon! Best wishes, Nishant M. Barua General Manager
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Pass your way, dilapidated and dirty hotel, very dirty! Cleaning staff non-existent. The cleaning of the rooms is limited to emptying the garbage and throwing the towels on the bed. The bed is only made on arrival, the vacuum cleaner is not made for 3 days, the dirty glasses and cups are not cleaned or changed, the dust in the corners is as old as the Pension. Hair from previous customers by everything in the sdb. Cleaning not done despite the requests made at the reception every day, it is unacceptable. I wonder if the Hygiene Service exists in England- if so this Pension should close and be completely renovated. Breakfast is as horrible as anything else.
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Automatically translated
Date of stay: August 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:A éviter !
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I’m not sure. Pretty sure they had something during weekend ie music but not live
I was a bit hard on them with my rating because they were not taking cash at the bar but apparently they now are
Whether they take cash or not sy the bar the place is pretty good value and you can always drink at the pub up the road and spend ya cash
If I come back to Eastbourne again I’d stay at Burlington
Not sure about the parking but no it's buffet for continental breakfast and table service for full English or various other orders. Pretty much any combination you want. The breakfasts are delicious and plentiful and the staff are friendly and very efficient.
Hampshire, United Kingdom138 contributions101 helpful votes
Hi. There I is s road that’s just before the hotel . On the left if the sea is to your right… if sea is on your left the turning is just after the hotel on the right. Once in the road, turn right and car park is on the left clearly marked Burlington. Once you are parked, there’s a rear entrance to the hotel. Press the buzzer if the door is closed. Make your way to reception and pay for parking there £6 per night. Enjoy! Lx
There are more places to choose from in the Eastbourne area.
PRICE RANGE
R 893 - R 1,440 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
burlington hotel eastbourne
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandEast SussexEastbourne
NUMBER OF ROOMS
159
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