Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Port Hotel is a boutique hotel, restaurant and bar situated on Eastbourne's Royal Parade, a stone's throw from the beach. Looking for a hotel with a sea view? Six of our calming bedrooms overlook the beach and Eastbourne pier, while ten peaceful bedrooms have views towards the town and The South Downs.
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
Romantic
Boutique
Languages Spoken
English
Location
11-12 Royal Parade, Eastbourne BN22 7AR England
Port Hotel
4.5 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
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.
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
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Port Hotel has garnered much appreciation for its impeccable cleanliness and prime seafront location, which guests find ideal for summer getaways. The rooms are often lauded for their spaciousness and style, with comfortable furnishings, although access issues and noise are occasionally flagged.
While the hotel's amenities and service receive commendations, particularly for the staff's friendliness, some travelers feel the value for money falls short, citing overpriced upgrades and uneven service quality. Moreover, the hotel's atmosphere strikes many as stylish and welcoming, despite some areas being considered unremarkable.
Location
Beachfront
Atmosphere
Stylish
Rooms
Stylish
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Well-appointed
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We stayed at the port hotel last minuet to extend our holiday. We chose this hotel because it was dog friendly and we had our little pooch with us. The hotel is stylish and clean, rooms spacious and cozy, staff friendly and the breakfast was delicious and generous. The only reason for 4 stars is that the rooms are really echoy so we could hear people heading up and down the stairs, not an issue for us but our dog would bark at little noises and I was conscious we would disturb other guests. The rooms are up several flights of stairs so if you do need to take your pooch for the toilet or have lots of luggage it may be a trek for you there and back. It is also £20 extra for a dog, which we are happy to pay however we would expect at least a water bowl for furry guests for this cost. We didn’t catch his name but the guy behind the bar making cocktails was absolutely wonderful, so welcoming to us and our dog and makes a mean margarita. Thank you for having us.
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Date of stay: September 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Coffee is not included in the included breakfast.
If you have a dog you may want to ask for a...
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 Bradley Flory, Revenue Management at Port Hotel
Responded 14 Sept 2024
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay at Port Hotel and we will take onboard your feedback and make sure we do better next time to get to 5 stars.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
What a fantastic hotel. Damien and his team made us and our dog feel so welcome. This hotel is fabulous. It is extremely well decorated. All of the furnishings are well thought out and very tasteful. The location is perfect for access to great dog friendly pubs and restaurants and great access to the beach being on the seafront. There is ample parking in front of the hotel and the price is very reasonable for parking. The breakfast was delicious and very well presented. We found that there was nothing that the owners of this hotel hadn’t thought of. And then there is the view from the front and especially when the sun is shining. It’s been a long time since we’ve been to such a nice hotel. Thank you for making our stay so wonderful. We really hope to visit again.
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip 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 Bradley Flory, Revenue Management at Port Hotel
Responded 13 Feb 2024
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay at Port Hotel we are glad you had a fantastic time and look forward to welcoming you again soon!
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Lovely boutique hotel, on the beach, great views, great food, and outstanding staff.
The hotel is spotless, the rooms are lovingly fitted out and decorated, beds, fixtures and fittings, everything has been carefully selected.
The food is modern and tasty, cooked to perfection, and VFM
Damien the general manager has surrounded himself with first class staff, who are committed to good service, with a smile, and very well done
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Date of stay: December 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Sea view if possible
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 Bradley Flory, Revenue Management at Port Hotel
Responded 13 Feb 2024
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay at Port Hotel we are glad you had a fantastic time and look forward to welcoming you again soon!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
My partner booked a night at the Port Hotel for us as part of a birthday treat. Unfortunately the hotel and service were incredibly disappointing. When we arrived, it was too early to check into our room so the receptionist advised they would securely store our bags. Unfortunately, when we came back to the hotel a few hours later the bags were sitting out in the reception area which was unattended and a stones throw from the open door. They didn't even have any tags on them to say they were ours, and we felt they hadn't been secured in any way. We were asked if we wanted milk for tea, and told to take it up with us to our room along with our bags. It was about 7 flights of stairs to the room. We understood that the hotel is a converted building with no lift so steps are expected, but to be asked to carry fresh milk up which was supposed to be provided in the room, seemed a bit much, especially given our room was on the top floor adn the stairways were very narrow. When we arrived in the room, there was a USED wine glass with the remnants of red wine in it sat on the side. The room itself was tiny, and very hot with a small fan provided, but this didn't do much apart from circulate warm air. The biggest problem (apart from the lack of cleanliness) however, was the lack of a door to the bathroom. Instead there were some steps up to a platform where the toilet shower and a tiny sink was. There was absolutely no privacy. This is quite a basic requirement and we certainly wouldn't have booked a room with this so we felt it really should be flagged on booking. When we looked around to call down to reception and ask for a different room, (one that was clean and had a bathroom door) we discovered there was no phone in the room, so we had to use our mobiles. The receptionist told us that we were in the only room in the hotel that didn't have a bathroom door and usually people know this when they book, but she herself couldn't do anything so would have to call the owner. She told us to wait in the room until she called us back. 45 minutes later, she called back and said the owner couldn't do anything to help. She said there was one other room that had a bathroom door, but it was more expensive and so we'd have to pay to upgrade. When we asked if we could cancel the booking, she said she'd have to call the owner. After we hadn't heard anything for another 30 minutes, we called down to reception again. She said that she'd spoken to the owner and that since we'd stayed in the room, we now had to pay for it. As you can imagine this was incredibly frustrating. The receptionist said because it was booked through a 3rd party there was a limit to what they could do, but we felt that there were many oversights (from cleanliness, to being asked to stay in the room and then told that because we had we couldn't get a refund), that made this experience one we would recommend avoiding if you want a comfortable, pleasant stay. The hotel never acknowledged any responsibility which is a shame. We booked a smaller, what was described as a boutique hotel, and got a worse service than you would get at a Travelodge. If you are going to book, definitely check the room has a bathroom door, and if the room isn't clean go back downstairs immediately, even if it's a lot of steps!
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Date of stay: June 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Make sure you check which room you are booking and that it has a bathroom door.
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 Bradley Flory, Revenue Management at Port Hotel
Responded 30 Aug 2024
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay at Port Hotel I am sorry we fell short of your expectations on this occasion and we will work through your feedback. In terms of luggage storage we do not have an area for this but we are happy to store this in the reception area where the staff are located.
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Our initial room was in the basement (as advertised on website) but given it was a sunny weekend, it seemed a shame to be in a gloomy room with the kitchen extractor fan just outside the open window.
We chose to upgrade (at considerable cost) to a seaview room and the room on the second floor was excellent.
However, more broadly, it was regrettable that every interaction we had whilst in the hotel fell well short of what we would expect for a boutique hotel at £290 per night.
Our evening meal was missing a main course and breakfast came with two very over-cooked poached eggs, meaning we ate 2 meals separately.
The bar / reception was always full of dirty plates and toilets weren't checked. We had to ask tables to be cleaned and set up at 9.30am on a sunny morning and were made to stand around while this happens, they ran out of orange juice (the only juice offered), then waited 40mins for food only for the food to be sent back... this all falls well short of what it was reasonable to expect for the price.
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Date of stay: August 2024
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 Bradley Flory, Revenue Management at Port Hotel
Responded 13 Aug 2024
Thank you for taking the time to write a review of your stay as discussed with you via email the cost to upgrade to a sea view was discounted as you were unhappy with your room, the issues in the restaurant were dealt with by the team at the time and you were compensated.
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I booked a two night stay at this hotel in December 2023 as I was in Eastbourne for work purposes. It is one of the most expensive hotels in the area but doesn't provide anything more than any other hotel. I asked for a vegetarian breakfast and was told by the manager Damien that they only had bacon, sausages and scrambled egg. I asked if they could do vegetarian sausages or just baked beans and eggs and was told they couldn't do this and weren't willing to respect my dietary requirements when I had paid for a full breakfast. I was check-in by someone called Sev who had a very unfriendly attitude. There was only one other guest staying at the hotel at the time and I was given a room on the third floor with no lift. I asked if I could have a room nearer the ground floor, only to be told that I had to pay extra for this! Both the manager and checking in staff member were uncooperative and unreasonable, which made my staff there very stressful. Luckily, a neighbouring hotel offered me a vegetarian breakfast so I had something to eat before a long days work.
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:Look for other better alternatives that are better priced
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 Bradley Flory, Revenue Management at Port Hotel
Responded 04 Mar 2024
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay at Port Hotel, whilst we welcome constructive feedback we feel this review is inaccurate and does not reflect the service you received. You were not the only other person in the hotel and you did not ask for a room on a lower floor you insisted that we upgrade you to a sea view room which you had not paid for and did not wish to pay for the upgrade to. We have a continental breakfast which contains many vegetarian options all of which you declined and insisted our staff go out and buy you fish for your breakfast. As you were unhappy we refunded you the breakfast part of your booking without any issues. Your behaviour and attitude towards our staff can only be described as rude and aggressive and we do not tolerate this behaviour towards our staff.
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From the moment we arrived we knew it would be perfect. Complimentary drinks on arrival, paid for on street parking too. On the hottest weekend of the year, it was always going to be hard to stay cool in our rooms but they provided fans within the rooms and as many bottles of ice cold water that we needed. Rooms had safes, fridges and the best shower facilities ever, rainfall shower and a shower door that didn’t leak over the floor when opened!!! The hotel has been completely refurbished and all decor is in line with the ‘port’ theme, cog wheels for taps, hanging light bulbs from the ceiling, no wardrobes, but hanging clothes rails. All were perfectly aligned with the theme. We love the quirkiness of this. Everything was immaculate. I don’t think I’d stay anywhere else in Eastbourne.
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Parking on street but the hotel pay for this on arrival.
Park outside, then Check into the hotel...
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 Bradley Flory, Revenue Management at Port Hotel
Responded 13 Feb 2024
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay at Port Hotel we are glad you had a fantastic time and look forward to welcoming you again soon!
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Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lovely sea view. Great food. Nicely appointed rooms - we had front sea facing rooms and they were spacious and nicely designed. Wonderful staff - could not be helpful. Value for money would be improved by including more plates within the set breakfast .
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Travelled with friends
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 Bradley Flory, Revenue Management at Port Hotel
Responded 01 Sept 2024
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay at Port Hotel and we are pleased you had a lovely stay and we hope to welcome you back soon.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
My daughter, baby Grand daughter and myself, planned a short girl break, recently and decided after reading the recent review in Elle Decoration magazine, that this may be the place for us and Port Hotel did not disappoint!
We arrived early after a long drive, we were made welcome and given a ticket for our car, even though our check in time was at 3pm and we were ahead of that by a whole morning. The breakfasts were delicious every day, with a barista made coffee included. Our specialist coffee is very important to us and we were very happy to have such great coffee too.
The location directly on the seafront was exactly what we were looking for and the hotel's stylish exterior, made it an easy to spot landmark. Our room was on the top floor and easily large enough for the baby cot. Our view was out over the roof tops towards the South Downs and it was very peaceful. I would choose a sea view potentially next time, but it was fine. The room itself was everything you would expect from a premium establishment, loved the colour scheme and styling.
There are a good selection of independent restaurants to choose from, but booking in advance is a must, and Peter the owner is on hand to tell you about things to see and do.
So now for the main question, would we return? It is a yes from us, the team could not do enough for us and the friendliness with our little one (well behaved!!) in our group, meant the world to us. We were able to relax and enjoy the time we had together on the first of many Mum, Daughter and Grand daughter holidays away! Of course we will bring the menfolk on occasion too!
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Date of stay: August 2021
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:speak to Peter the owner directly with any questions you may have or special requirements.
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 Bradley Flory, Revenue Management at Port Hotel
Responded 14 Feb 2024
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay at Port Hotel we are glad you had a fantastic time and look forward to welcoming you again soon!
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Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stunning setting, gorgeous decor and very warm and friendly staff. We cannot wait to come back!! While you're there, recommend the Towner gallery and the beachy head walk to see the white cliffs. Get there via a convenient open top bus that you can hop on and off for only ten pounds. A perfect romantic weekend away and so easy from London.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip 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 Bradley Flory, Revenue Management at Port Hotel
Responded 13 Feb 2024
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay at Port Hotel we are glad you had a fantastic time and look forward to welcoming you again soon!
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
There are more places to choose from in the Eastbourne area.
PRICE RANGE
R 2,041 - R 2,770 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandEast SussexEastbourne
NUMBER OF ROOMS
19
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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