Brighton’s iconic seafront hotel, The Grand, celebrates 160th anniversary

Over the last 160 years, the luxury hotel, which was coined as the original ‘Palace by the Sea’, has been home to a plethora of historic and momentous occasions since it first opened its doors in 1864, including:

1864 – The Grand Brighton was the first hotel outside of London to install lifts, originally known as ‘omnibuses’, which went up to the fifth floor and were powered by large water tanks. These new lifts were a huge source of interest and garnered a great deal of attention to the hotel.

1933 – An Indian Prince, heir of one of the wealthiest areas of India, and his wife celebrated the birth of their son – the new Indian Prince – during their stay at The Grand Brighton.

1974 – Iconic pop band, ABBA, hosted their very own victory party at The Grand Brighton after winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, which was held at The Brighton Dome.

1984 – The Grand Brighton was thrown into the global spotlight following an IRA bomb attack during a Conservative Party Conference at 2:51am on 12th October 1984.

2002 – Legendary English musician, DJ and record producer, Fat Boy Slim, held his first ever Big Beach Boutique, where a quarter of a million people attended, completely filling the beach and blocking the entire seafront. Fat Boy Slim stayed at The Grand Brighton that night and continued the after-party in his suite on the first floor of the hotel.

To celebrate 160 years of timeless luxury, The Grand Brighton is offering visitors the opportunity to step back in time and learn more about the hotel’s grand historic moments through a new and exclusive photography display in collaboration with Brighton Past.

With spectacular photographs on show in the hotel’s Regent Room, the display will be open to the public from 9am to 9pm every day from July 15 until 28.

In addition, The Grand Brighton will also be launching a new, limited-edition cocktail, titled the Grandeur, to mark the milestone anniversary. Available on the menu for £14 until December 31, the delicious new cocktail is created with Absolut Blue, Cherry Marnier, Disaronno, Orgeat Syrup, Lemon Juice, Moet Champagne (Topped) and egg white, and is garnished with the beautifully designed hotel logo in foam. A portion of the price of the cocktail will be donated to The Grand’s charities.

Today, The Grand Brighton boasts 205 elegantly designed bedrooms stretching across seven floors, from spacious suites to stunning Feature Rooms with breathtaking sea views, alongside a range of luxurious on-site dining experiences, including seasonal lunch and dinner dishes at Cyan restaurant, to award-winning afternoon tea within the hotel’s famous Victoria Terrace & Lounge.