Top 10: the best b&bs in Brighton
An insider's guide to the top bed and breakfasts in Brighton, including the best for cosy bedrooms, award-winning breakfasts, sea views and gardens, in locations including Kemp Town, near to Brighton pier.
Nineteen
Nineteen is a slick b&b tucked away in a small Kemp Town side street. With just seven rooms spread over a skinny Victorian townhouse, expect pared-back elegance with plenty of unexpected trimmings: internet-connected HDTVs, late check-out and complimentary weekend Bloody Marys with breakfast. White airy rooms feature high ceilings, oak floorboards, the odd splash of bathroom colour and international contemporary artwork to offset residual starkness. Even the smallest double is decently sized, and some rooms have side views onto Brighton Pier. Breakfast is brought to your room on a linen-draped tray. The spread is excellent: organic juices, Innocent smoothies, muesli from Brighton’s Local Infinity store, warm croissants and a huge bowl of fresh fruit salad.
Read the full review: Nineteen
Snooze b&b
Don’t be fooled by Snooze’s spick-and-span white-fronted exterior – inside this double Victorian townhouse is a colour-clashing throwback to the Seventies, with many bedrooms paying homage to all things groovy. Nicest of the en-suite doubles is room one, with red leather club chairs, vintage shop signs, retro mirrors galore and a funky optician’s chart made into a lamp. Room 71 – an attic suite – with its shag pile carpeting, platform bed draped with leopard skin throws, Cadbury’s brown walls and fake-fur pouffe would turn Austin Powers green with envy. A top-notch breakfast is served in the downstairs salon beneath an ironic ceiling homage to Michelangelo’s Creation. Goodies span an excellent BLT to full vegetarian or standard fry-ups.
Read the full review: Snooze b&b
No 27 Brighton
There’s something of a grand old-fashioned dolls’ house feel to the place – Chinoiserie bits and bobs mixing with willow-pattern china, original artwork, mahogany furniture and crisp linens. All the bedrooms are exquisitely decorated and named after Brighton characters – but it’s the look of each room that really gives the wow factor: sherry decanters and an amenities tray, old-fashioned brass beds, lovely bits of antique furniture and clean white walls that perfectly offset the plants and original paintings. Breakfast includes an impressive array of cooked options such as smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, grilled halloumi, delicious mushrooms with truffle oil on toast, and the usual traditional fry-up.
Read the full review: No 27 Brighton
One Broad Street
The traditional seaside terrace in which One Broad Street is housed feels very residential – in a good way. Arriving outside the property’s black railings and bay windows, and after pushing open the front door, with its large silver doorknob, you will feel immediately welcome. Furnishings in the seven rooms – all of which have double or king-sized beds – are fresh, combining white with bolts of turquoise and pink, wicker and mirrors. Richard, one of the owners, is a trained chef, and this shows in the excellent cooked-to-order breakfasts. The full works, using local bacon and sausages, fresh bread, and well-seasoned eggs, are on offer, as is porridge.
Read the full review: One Broad Street
A Room with a View
A small but luxurious Grade II-listed Georgian townhouse hideaway with a friendly heart, set next to the Palace Pier and looking out to sea. Each of the nine rooms has at least a partial sea view and all are slightly different. Try and bag the roof terrace room at the top of the house which has a balcony from which you can watch the wind whip up the waves and folk strolling along the pier. Also recommended is the sea-facing room on the first floor, which is a more appealing size and has gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows with enviable pier views. Breakfast is taken in the bright morning room. It includes a buffet of croissants and fruit, plus cooked options of either a full English that makes the most of quality local produce or smoked salmon and eggs.
Read the full review: A Room with a View
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The Claremont
The Claremont is a peaceful alternative to Brighton’s central hotels. A few paces up from Hove Lawns and seafront, this double-fronted Victorian villa has 11 spacious and characterful bedrooms and offers an award-winning breakfast (spanning eggs Benedict, eggs Florentine, vegan and gluten-free dishes, and scrambled eggs and smoked salmon). The b&b beautifully melds period details with contemporary furnishings. Paintings, prints and sculptures by local artists reflect the owners’ involvement with the Artists Open Houses events and all works are for sale. A dreamy walled garden to the rear offers an idyllic place to linger over Prosecco or a G&T on a summer’s evening.
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Fab Guest
Bold design statements and a clubby ethos (they operate a keyless lock system for front door and bedrooms, an honesty bar and oodles of thoughtful extras) make Fab Guest a perfect base for independent spirits who crave an arty, stylish place to stay. It has 14 bedrooms within a skinny five-storey Georgian townhouse. Continental breakfasts of fresh fruit juice, perfect croissants, cereals and hot drinks are served in the downstairs bar, with guests gathered on fun retro cinema seats around a long wooden table. Or, if you prefer, order a breakfast goodie bag to your room. Charlotte Street is an attractive road where smart B&Bs lead to Kemp Town’s seafront.
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The White House
This charming guest house is just 100 metres from Kemp Town’s seafront and boasts its own plant-decked patio garden alongside three rooms with sit-out balconies. Bright fresh décor mixes with a relaxed vibe here, perfect for those who prefer a quieter bolthole within easy reach of Brighton’s centre. Ranging from cleanly decorated sea-view singles, an attic suite, to four small but bright doubles, the 10 bedrooms are each individually decorated with great style. Breakfast in the courtyard garden or the chic downstairs room – the choice is yours. Listings are chalked up on a huge blackboard and range from scrummy locally sourced full English, kippers with soft poached eggs, scrambled eggs with smoked salmon to “Euro” options.
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The Cavalaire
This friendly and informal boutique b&b offers bright and cheerful rooms. Owners Garry and Derek pride themselves on going the extra mile for guests, be it champagne on arrival, canapés in-room, spa link-ups or pre-ordered flowers. Cosiness is key here, with nice touches spanning Edwardian-tiled fireplaces to patchwork bed covers. Their award-winning breakfasts are not to be missed: expect omelettes, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, excellent cafetiere coffee, veggie fry-ups and plenty of locally sourced goodies. Upper Rock Gardens is a pretty, busy street leading up from the sea towards Kemp Town and beyond.
Read the full review: The Cavalaire
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Paskins
Spread over two early 19th-century townhouses in Kemptown, this charmingly quirky and informal b&b was one of the first vegetarian-friendly hotels in the city. Though now catering for all tastes, vegetarians still favour Paskins — reassured that little has changed since its inception. You need to be a fan of Art Deco to enjoy it. Though generally small in size, many of the rooms feature Deco wallpaper, 1920s junk-shop finds and period furniture. No two rooms are alike. Breakfasts are a big part of what makes it so great. They make their own vegan sausages, veggie fritters and source organic meat, eggs and tomatoes from local farms. A help-yourself buffet precedes out-of-the-ordinary dishes like sardines or anchovies with scrambled eggs.
Read the full review: Paskins
