East Sussex rolls greenly across the South Downs and the High Weald, past medieval hamlets, Norman churches towards a stunning coastline, where white cliffs contrast against warmly-coloured shingle. The hilly views beckon walkers and cyclists, and colourful Brighton promises a really good time. Londoners mini-break here, sightseeing in historic Hastings, arty Rye, genteel Eastbourne, and in charming small-village pubs-with-rooms or country house hotels on their own estates. Our recommendations for the best places to stay in East Sussex start with the Grand Hotels, and then diversify, and hopefully our shortlist has something for every holiday dream.

Some of our East Sussex collections:

• Top Spa Hotels in East Sussex
• Best Pubs with Rooms in East Sussex
• Best Hotels in The South Downs
• Most Romantic Hotels in East Sussex
• Best Pubs with Rooms in Sussex
• Best Hotels with Hot Tubs in East Sussex

Here are just some of this region’s sightseeing charms: you’ve Beachy Head, the Seven Sisters, Camber Sands and Dungeness; Great Dixter Gardens and Sissinghurst; Glyndebourne; Leeds Castle, Bodiam Castle, Pevensey Castle and Battle; The Bluebell Railway and Ashdown Forest — which is where Pooh Bear resides.

While some of East Sussex’s Victorian grandeur has worn in a little, it’s surprising how the simple pleasures of a round of crazy golf and an ice cream on the pier still run deep — both for families, and for couples. Likewise a bracing, windswept walk in the South Downs, followed by a hearty pub lunch. Or a stroll around the fascinating historic centres Rye or Battle. Our pick of the best places to stay in East Sussex will give you access to all this and much more!

The Best Places to Stay in East Sussex

For a Grand Hotel

• The Grand Hotel, Brighton is a grand and glorious Victorian hotel right on the Brighton’s seafront. Its 200-odd rooms and suites, rising up seven floors, share a grand elegance and classic hotel style. Our favourites are the rooms at the front of the hotel, with the private balconies and sea views, and, if your budget will allow, the grand suites on the top floors, with their high ceilings and spacious living areas. This is a proper old grande dame hotel, with a piano bar, and afternoon tea lounge. There’s also a very impressive ESPA spa, a gym, and two good restaurants.
• The Grand Hotel is probably Eastbourne’s most famous, also often referred to as ‘Eastbourne’s White Palace’, for its large, traditional and striking white facade, which runs parallel to the beach. All of the rooms and suites on the front of the hotel have wonderful views. There are also some excellent options for families, and some very fancy rooms too. You would expect a hotel of this size and reputation to have an impressive range of facilities, and guests won’t be disappointed: there’s an impressive spa, indoor and outdoor pools, a piano bar, great afternoon tea salon, bar and restaurant, terraces, and a children’s room. The service is excellent, and includes the option of complimentary warm milk and cookies before bedtime.

For Ocean Views

• The Port Hotel in Eastbourne is beautifully styled, with an air for minimalism which also allows for cosy touches, like Gubi Beetle chairs, linen drapes, dried flowers, and an elegant collection of lamps. And all in shades of warm wood. There are 19 rooms and suites, plus a relaxed bar and restaurant downstairs. We like the cork-tiled floors, and collection of local gins and Sussex wines. The restaurant specialises in local produce. If you can, book one of the six rooms at the front of the hotel, where there are wonderful sea views. Great value.

For a Seaside Holiday

• The Gallivant is in Camber Sands, about ten minutes' drive from Rye, and close to a long stretch of sandy bay known for its lively wind. The building has been converted from a 1960s motel, and is long and low, but the decor is completely fresh — they’ve gone for New England beach style, with ticking, stripes and white-painted floorboards. There are 18 rooms and suites, a restaurant, and plenty of space to relax.

For Historic Charms

• Originally a religious hostel built in 1345, The Star Alfriston has undergone and extensive and sympathetic refurb under the watchful eye of Olga Polizzi. As you'd expect from a property in her stable the interiors are stunning with a country chic vibe reflected in the gorgeous wallpapers and fabrics, complemented by a hefty supply of period details including ancient beams, wonky floors and huge fireplaces. The restaurant will not disappoint either. An elegant, understated country getaway.
• Rye’s most famous thoroughfare is Mermaid Street, a picturesque collection of steeply laid cobbles lined with Tudor buildings. The 13th century Mermaid Inn plays quite an important role in this street’s appeal. In fact even if you opt for a different hotel you’ll probably end up taking a photo of The Mermaid’s white and black-wood facade, and wonderfully wonky construction. If you do stay you’ll be treated to a collection of 31 rooms and suites that really do ooze history and charm, whether you opt for four-posters, stained glass, open fireplaces, or else the family-sized attic suite where Catholic priests and smugglers were hidden. The restaurant is very good, specialising in local treats like Romney Marsh Lamb and Rye Bay Cod.
• Jeake's House is just across historic Mermaid Street from The Mermaid Inn, and has a similarly quirky facade, though a younger generation. The interiors are quirky too, which isn’t for everyone, but for those who like to stay in memorable accommodation, these 11 rooms and suites will provide a theatrical backdrop to a stay in Rye. Expect four-posters and toile-du-joie, eclectic antiques and objets d’art, and dark and interesting corners. The breakfast is extremely substantial, and includes salmon, kippers, kidney, ham and all sorts of other hot wake-up food.

For Romantics

• drakes is one of Brighton’s original converted townhouse boutique hotels, with 20 fabulous rooms and suites. Some of the rooms have bay windows with incredible sea views, some have free-standing baths, some have circular beds, and some of them are just stylishly decorated and special-feeling — all have been carefully designed. On the ground floor is a 24 hour cocktail bar, and in the basement there’s the excellent Dilsk restaurant. Wonderful service everywhere.
• Gravetye Manor, near West Hoathly, is a traditional English country house hotel converted from a charmingly grand Elizabethan stone manor. Its 17 rooms and suites offer cosy country elegance, complete with country garden views, wood panelling and four-poster beds. The restaurant has a Michelin star, and the lawns, with their croquet hoops, complete with picture. Charm and romance against a backdrop of old fashioned hospitality and service.

For a rural getaway

• Saltmarsh is a cosily converted farmhouse in the heart of the 700-acre Seven Sisters Country Park. It has just six rooms, all simple and stylish, with polished wood floors and cast iron beds. The restaurant serves wholesome, homely choices in a candle-lit dining room. The perfect escape, for families, couples or groups, because you could easily book out all six rooms.
• The Flint Barns at Rathfinny Estate are a collection of rooms and suites in a converted outbuilding of the Rathfinny Estate vineyard; so you’re surrounded by vines in the foreground, and views of the South Downs behind. There are just ten rooms, all different shapes and sizes, but all featuring the exposed stone of the old building, with whitewash and contemporary details. There’s no restaurant, but they offer breakfast, and plenty of wine and charm.
• The Blue Door Barns, in Beddingham, are a collection of converted barns, made cosy and stylish with vintage finds, retro-furniture, throws and warm lighting. There are just four barns, sleeping between two and four — book The Lodge for family-sized living space too. There’s no restaurant, but you do have your own kitchens or kitchenettes, and they offer breakfast. And you’re most welcome to get a barbecue going in the pretty courtyard.

For Foodies

• The George in Rye is a chicly converted historic building in hilltop Rye, this time a 16th century offering with a cool gastropub and rather bold and colourful decor. Of the 34 rooms and suites all are unique, decorated with vintage finds and statement wallpaper — our favourites have copper bathtubs. The Haystack suites have cubbyhole beds for kids. The pub and restaurant are popular, and deservedly so.
• The Ginger Pig in Brighton is a chic restaurant-with-rooms. The stylish decor downstairs carries up to the 11 rooms and suites above: all of it has flashes of industrial cool, with a simple, polished minimalism and contemporary art in every room. We particularly appreciate the crisp, white linen, and the luxurious bathrooms.

For a Mini-Break

• Arty and stylish, the Artist Residence Brighton is a great pick for those with a taste for grown up industrial style, and contemporary art. Its 23 rooms and suites are hung with works picked up in local galleries, and decorated with vintage finds, antiques and retro treasures. The Regency Square location is close to the beach and the action, without being right on top of it, and it’s a pleasant stroll from loads of great shopping and dining opportunities. Romantic, but also cool for families — one of the suites has bunk beds. Great restaurant and cocktail bar too.
• The Ram Inn is a traditional pub, with plenty of quaint charm in the heart of the South Downs National Park. In addition to its fire-lit restaurant, it has five elegant bedrooms tucked away in the eves. You might be expecting them to be as quaint as the pub, but they’re not: beams are whitewashed or sanded back, red-brick is exposed, and the hardwood floors are all new. Perfect for walkers or cyclists.

For a Retreat

• Eastbourne’s Ocklynge Manor is a picture perfect, 18th Century Georgian house, sitting in its own mature and gloriously fragrant walled garden. It has just three guest rooms, all of them individually decorated, but in a fitting style for the building’s period. The sash windows overlook the gardens, and there’s just the right amount of chintz. Breakfasts feature homemade bread and marmalade. You’re close to the beach, a tennis club, a golf club, sailing clubs, Glyndebourne, Sissinghurst and Great Dixter. As well as Eastbourne.
• Buxted Park Hotel is a Palladian mansion turned country house hotel, close to Uckfield, Wakehurst Place and Hever Castle, and set in 300 acres of its own stunning grounds, complete with three lakes, a deer park and a walled garden. Behind the white pillars and huge windows are 44 elegant rooms and suites, classically, and grandly decorated, with a fine collection of antiques. The modern British restaurant has 2 AA Rosettes, and offers cookery classes. Popular for weddings.
• Old Whyly is a listed manor house near East Hoathly, just outside Lewes. The owner, a Paris-trained cook, gives the impression you’re friends staying in his beautiful country house, while also looking after you fully. There are just three luxurious bedrooms, plus a heated pool and tennis court. Convenient for relaxing, and visiting Glyndebourne.

For Great Value

• Rye’s The Ship Inn is an historic pub-with-rooms converted from a 16th century warehouse — probably involved with smuggling. It’s a wonderful warren of old beams, wood floor, cellars and nooks and crannies. The ten rooms upstairs are all simple and fresh, with lots of white and minimal fuss. The big surprise is the Michelin-recommended restaurant. Very child-friendly too.
• The Standard Inn is a cosy, 15th century inn in the heart of historic, hilltop Rye, with all the period features: exposed ceiling beams and brick walls, wooden floors, big open hearths. There are just five guest rooms — all with lots of character, and deep baths — and the pub and restaurant are warm and welcoming.

For B&B Accommodation

• The Rye Windmill B&B is a real, Grade II listed white smock windmill, with ten charming rooms and suites. Just two of the suites are in the white windmill tower, the rest are in the ‘skirt’, which is just as historic. The other eight rooms are tastefully decorated at the upper end of the B&B scale. The Windmill Suites are grander, with incredible views. But all guests get the same hearty breakfast, free parking, and an excellent location within a short walk of Rye’s bars and restaurants.
• Whitehouse is a small B&B above a popular bakery on Rye’s main street. Our Gurus love it for its freshness — they’ve respected their building’s original beams, but painted them all white, opened up the attic in a architecturally interesting way, and kept beautiful original features like original tiles and fireplaces.
• 27 Brighton is a stylish B&B in a great location, just five minutes from Brighton’s seafront, between Kemptown and The Lanes. There are only five rooms, all of them uniquely decorated, but all with crisp, white linen, a feature wall, and place to sit to enjoy your Nespresso machine coffee. Friendly and owner managed.
• When you book a room in a B&B called A Room with a View, you’re expecting something special, and we think the wonderful views of Brighton’s pier are pretty good! There are nine light, airy rooms, all of them decorated in neutral, creamy shades, and on the ground floor there’s a breakfast room decorated in Scandinavian style pale wood, plus a comfy lounge.

Prefer a Private Apartment or Cottage?

• If you'd prefer the privacy of a self-catering option then browse through the wide variety available online with our partner, Booking.com.

Travel Information

• Want to fly to East Sussex?

• London’s airports are probably the most convenient for visiting the East Sussex region. Gatwick Airport is the closest, however Heathrow will also be worth considering. The region is well connected to the rest of the UK by rail, and you can travel to East Sussex out of several London stations. You can also arrive via ferry in Newhaven, usually coming from Dieppe.
• If you want to hire a car we recommend you visit our online partner, Rentalcars.
• This is the UK, so expect changeable weather whatever the season. East Sussex is popular in summer, of course, but it’s also beautiful in spring and autumn — if you don’t mind a chill and a bit of a shower or two. Winter is wonderful if you like things to be ‘bracing’. Whenever you visit, the key is to have some kind of waterproof layer with you at all times, and then to just get out and enjoy!

Still not sure where to stay?

• Refine your search to just the best places to stay in Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings or Rye
• Refine your search by the kind of accommodation you’re looking for and peruse just the most romantic hotels in East Sussex, the best Pubs-with-Rooms or the best hotels for attending Glyndebourne
• Or you could contact one of our friendly Gurus for personalised advice.

Weather

Monthly Weather in East Sussex