More about Lansdowne Place Hotel
Cheap Chic
by TripAdvisor Member Graywright
Visitors to this site who might be tempted to book rooms at the Lansdowne Place Hotel should think very, very carefully before doing so. Read the rest of the reviews published here and heed the advice given. True, if you are looking for something a bit different; a bit old world Regency elegance meets new world Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen chic, by all means give it a try. If you enjoy freezing cold bedrooms and freezing cold bathrooms with windows that don’t fit and let in the howling winds of an icy February weekend, by all means give it a try. If you don’t mind paying the most hideously extortionate pay-through-the-nose rack rates plus extra for breakfast, by all means give it a try.
Or, on the other hand, DON’T give it a try. I spent a weekend here recently with a group of friends and it was without doubt - how shall I say this – an eccentric set-up. Entering the lobby for the first time I felt I had arrived in an episode of the 60’s TV series, The Munsters; such was the ever-so-slightly Hammer Horror feel of the dark drapey purple and dark red velveteen (not real velvet, too expensive) interior. The reception staff were pleasant enough and we were regaled in the lift (on one of the occasions that weekend it was working) with tales from Eddie Munster of a Michelin chef having been ‘brought down’ from London. Nice. Promising. Got showed to our room. Huge, elegant, dark purple, dark red. Rattly single-glazed window. Room temperature – minus 4 degrees. Bathroom – large enough, but the window didn’t fit (the result of an amateurish paint job) and the top pane was broken, the Management having thoughtfully replaced this with a square of cardboard. Nice. Bargain. And all this at only £160 for a Saturday night’s stay not including breakfast!
Seriously, not all is bad about the Lansdowne. The bar is really very pleasant and efficiently run and the restaurant manageress was pleasant enough at breakfast time, as were the majority of the reception staff. To some this hotel would appear very, very glitzy indeed but scratch beneath the surface and it doesn’t take long to realise that it has been seriously done up on the cheap by some greedy person out to make a very fast buck who knows as much about the hospitality business as I know about brain surgery. There is a very unpleasant obsession with how to collect money from the guests – be this the ridiculous £15 a day parking charge, the extortionate additional charge for the (fairly meagre) breakfast, the 5 days notice required if you dare cancel (I had to cancel one night at short notice and was charged the full rate, even though I was staying an extra two nights) and the poor restaurant manageress who had clearly been briefed not to let any of the guests at breakfast out of her sight unless they signed their bills. This could be a fabulous place, but it needs a lot more money spending on it to bring it up to the standard it aspires to and the Management need kicking out. A word of praise, I did receive a reduction in the rate and complimentary breakfasts when complaining on checkout. I just wonder how many of the other disgruntled guests I spoke to during the weekend received some form of compensation.
If you have the kind of money needed to support a stay at the Lansdowne you should seriously consider going somewhere else. Save your money and stay at one of the many other fabulous hotels in Brighton. But if you like quirky-chic-gone-mad-on-the-cheap and have money to burn, give it a try.
Utterly, utterly dreadful
by TripAdvisor Member jo_royce
Everything about this place is utterly awful. In fact, I have absolutely nothing good to say about it and would highly recommend that anyone thinking of staying here reconsiders immediately. I booked it for a romantic weekend and moved out after one night. What was wrong?? Where to start. Completely unhelpful and uncharming staff, apparently without any form of training in basic customer service; cheap & tacky design - straight from the MFI school of interiors. A hideous mish-mash of styles and faux-glamour that's been done seriously on the cheap and left half-done in some places (or already peeling away in others); revoltingly grubby corridors/stairs and communal areas; and all the atmosphere of a retirement home. Really, really awful and SO far from being anywhere near 3* - let alone 4* as they claim - that it just beggars belief. The only way I'd ever go anywhere near here again is to watch it being bulldozed should the owners ever realise the error of their ways and knock it down.
Fawlty Towers?
by TripAdvisor Member thesunseekers
It really is tricky to get across quite how bad this hotel is. A modern day Fawlty Towers, staffed by people with absolutely no idea about customer service, it was just awful. Where to start?.....My girlfriend and I decided to give Drakes or Hotel Du Vin a miss in favour of this place as it had a spa. We arrived, dead on our feet after a long week at work and laden down with bags. Stumbling though the revolving doors we were greeted by the site of three reception staff chattting amongst themselves. They saw us struggling but left us to it. We were checked in by a bloke who had food spilt down his tie and who said our room was 'really tricky' to find. He then left us to find it ourselves of course and indeed we got lost trying to locate it. It would probably have been better had we not bothered. This hotel is a classic case of greedy owner, buys lovely building, decorates it as cheaply as possible, staffs it with inexperience, then charges ridiculous rates for the priviledge. The floor of the room was dirty, the view out of the window was of a building site (yes, really. The oldest hotel nightmare cliche in the book). The bathroom looked like it had been decorated by someone who was 1. blind 2. in a hurry. It was truely hideous. For £200 a night there was no mini-bar, a pocket sized 'flatscreen TV', no water or anything apart from the very basics you would expct from a 3 star hotel. The restaurant was like walking onto a Phoenix Nights set, strangely quiet for a Saturday night except for a table of pensioners.
The corridors have paint peeling off the walls, the ceilings seem to be suffering from neglect as well. We came down to check out in the morning (two days early) and there were buckets all over reception floor trying to catch the water pouring through the ceiling. The manager said 'it happens from time to time'. This would all have been hilarious had we been watching it on TV. Unfortunately we weren't. Do not stay at this place. Honestly, you will really regret it and there are loads of better options in Brighton.
Fantastic Boutique Hotel
by TripAdvisor Member MattSuth
Having read a couple of poor reviews on this website I was a bit reluctant to keep the booking that I had previously made for a romantic weekend away with my wife in Brighton. How glad I was not to have cancelled. The hotel is fantastic – a real find. The room was great. It was larger than I expected and very light with a bed that was one of the most comfortable I have slept in! I loved the décor in the rooms and the rest of the hotel which I felt was definitely in keeping other boutique hotels that I have stayed in.
I treated my wife to a treatment in the spa who then persuaded me to have a treatment as well in the couple’s room. This was so relaxing I even fell asleep in the relaxation room afterwards! The staff in the spa, as they were in the rest of the hotel, were extremely friendly and helpful and nothing was too much trouble for them. I would thoroughly recommend anyone staying at the hotel to try the spa. My only slight niggle with the hotel is that there wasn’t any space in the hotel car park when I arrived late on a Friday but there was plenty of on street parking around the hotel so it really wasn’t too much of a problem. Thoroughly recommend this hotel and my wife and I can’t wait to go again.
I just don't understand the good comments !
by A TripAdvisor Member
It seems to us that the owner has asked his family & friends to write some positive reviews on his hotel...
We could not find anything positive, except for the nice lounge music.
Room & Bathroom much to small. No mineral water, no paper & pencil, no minibar, floor cracky, terrible view, etc.
Fabulous experience
by A TripAdvisor Member
Wanted a short break from the stress of work with my wife. Despite previous reviews (which I find hard to believe) I had a really relaxing time.
We were greeted on arrival and shown to our room. Well decorated, spacious and comfortable.
Staff friendly and always there to help.
We had dinner in their Grill restaurant which was superb and would love to come back. Full credit to the whole hotel for a wonderful relaxing break.
Not quite hitting the mark
by TripAdvisor Member RSPDorset
While Lansdowne Place has obviously had an extensive upgrade and refurbishment, it still hasn't quite managed to deliver what it is hoping to. We stayed in the large King room which was lovely, but it's the finishing touches that make all the difference - and unfortunately these were lacking slightly. The atmosphere in the hotel was nice enough, but again, for the price you pay it doesn't feel like you're getting an exceptional service. All in all, I wouldn't say don't stay there, I just think there are probably other places in a city like Brighton where you really feel you get what you pay for.
Great Hotel stayed with 9 mates we had a fab time
by TripAdvisor Member TheKat36
We came from the Hilton and stayed at Lansdowne place for one night and we loved it, staff were really friendly, food fantastic and very fair prices. Lovely Spa although no swimming very relaxing though. Hotel very clean, apart from windows.
Don't be put off by the reviews below
by TripAdvisor Member Poodey
Having read the reviews on this site I was dreading arriving at the Lansdowne. I was very pleasantly surprised. This hotel is chic, clean, with a good bar and great restaurant in a decent location. Rooms are small but lavishly decorated (a bit Lawrence Llewyn B but fun), bathrooms immaculate. Service is ok, a bit unfriendly at time, but ok.
The spa down in the basement is a nice way to spend an hour or so on a drizzly Brighton day - even if you don't want a treatment the sauna, steam and relaxation room is worth a visit.
Considering how you can easily pay in excess of £100 a night to stay in a rather run down beachfront hotel that's seen better days, or even in a decent but souless chain, I think the Lansdowne is a good choice for a night in Brighton.
Fantasic Hotel - Will book again
by A TripAdvisor Member
we stayed here for one night on the 31st March. It was a lovely hotel just off the sea front and about a 20 minute walk into Brighton Town Cente or about £3.50 - £4.00 in a taxi.
Me and my boyfriend thought that it was a lovely hotel.
The reception staff were friendly.
We stayed in a Queen room and it was great,It had a really clean bathroom and lovely bed.
We were going to book and stay in a king size room with a sea view but i am glad we didnt as you cant really see the sea from the rooms as the hotel is not facing the sea front (that is the only bad thing about it). i have stayed in many hotels in Brighton including the Grand but have to say that i thought this one was much better.
if you are after something that is a little different from all the other hotel chains in Brighton then i suggest you give this one a try.
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