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The Best Bed and Breakfasts in Brighton, England

The Kemptown area has an impressive range of restaurants and drinking dens as well as green spaces
The Kemptown area has an impressive range of restaurants and drinking dens as well as green spaces | © Chris Harris / Alamy Stock Photo

Whether you’re catching a cabaret in one of Britain’s LGBTQ hotspots or seeking a traditional holiday with Brighton rock and fairground rides, Culture Trip has your B&B needs covered.

Bed and breakfasts have an undeserved reputation for being old-fashioned – but in this, as in so many other things, Brighton defies expectations. Well aware of its status as the UK’s capital of the alternative, the city’s B&Bs have stepped up with bold prints, bohemian stylings and plentiful organic and vegan breakfast options.

A Room With a View

Bed and Breakfast, Guesthouse

Windows showing Brighton Pier and the sea in a guest room at A Room With a View
Courtesy of A Room With a View / Expedia

This Grade II-listed Georgian home in Kemptown is so close to Brighton Pier you can practically smell the candy floss from your window. Rooms are decked out in heavenly blush and tan tones to better take advantage of the natural light pouring in through the bay windows. Coffee machines, ironing facilities and binoculars also come as standard. Breakfasts include eggs benedict with tomatoes on the vine and blueberry pancakes dashed with maple syrup.

Snooze

Boutique Hotel

Modern bedroom with a traditional fireplace and 6 mirrors above it, red armchairs and an interesting system with hangers on chains at Snooze
Courtesy of Snooze / Expedia

Visitors to Snooze can select from six rooms and two suites so gloriously kitsch they make Austin Powers look conservative – expect plenty of leather, animal print and pin-up portraits. It’s a fitting tribute to its home in Kemptown, Brighton’s LGBTQ centre, where rainbow flags fly from cabaret bars and drag venues. There’s no breakfast, but they’ve arranged a text and delivery boxed breakfast service from nearby cafe Egg & Spoon.

The White House

Bed and Breakfast, Guesthouse

A bed and chair in a cosy guest room with a balcony at the White House
Courtesy of the White House / Expedia

Husband-and-wife owners Sean and Kathryn pride themselves on the details at this whitewashed Kemptown villa 12 minutes’ walk from the pier. The tea trays in each room come loaded with KitKats, biscotti and hot chocolate, while the immaculate bathrooms feature high-end Orla Kiely toiletries. Breakfasts are locally sourced and feature smoked salmon with scrambled eggs, wild mushrooms on toasted brioche and the traditional full English.

New Steine Guest House

Bed and Breakfast, Guesthouse

A bed, wardrobe and small table with chairs in a cosy guest room at New Steine
Courtesy of New Steine / Expedia

Fresh from a 2020 summer facelift, the New Steine brings a little bit of Basque Country to Brighton. Biarritz-born owner Hervé Guyat used to dress the window displays for Valentino’s Sloane Street store and now applies that knowledge to the guest house’s chic, understated rooms. Predictably, the bar carries an excellent selection of French wine and champagne; breakfast croissants come courtesy of local suppliers Real Patisserie. The Royal Pavilion and Palace Pier are both within a 15-minute walk and the surrounding Kemptown area has an impressive range of restaurants and drinking dens.

Brighton Marina House Hotel B&B

Bed and Breakfast, Guesthouse

Tables set for tea/coffee in the breakfast room at Brighton Marina House Hotel
Courtesy of Brighton Marina House Hotel / Expedia

Owners Barbara and Jon bought this four-floor Georgian town house in 2018 and have since transformed it into a homely traditional B&B. They – and the multilingual staff – are happy to assist with restaurant and bar recommendations in colourful Kemptown, where LGBTQ-friendly cabarets alternate with aromatic Indian eateries. Breakfast is prepared à la carte: choose from a full English, avocado toast or homemade granola. Queen’s Park and the beach are both within a short stroll.

Brightonwave

Bed and Breakfast, Guesthouse

A four-poster bed and brown leather armchair and bench in a green guest room at Brightonwave
Courtesy of Brightonwave / Expedia

Party people be warned: the Brightonwave has a reputation for relaxation, and aspiring clubbers arrive and are sucked into such comfortable luxury that they may never leave. Room 8, with its super-king bed, whirlpool bath and private patio, is a particularly dangerous prospect, as is the continental breakfast in bed option. If you do manage to extricate yourself from the sheets, Palace Pier is an eight-minute walk away, as are some of Kemptown’s best LGBTQ bars and clubs.

Paskins

Bed and Breakfast, Guesthouse

Leather armchairs and a couch, and a gramophone, in a retro-style sitting area at Paskins Townhouse
Courtesy of Paskins Townhouse / Expedia

Upending the status quo with decor that’s more boutique than B&B, Paskins throws out the traditional pastels and replaces them with retro collectibles, rainforest wallpaper and art nouveau prints. Its eco credentials, too, are ahead of the curve. They’ve served organic vegetarian cuisine here for the last 20 years; their take on rarebit, with Indian chutney and Chinese spices, is a highlight. And the location is excellent – moments from the sea and a 15-minute walk to Palace Pier and the Brighton Pavilion.

The Twentyone

Guesthouse

Tables and chairs in the stylish dining room at the Twentyone, with a fireplace, chandelier, candelabra and vases of flowers
Courtesy of the Twentyone / Expedia

Tucked behind the broad bay windows of a Regency-style facade is a nostalgic B&B with a taste for the traditional. Breakfasts are served in the pub-like front room and feature sausages from the Brighton Sausage Co, Tiptree jams and Teapigs teas. Owners Matt Fletcher and Andy Cole are a font of local knowledge and go the extra mile for guests, leaving Tunnock’s Teacakes in rooms and marking birthdays with chocolates and a card. This being Kemptown, you’re just a stone’s throw from the pier.

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