Affectionately known as The White Palace, the hotel commands breathtaking views of the sea and the dramatic cliffs at Beachy Head.
Over the years we’ve entertained such luminaries as Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin, Sir Edward Elgar and Debussy. In fact, music plays a key role in the life of the Grand. Debussy stayed here in 1905 while he composed his world famous symphony La Mer, and for many years every Sunday night radio listeners throughout the land regularly tuned in to hear the BBC Palm Court Orchestra broadcast their live concerts from the hotel.
In 1998 Elite Hotels acquired the property and immediately set about restoring the hotel to its former glory. The attention to detail can be seen in every nook and cranny of the hotel but nowhere in more spectacular fashion than in the Great Hall. Its soaring pillars, ornate capitals, marble fireplaces, dazzling chandeliers and gilt framed portraits recall stepping back in time to a world of bygone style and elegance. Stroll down towards the elegant lounge at the end of the Great Hall, and if you wonder why the hallway is so wide, it’s because it dates back to when Victorian ladies in full evening dress could pass each other with room to spare.
Today, you are a lot more likely to share the hotel with opera buffs here for Glyndebourne, tennis fans watching the ladies warm up for Wimbledon at the Eastbourne Championships, conference delegates from home and abroad, families recapturing a little seaside magic and walkers setting out for the South Downs National Park. Not forgetting the occasional gourmet lured by the prospect of dining at our award-winning restaurant.
