This is the signature seaside property in the southern city of England. I am referring to Brighton. Just on the side of the English Channel! I have been wanting to visit Brighton for a long time. I have seen it in shows and movies multiple times but never had the chance to visit in person. It is just a short distance away from London. I figure it would be nice to stop by and also visit the Cliffs of Dover nearby which is another bucket list of mine. This property comes with plenty of history since 1890. They even have a lounge previously. The property is in the city’s heart, overlooking the Brighton seafront and within walking distance to almost everywhere. I love the classic decor of the place.
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
I booked directly with Hilton and got the base-level room. I will be staying here for 2 nights. After spending the last couple of days in the heart of England, I am off down south. I will be here while checking out Brighton and the Cliffs of Dover. I emailed in to get some information on the property and the parking. I also informed the hotel of my preferences. A couple of days out, I can see from the app that I have been upgraded to the best available room, the Seaview Deluxe Room with Balcony and Sofa Bed. That is an awesome one. This would have cost around 270 Pounds a night during my stay. The hotel has its own garage. Parking costs 27 pounds a night. That is really pricey. They do not have any discount or free parking for Diamond members either. I feel that this is on the high side and stingy of the hotel. Free parking should be extended for hotel guests. DoubleTree by Hilton Brighton Metropole comes with 321 guest rooms and suites spread across 11 categories. You can check out the breakdown below.
| Rooms | Bathtub | Room Size |
|---|---|---|
| Single | No | 18 Sqm |
| Guest | No | 24 Sqm |
| Superior with Sofa Bed | No | 38 Sqm |
| Superior with Sea View | No | 24 Sqm |
| Superior with Sea View and Balcony | No | 31 Sqm |
| Superior with Sea View and Sofa Bed | No | 36 Sqm |
| Superior with Sea View, Balcony and Sofa Bed | No | 43 Sqm |
| Family Connecting Room | No | 48 Sqm |
| One Bedroom Suite with Seaview | Yes | 55 Sqm |
| One Bedroom Suite with Seaview and Balcony | Yes | 72 Sqm |
| Topland Suite with Seaview and Balcony | Yes | 164 Sqm |
Checking In
I drove down from Swindon and visited the Seven Sisters before heading to Brighton for the night. I got in at around 6pm. I parked my car and went directly to the hotel lobby. It was directly linked via a side door. It is quite a walk but fully connected. If you fancy, just drop off your bags first. Parking costs 27 pounds with in and out privileges. It can be charged to your room.
I was immediately helped with checking in and thanked for being a Diamond member. It was very polished and fast. I was also offered the signature cookies and given the complimentary water. They do like canned water over here. It is kind of weird that they are giving this out at check-in rather than just placing it in the room. They are only offered once per stay. I was provided with all the information for my stay. Complimentary drinks vouchers were also provided for diamond members where you can use them at the bar.
Superior Seaview Room with Balcony and Sofa Bed
This is one of the higher-category rooms over here and it is just below the suite. I was assigned a room on the second floor, this is technically the third floor. I got room 212 to be exact. It is just a short walk away from the elevators. The lift area is really cute and spacious. I love how spacious it is and the high ceilings. The room is in a rectangular layout and configuration. The traditional layout makes the place very open and spacious which allows for great use of space. This could be a junior suite of some sort. The entrance lets you out in the corner of the room. It can be connected to the room next door. A luggage rack is left here in the corner. Additional portable racks can be requested from the staff. Straight ahead along the wall, you can find the working desk and mini bar set up which comes with a kettle, packaged tea and coffee. There isn’t a fridge or a proper coffee machine in the room. Canned water is found here too. The chair offers great back support for short periods of work. Power outlets are within reach and the wifi connections also work very well. This is a good spot if you need to get some work done. The wifi connection works well.
Mounted on the wall above is a large high-quality smart TV that comes with a good number of both local and international cable TV channels. It is comfortable when viewed from both the bed and the seating area.
Right next to it is the wardrobe comes with everything that you might require for the stay. There are plenty of hangers, bathrobes, bath slippers, a safe and plenty of storage space.
At the side of the room, you can also find another sitting area with a couch that is good enough for two along the coffee table. It is always nice to have a separate sitting area even when you are only in a room. This will be great for lounging or watching the TV.
On the other side of the room, there is another coffee table as well as two chairs in the middle of both windows. Left on the table is a welcome amenity consisting of some local alcoholic drinks, chocolates and a personalised welcome note from the hotel GM. This is such a nice touch.
Now let me come to the view of the room which is definitely one of the highlights of the room. It directly faces the Brighton Beach and the ocean. This is as good as you can get. This isn’t the best season for Brighton and the beach. The weather was pretty trashy when we were there.
You can get quite a charming French balcony or terrace here too. You can go out for some fresh air or open up the room to it. I felt like it could be better decorated and perhaps in need of a makeover. It feels rather run down and desolate right now. The balcony is also in full view from the street and the room next door.
Coming back to the bed, I opted for a king bedroom which comes with a Hollywood king which they are made up of two adjoining twins. That is slightly less desirable than a proper king bed. The bedding is top-notch and towards the firmer side which I prefer. I love it. By the side of the beds, you can find lighting controls and power outlets. They even had USB ports here too.
Coming to the bathroom which is another of my favourite areas. I am glad to see that it doesn’t come with those pesky shower tub combos. The bathroom is spacious and nicely decorated with a single sink as well as a standing shower with a half-glass privacy screen. This keeps the water from getting all over the place. Toiletries and amenities are provided and as per usual they are from Crabtree and Evelyn in large pump-size bottles.
The standing shower space is spacious and comes with a handheld shower head that can be mounted and brought down. The water pressure and temperature control is excellent and I had a great shower. This is something so crucial in hotels and I am glad that they did not fail in this aspect.
I would also like to commend how great the ventilation in the room was. They had very good air-conditioning and we could sleep well. This is often very tricky during the cooler season when hotels switch to central cooling and only allow guests to control the heating.
Swimming Pool
The Health Club & Swimming pool are located on the lower ground floor of the hotel. The Pool, Sauna & Steam Room are open from Monday to Saturday 6am to 10pm. This is open from 7am to 9pm on Sundays and bank holidays. Towels are not provided and you are asked to bring the ones from your room.
It is very popular, especially during this season when the weather is too chilly to swim in the open waters. It is heated here which is more suitable. There is also a jacuzzi area. The pool is more of one for exercising rather than relaxing. It felt way too crowded to be comfortable. There is also a sauna here too.
Fitness Centre
The gym is open 24 hours daily. This is also located in the basement. The round-the-clock hours allow you to get a workout anytime you want. It comes with the usual equipment. The place is clean and well-maintained.
Metropole Bar
The Metropole Bar is open from 10am till late for food and drinks. It is located on the ground floor, just by the side of the reception. Diamond members get two drinks per stay. The certificate is valid for one complimentary drink. Drinks included are the choice of a house spirit and mixer, a pint of beer/ale, 175ml glass of house wine or a soft drink. They have a wide range of ciders and beers. I love the Halloween decor.
Somehow I went for a Coke! I have been craving one and I was having a very bad case of food poisoning and couldn’t take any alcohol. We also got a very nice cider.
Breakfast at 1890 At The Met
Breakfast is served from 6.30am to 10.15am on weekdays and from 7am to 10.45am on weekends. What a weird timing to end the service. It also feels a little early for a seaside hotel. If it is not included in your rate or elite status, breakfast will cost £22.50 per person. If booked a day in advance you will receive a £4 discount per person. I went down for breakfast at 9.20am and it was crowded. We had to wait in line for some time before being shown to a table.
The restaurant is not huge but very nice with classic high ceilings. I love the chandelier and the seafront view. Breakfast was a simple affair. It is nothing too fancy. Everything is self-served and buffet-style. I will let the pictures do the rest of the speaking.
It gets the work done and I appreciate having it included as part of my elite benefits. This allows me to save some costs while on my travels.
Conclusion
This is a very nice DoubleTree, it is one of the better ones. I love the history and the hardware of the hotel. The rooms are lovely! Special mention goes to the bathroom which was thoughtfully designed. This felt so strongly after having shower and tub combos for the past few days. I did wish that they could improve slightly on the breakfast and parking costs. The location is on point too to explore the city. You are right in the heart of everything. It is my go-to hotel to stay over here in Brighton.
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