Brighton: Undeniably upbeat…
Big on culture, Brighton has a huge heart and lots of love; it’s such a friendly city and everyone seems so laid back; maybe it’s the sea air, who knows, but it’s a great place to bring your guests. It’s just 30 minutes from Gatwick Airport and only an hour by train from London; the station is right in the middle of the city, so convenience all round.
One of Brighton’s hotspots is the iconic Pier, where everyone goes for a taste of good old-fashioned seaside fun, or just to stroll along and take in the bracing air; another is the long stretch of pebbly beach, of course, and the seafront where there’s a mix of hotels. Some are quite contemporary, but most are typically classic, like the Mercure Brighton Seafront Hotel and the Hilton Brighton Metropole; the sort of places that are perfect for afternoon tea, like something from the pages of an Agatha Christie book. The Royal Pavilion Gardens are a big attraction as well, a myriad of lush and tumbling flowers in the summer, the last place you’d expect to see something as exotic as a Hindu-Gothic style temple, but there it is; the Brighton Dome, originally built as a stable block by the Prince Regent, now a very impressive events venue and theatre.
The streets of Brighton are a-bustle with people browsing in the big-name stores and independent shops, or unwinding in the plethora of places to eat; there are several museums and art galleries, some elegant architecture, festivals and street theatre going on; that’s the kind of place it is, it’s so diverse, full of vim and vigour. Everyone knows that The Lanes is where all the cool dudes hang out, where all the retro chic is and the artisan places, but if you like something more on the tranquil side you should know that Brighton is home to some charming city villages, from the Regency buildings and colourful huts that line the beach at Hove, to the bucolic prettiness of Rottingdean.
What’s nice about Brighton is that you can be right in amidst the buzz if you want to, or in less than ten minutes you can be out in the glorious East Sussex countryside; just six minutes from the city centre is Brighton Racecourse and that’s set in 20 acres, so it goes to show how different it is within just a mile or so and that’s worth bearing in mind, particularly if you’re looking to provide corporate hospitality.