The Old Ship Hotel, Paganini Ballroom

Very dated but still charming. Most reasonably priced hotels in Brighton are similar so nothing to complain about really. Beds super comfy and a fan provided for the room which is great in the summer. Thanks to Daisy on reception for helping me print a document this morning too!

Staff are great, location is great. Close to the pier, lanes etc. Now, the bar area gets super busy and loud on weekends and sunny days. They put a couple of speakers outside whit a lady singing. If you get a sea view room better keep your windows closed. The hotel has charm but it’s very dated and the shower took 10 minutes to warm up. Crazy to think that to get to the left part of the hotel you need to cross the bar and good luck if you are checking in at 7pm on a Saturday. This hotel has so much potential and I hope that they do a huge refurbishment. It was probably once a 4 star hotel back in the 60s. Hardly a 2 star now.

We stayed one night at The Old Ship Hotel in Brighton, and it was a truly disappointing experience for a supposed four-star property. The 1920s lift at first seemed charming, but it soon became clear it’s more about avoiding renovation costs than authenticity. The furniture is worn out, the floors squeak, and the signposting is so poor it took us 15 minutes to find our room. The staff member who eventually helped us had a very strong odour, which was embarrassing and unpleasant, and he even stepped on our towel with his shoes when he came to fix an issue. The room itself was in poor condition. Thick dust covered the windows to the point you couldn’t see through them properly. Later, we discovered there was no hot water. When we called reception, the same staff member came back and admitted he didn’t understand how the hotel could claim four stars either, saying he’d only worked there six weeks and might leave soon. While I sympathise he’s frustrated, it was unprofessional to tell us this directly. Overall, this hotel feels run-down, poorly managed, and nowhere near four-star standard. I couldn’t wait to check out in the morning and am glad we didn’t book breakfast. Avoid if you’re looking for comfort and professionalism.