The Old Ship Hotel, Paganini Ballroom

32-38 Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 1NR -

Up to
300 guests
Offers
catering
Internal Catering
allowed

About Venue

The 12 elegant and stylish meeting rooms are bright, airy and elegantly furnished and can accommodate up to 250 delegates theatre style and 180 for a banquet or dinner dance.

If you are searching for a quirky venue, full of character for a conference, meeting or private dinner, then the Wine Cellars are ideal. Legend has it that these eerie old caves, deep in the heart of the hotel, were once used by smugglers to hide their booty; now carefully restored they provide a wonderful, atmospheric backdrop for private parties.

Dating back in parts to 1559, The Old Ship Hotel is the oldest hotel in Brighton and stands proud on the bustling seafront in this popular British destination.
From its magnificent white façade to contemporary modern reception area, the Hotel prides itself on excellent customer service in comfortable relaxed surroundings.

The largest suite in the hotel is the spectacular Paganini Ballroom, which dates back to the 17th century, and is the oldest meeting room in Brighton.

Message In A Bottle!
The iconic 154 room Old Ship Hotel in Brighton is excited to announce a new exciting look for its outdoor terrace, which boasts a prime sea-front location.
Brighton’s most historic hotel has decked the terrace out with stunning new furniture in preparation for the summer months.
This is THE place to have a drink and watch the world go by, with singers performing live music every weekend during the summer.
Not only will it look good, it will further enhance the eco-friendly credentials of the hotel as it’s entirely made from recycled plastic bottles.
Each chair alone is made from over 500 bottles, definitely a very green “Message in a Bottle” to shout about to your clients!

Grade A listed, Paganini himself once played here in 1831, regency in style, no wall attachments, no pillars, has natural daylight. Use of the Regency Suite as a bar area which is next door.

Oldest meeting room in Brighton dating back to 17th Century. High ceiling, high impact, natural daylight, separate entrance, 3 chandeliers

Paganini Ballroom

£

POA

60% would book it again

Number of guests

Start date

End date

My dates are flexible

Capacity & Layout

Standing

up to 300

Theatre

up to 250

Boardroom

up to 60

Cabaret

up to 100

Classroom

up to 100

Pricing
& Opening Hours

Weekly schedule

monday
00:00 - 24:00
tuesday
00:00 - 24:00
wednesday
00:00 - 24:00
thursday
00:00 - 24:00
friday
00:00 - 24:00
saturday
00:00 - 24:00
sunday
00:00 - 24:00

Food & Beverage

Catering arrangements

Catering facilities

Refreshments

Alcohol

Facilities & Amenities

Stage

Disabled access

Premises parking

Overnight accommodation

Space Rules

Allowed events

Licensed for alcohol

Location

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Reviews

Beverlyn Nunneyb
July 2026
Can't recommend this hotel highly enough had a wonderful stay. Room was great. Mattress was so comfortable. Pillows were comfy. Had ceiling fan also a stand-up fan which which was greatly needed with the hot weather, the food was outstanding. So much to choose from. Cooked and continental, beautiful old building. So much character, the staff with amazing especially Sarah who took us to the cellar to find the ghosts LOL, across the road from the beach. Couldn't ask for more will 100% stay again
Sarah Carle
June 2026
Highly recommend this hotel. Everyone was friendly and welcoming throughout our stay. The staff were especially impressive when they quickly rescued a baby seagull that had become trapped in some netting outside my window. A staff member carefully returned it to its nest and back to its mum, which was lovely to see. The hotel was clean, the bed was very comfortable, and the overall experience was excellent. We would happily stay here again.
J Kirk
June 2026
I reckon I would have had a different experience had I not visited in summer. This Hotel is incredibly hot inside, we thought that the temperature would drop inside after it was cool in the evenings but nope. Repeatedly had really bad night's sleep. Couldn't even open the window to get the cooler evening air as the windows have a blocker that only let you crack them about 8cm. It feels like the owners should try and get some portable AC units so that people have some way to stay cool, as the fans just don't cut it. The breakfast was okay, nice to have a (close to) full English every morning or some croissants. The building is very old and is currently being refurbished, hopefully the new rooms will be much better when they open later this year. The shower kept randomly swapping to hot when I wanted a colder shower which was frustrating. The location of the hotel is really good, being right on the seafront, also being so close to the lanes was really good and it's only a 15 minute walk to the station. The staff are also very friendly, Lez was very helpful and informative Personally I also enjoyed the lift, I hope during the renovation they don't change it too much and keep the original fixings, maybe just a clean and some paint. I can't recommend this hotel in its current state, hopefully when the new rooms open it will be a different experience