The Grand Hotel

The Grand Hotel has dominated Brighton's seafront since 1864, its white Italianate façade facing the English Channel like a wedding cake left out on the promenade. The hotel survived the IRA bombing of 1984, which targeted the Conservative Party conference and nearly killed Margaret Thatcher — the damage was repaired, but the event is woven into the building's history. The Victorian interiors, the seafront terrace, and the sense of seaside grandeur recall an era when Brighton was London's playground. 201 rooms.