Hotel Alias Seattle
Brighton
by Sarah Shuckburgh
If you're arriving in Brighton in a small boat, a night at
the quayside Alias Seattle could be a comfortable treat. And
you might agree with Queen Victoria that Brighton is "far
too crowded" and opt for the marina - a mile out of town -
for its tranquillity. However, staying out here has its
drawbacks. Coming by car, you plunge through bleak concrete
underpasses into a no-man's-land of leisure complex, Asda
and carpark. Although parts of the marina development are
now 25 years old, the area retains a desolate air,
especially out of season.
The two entrances to the Alias Seattle are small and hard to
find. Near a drop-off point at sea level lurks a modest
lobby and a lift up to reception. Parking your car involves
a drive up to the 6th floor of the multi-storey carpark -
quite eery at night - and a walk along the Seattle-like
wooden boardwalk.
At the reception desk, the immaculately dressed waiter turns
out to be a mannequin. While we waited for a real-life
member of staff to appear, we watched goings-on in other
parts of the hotel on five TV monitors. Eventually, someone
came to check us in, but we were left to find our own way to
our room. In accordance with Alias Hotels policy, the staff
are very laid back, in their regulation jeans and tee
shirts, regardless of age.
Bedrooms are 'sea-facing' (overlooking rows of small boats,
and, beyond the harbour wall, a strip of English Channel),
or - euphemistically - 'cliff-facing', with views of the
marina's houses, shops, ramps and carparks, backed by a
chalky cliff topped by 1930s villas, and, to the east,
Roedean School. The standard double rooms are very small. We
had a spacious 'king room', but its only window was a narrow
glass door in a corner, right against a shelving unit. Make
sure you book a 'large king room', which comes with a
picture window and its own balcony.
Some of the fittings in our bedroom were luxurious - woollen
blankets, soft bathrobes, a retro Roberts radio, DVD and CD
player, and an odd wicker standard lamp which cast a gentle,
speckled light. However, the bathroom was scantily stocked,
with one tiny shampoo, one tiny shower gel, and (for two
basins, a bath and shower) one tiny bar of soap. The
showerhead looked impressive, but wasn't adjustable (and
there were no showercaps) so it was impossible to avoid
getting one's hair wet. For a hotel which opened as recently
as Feb 2003, there were some odd design flaws - the only
hanging rail was immediately above the kettle, so our
clothes were steamed when we made a cup of tea.
The furnishings in the public rooms are an interestingly
eclectic mix of 1950s and 1960s period pieces, and items
from around the world, collected by the hotel's owners. The
Alias Seattle has a nautical theme, and the large saloon has
antique pond yachts dividing groups of vintage sofas and
chairs. Outside is a deck which feels like the prow of a
ship. Worth searching for upstairs, past lights shaped like
small portholes, is a more intimate bar, decorated with
Beatles photographs (and visited recently by Paul McCartney,
who has a house nearby).
The Cafe Paradiso is a warehouse-sized restaurant, with a
wall of glass overlooking boats bobbing in the marina. It is
heated by a combination of sunshine, underfloor heating and
by the fire under the whitewashed dome of a Neapolitan pizza
oven. Whenever the restaurant gets too hot, sea air is
sucked ingeniously through massive ventilation tubes, and
blows out through a series of wooden beehives, refreshing
the legs of nearby diners. The Cafe Paradiso is popular
locally for its fish, which is bought daily from boats
docking at the marina. At breakfast, the fruit, yogurt,
croissants and summer pudding were delicious, but our cooked
orders were disappointing - a bright orange, limp segment of
kipper (without the curling head and tail which we hoped
for), and some pallid, watery scrambled eggs.
First published by Travel Intelligence Ltd
©SarahShuckburgh |
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Hotel Nineteen
Brighton
by Sarah Shuckburgh
This is a small hotel with a difference. There is no lobby
or foyer, no lounge, no communal sitting rooms, and no hotel
sign. Nineteen is a terraced house in a quiet side street in
Brighton's lively Kemptown area, minutes from the sea front,
the pier, the Pavilion and the Laines. The house has 8
bedrooms, two on each of its four floors, and a small
basement kitchen for making tea, coffee or snacks. Guests
are given door keys and can come and go as they please. At
night, they are left unattended, as Kirsten, the friendly
manager, lives elsewhere. Staying here feels a bit like
staying in a friend's house, without having to talk to the
friend.
Between 9 and 11 in the morning, Kirsten reappears in the
little kitchen to prepare continental breakfasts, which she
brings to your room on an elegantly slatted wooden tray. At
weekends, breakfast includes a "Nineteen Bellini - white
peach puree, squeeze of lime, topped up with fizz", or
champagne or a spicy Bloody Mary. If guests feel like a
drink at other times, there is an honesty bar on the stairs,
beneath a portrait of David Beckham.
The bedrooms vary in size, but the decor throughout is sleek
and chic, with white walls, black venetian blinds,
IKEA-style pine wardrobes, and clever use of mirrors. The
beds are comfortable, the towels are plentiful, and all
rooms have a CD player, and TV with DVD or video player (but
no telephone line). The furnishing is sparse - my room had
no chairs, just a bed. Only a couple of rooms have
bathrooms; the rest have showers, but all are stocked with
Molton Brown products. One room features an illuminated
mosaic of Madonna, and some beds have glass sides and
bedheads, through which blue lights glow. At night, the
otherwise anonymous facade of the hotel is eerily bathed in
a similar blue light.
Groups of friends sometimes block-book the hotel for weekend
breaks. There is an in-house pampering service, which can
arrange for a masseuse, beautician, hairdresser or yoga
teacher to come to your room. The most expensive bedroom, at
the back of the house at basement level, opens on to a
minute but leafy courtyard and an outdoor jacuzzi with
coloured underwater lights. The courtyard has a heater, and
the hot tub can be used in any weather, even in the rain.
Hotel Nineteen
19 Broad Street
Brighton BN2 1TJ
First published by Travel Intelligence Ltd
©SarahShuckburgh |
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Hotel Pelirocco
Brighton
by Sarah Shuckburgh
“Tacky glamour and pop culture for
the young at heart.”
The Pelirocco is a rock-n-roll crash pad for rude boys and
old rockers, pin heads and surfers, new mods and fly girls -
the fashion and music backgrounds of its two owners are
evident throughout. A few yards from Brighton’s collapsed
West Pier, this eccentric hotel is brilliantly situated for
clubs, bars, restaurants, shops and the beach.
First Impressions:
Pelirocco’s elegant Regency exterior, overlooking a grassy
square on Brighton’s seafront, is in complete contrast to
the riot of kitsch and colour within. The mad décor of the
bar and bedrooms - partly the result of corporate
sponsorship - is inspired by 1950s pin-ups, maverick
artists, musicians, and other media icons. The clientele
includes visiting Djs, members of bands, models, media folk,
and trendy thirty-something couples rekindling romances in
festooned boudoirs. The management is informal and friendly
- when you ring the door bell a tousled head appears at a
hatch in the dark purple hallway and buzzes you in. The bar,
sponsored by Play Station and decorated with its logos,
stays open till 1am on weekdays, and 4am at weekends. When
we looked in, cheerful shaven-headed guests were knocking
back cult cocktails in a cloud of cigarette smoke.
Rooms:
Before you book, check out the nineteen bedrooms on the
website to find the one for you. The most splendid and most
saucy is the Bubble Suite, with 8-foot circular bed,
mirrored canopy, 42” plasma screen, giant plunge bath and
his’n’hers monsoon showers. I slept in the Pin Up Parlour, a
triumph of bad taste dedicated to blonde bombshell Diana
Dors, full of fake fur, frills, feathers and flounces, with
wallpaper in glittery gold stripes. I also liked the
Mohammed Ali - a tiny single room painted to look like a
boxing ring, with the champion’s poetic ramblings scrawled
in white on the black walls. Some of the bathrooms are very
cramped, and a lot of the fixtures and fittings are flimsy
or wobbly - but the effect is theatrical and whacky.
Come for:
1. a laugh - the camp décor will lift even the most
world-weary guest’s morale.
2. Romance - there is no room service in the usual sense,
but guests can order a discreet delivery of “Something for
the Weekend” sex games and toys.
3. Virtual games: every room has a play station console and
wireless network. Choose games from the bar.
4. Cocktails till 4am: try the Reggae Sunsplash or the Dirty
F****** Rotter.
Not suitable for:
serious men in suits and middle-aged matrons;
anyone who is bothered by slipshod decorating and cardboard
doors;
people with a sense of humour failure.
“Eating in, eating out”
Cooked breakfast is served at shocking-pink tables in the
bar. For other meals, the centre of Brighton has endless
restaurants, a short walk away.
Hotel Pelirocco
10 Regency Square
Brighton BN1 2FG
Tel: 01273 327055
Fax: 01273 733845
Web:
www.hotelpelirocco.co.uk
Email:
info@hotelpelirocco.co.uk
Rooms: 19
Prices: doubles from £90-£260, singles from £50, including
breakfast and VAT
First published by Travel Intelligence Ltd
©SarahShuckburgh |
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