HOTEL OF THE WEEK

WHERE & WHY?

Brighton may have past associations with weekends of illicit assignation but this is an image that is long gone. This is now a vibrant modern city with fine dining, plentiful pubs and windswept seaside vistas.

Hotel du Vin, part of a small franchise chain, is a luxury establishment with a boutique state of mind. Striking in design, it’s nestled among the quaint Lanes area, slightly back from the bustle of the main promenade, making it perfect for the famed local shopping.

Each room in the hotel is named after a noted winemaker. We stayed in Beringer, a small Californian winery. Luxurious touches in our double classic room were many, from L’Occitane French bathroom products to a “drench” shower.

COVID CHECK-IN

The hotel had all the reassuring Covid protocols you would expect now, including one-way check-in system, mask wearing and ample hand-sanitising points.

ON THE MENU

Dinner was faultless, served in a buzzy Lanesside dining room, with friendly, attentive waiting staff. It was a classic French bistro menu with traditional meats but also had vegetarian and vegan options.

My ribeye steak, with Bearnaise sauce and grilled tomato (£28) was delicious but the star of the meal was a shared portion of garlic tiger prawns (£11.95).

The comprehensive wine list was fabulous, from which I sampled a rich red burgundy (£8.15).

My full English breakfast was light and tasty with locally sourced produce (£18). Continental-style “Country Table” was £14.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE

A walk along the seafront is a must, especially the broad promenade next to Hove Lawns as you head west. It offers quite a spectacle – outdoor yoga, backwards roller skating, and the once-famous seawater cure, now called wild swimming.

We visited just as indoor hospitality returned, with friendly Brightonians welcoming visitors with open arms, especially at the Lanes-located The Cricketers, the oldest pub in Brighton, where author Graham Greene (Brighton Rock) drank.

Nearby, we visited Devil’s Dyke, part of the National Trust, which has a view that painter John Constable described as the “best in the world”. He may well be right. On a clear day, you can see Box Hill on the North Downs.

WAKE-UP CALL

Room only from £130 a night. Fabulous Fridays – stay on a Friday including overnight stay, a threecourse dinner and a bottle of champagne for £149.

hotelduvin.com