Name: Cavendish Hotel
Address: Grand Parade, Eastbourne City Centre, Eastbourne Seafront, Eastbourne, England, United Kingdom, Eastbourne Seafront, East Sussex, GB
Price range: US$49–US$96 per night
Rating: 6.73

What guests think

At Cavendish Hotel, travelers praise the seafront location and frequent sea‑view rooms, and many highlight friendly, accommodating staff, but reviews consistently note dated décor, maintenance issues, and very warm rooms without air conditioning or reliable in‑room Wi‑Fi.

Many rooms are spacious, but comfort varies with some uncomfortable mattresses and occasional noise. Housekeeping during stays is limited or on request, and cleanliness standards range from spotless to dusty or grubby areas. Breakfast and dinner are hit-and-miss with restricted hours at times, while paid parking is available and lifts can be unreliable. Best for value seekers who can accept dated facilities.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Onsite parking is available for a fee, but the main lift frequently breaks and bar/restaurant hours can be limited. WiFi is often chargeable and not reliably available in rooms; there is no air conditioning.

Related guest reviews

4

Lucy

19 Jul 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Was not obvious on site that 1) Car parking is an extra charge. 2) Breakfast if ordered on the day costs £2.50 more than ordering in advance.

8

Eva

9 Oct 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Very good location close to the sea and the town centre. A large restaurant and a bar available. Reasonable price of a buffet dinner. Friendly and accomodating staff. However, the lift was not working, so had to use staff lift. Also the room was hot but the window would not open. Lastly the bathroom door would not close. Overall good stay but need more attention to detail.

8

Alexander

7 Feb 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Good stay. Beautiful classic interior and rooms / hallways etc. Really only one problem, it states 'free wifi' however your not allowed this in your room. You must pay £7 a day for wifi in 2024... Apart from that it was a lovely stay, in a lovely place!

4

Kevin

31 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The staff were very nice, but the hotel room was so difficult to stay in because of the heat... There wasn't any AC and they only supplied one small fan. I managed to acquire another from the lobby, but still the room was absolutely baking hot. I was thinking about sleeping outside on the sea front at one pojnt. Also, the breakfast was not worth the money unfortunately... Fruit juices were all concentrated, only tinned fruit available, except for a few slices of watermelon... basically, you got the idea that every corner was cut with regards to quality, which is a shame as the hotel os a classic and has potential... They did have paid parking though, which was £8 per day, which is cheaper than the street. I would have been ok with all of that though, if it wasn't for the insane heat of the room. The outside was actually very cool, but the inside was soo hot.

4

Jenny

27 Jun 2023

·

Stayed 4 nights

Property was very tired and in need of TLC, no fridge, no iron, no housekeeping, bar did not open until 6pm not as advertised, this is definitely not a 4* hotel, although it is advertised as one. No room service although advertised as having this service available. Sink in bathroom cracked very badly, asked for a fridge and was told not every room has one and they couldn’t do anything about it. I would definitely not go back there, Shame as it is a beautiful old hotel and could be amazing with some TLC and restoration to bedrooms

4

simon

18 Dec 2022

·

Stayed 19,343 nights

Okay, this is a cheap hotel but our hotel room looked very tired, with a worn and badly stained carpet, inoperative telephone and bad decor. No free wifi and paid for wifi not possible to get; too far from the router was the message. BUT it was warm, the bath was large, the shower pumped out hot water and the towels were clean, white and fluffy. Instant coffee and tea available in the room with biscuits. Back in the day, I'm sure this was a 'grand' hotel but it looks like investment has been lacking, no doubt due to covid.

8

Peggy

8 Feb 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Large well appointed room. Bath and shower. Views over the sea and pier. No bar of coffees available as no staff to man the bar. Lift broke down

8

Mike

18 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

A grand beachfront hotel. There is the option of security controlled parking which is an additional fee or on street parking which is free from 6pm to 8am but reasonable after that. I took an elevator to my room on the 4th floor which had a lovely balcony providing an idyllic view. The room was nice and tidy and the bed gave me a great night's sleep. The dining area had a slightly tired looking décor with a buffet breakfast which got the day off to a good start. Decent value for money.

6

Margaret

6 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

This is an impressive hotel right on the sea front. Unlike some of the others the outside was well painted and presentable. I gave up trying to get an evening meal at the restaurant as it was mostly not open and nothing was displayed to tell us when it would actually be open. The lift is in some serious need of some TLC as it kept on breaking down, although there is a service lift that can be used. That was a fun experience! The room was larger than I expected and, thankfully, quiet. The bathroom was a good size.The only problem was that the was far too hot. This is something out of the control of the hotel and they did provide an electric fan. The staff were friendly and helpful. They printed out the order of play for the tennis tournament, which was very useful.

10

Cyndi

4 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 5 nights

We had been to the hotel before, so knew what to expect. We had booked a double sea view, and that was exactly what we got, with walk in shower, all facilities for the disabled, even though I never told them, however I did mention that I had a blue badge though, so whether they picked this up I thank them. The food was excellent both breakfast and dinner. Most of the staff were very friendly and professional. The one lift broke down on the first day, but we were shown the staff lift if we needed it. The main lift was working by the early evening.

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Cleanliness

Cleanliness is inconsistent: some guests found rooms spotless, while others reported dusty surfaces, dirty windows/balconies, and stained or worn fixtures. Housekeeping during stays is limited or by request, and maintenance issues appear in places.

Related guest reviews

8

Clare

24 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We had a nice stay, staff were friendly polite and attentive. However the building its self is looking tired, carpets in hall ways had many stains. The room was sufficient but dated. Shower was powerful. Bed was comfortable, plenty of tea and coffee to enjoy. The room needed decorating, odd bits painted near the ceiling, some in grey against the white started not finished. Wall paper coming off the wall. Lamp shades dented. Window broken Housekeeping could be better back of bathroom door filthly from hands and light switches dirty. This may sound picky but for £165 for the night i feel i have the right to be. As this was not a cheap stay. Breakfast was very nice plenty of choices which was a buffet style.

4

hadassah

30 Aug 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff were helpful and it was a nice size room in a very outdated hotel. However the cleanliness of the room leaves a lot to be desired. The surfaces were sticky to touch. The windows were filthy. The railings on the balcony looked like they could give way and it was really dirty on the balcony so it was not comfortable to sit out there. The guests in the room next door were talking very loudly on their balcony at 6am. Quite disappointing stay but lucky it was only for one night.

6

Carol

17 Jul 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

We got a double room on Tesco points, so weren't too bothered about the overall experience, as we just needed to be nearby a wedding venue which we were. However, had I paid more money, I probably would have complained. The bed wasn't made properly and there was a small rectangular mattress protector in the central danger zone (!) instead of a full fitted protector, hence it rucked up. There were also rusty stains on the bathtub rim and hairs in the corners of the bathroom. The toilet paper wasn't folded over in the corner, as is customary. The breakfast sausages tasted like cooked hot dog sausages, not quality sausages and the coffee from the machine tasted like instant. It felt like a bit step back in time. The staff were helpful enough and there was parking around the back for £8 a day. It was a typical dated British sea front hotel. I've been in similar in other locations around the country. It was on the seafront, it was easy to walk to the shops and the station and it suited our purpose, hence neutral rating overall.

6

Deborah

13 Oct 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Our sea view room was exceptional. There was no servicing of rooms and we had to ask at reception for towels tea coffee and bring them up to our room. We were told no housekeeping staff were coming into our room during our three night stay.

6

Beth

5 Feb 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff were nice and the beds were extremely comfortable. But the room itself was far from clean. Dust absolutely everywhere. Stains on the window seals and all over the bathroom. The plug in the sink doesn't even come out so we had to leave the dirty water in there. The whole place just needs a lick of paint.

8

Samantha

31 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

I had a gorgeous 4th floor Seaview room which was spacious and clean. My only negative was the lack of housekeeping.

6

Brian

21 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 5 nights

Good room but decor and cleanliness poor. Just look at windowsills, dirty, and flaking paint. At breakfast staff brusque, and tablecloths need wash and iron.

4

VIVIANA

18 Dec 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Hotel reception looks lovely and staff Were extremely kind and helpful, we got a seaview upgrade which was much appreciated however the rooms are very outdated and not very clean, the room was so hot and dusty we got really ill after the stay. Room temperature unbearable but they were unable to reduce the heat, when turning the fan on all the dust from old curtains sparse making us cough and ill. I would not return. Shame because position, reception and staff are lovely

2

Lesley

25 Apr 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was filthy tv didn't work phone didn't work hole in bathroom door toilet seat broken dusty splashes on the walls nails sticking out the headboard window sills absolutely filthy

6

Terry

13 May 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

The Cavendish is definitely faded glory. The rooms seem large but not really airy, the place feels like it could do with a good blow through of fresh air. Room was clean & tidy, tea area sticky and one spoon hadn't been cleaned. Plenty of hot water & a few overnight soap and shampoo ditties. A clean face and bath towel.. Pillows are full and a bit overfluffed bed is a bit too firm but comfy. The lift worked! Plenty of parking but there is an extra cost (£7 per 24hr) - make sure you book breakfast the night before (£10 - all you can eat buffet of hot and cold food) actually no worse than a premier inn.. Staff generally fine - be nice & that's what you get back although the older male waiter was quite stern, no smile, just-a-job type and better avoided... Please retrain him, he could 'make' breakfast much more enjoyable.. Breakfast room was very airy and when sunny is gorgeous with the huge windows open with fine full sea views. Don't expect daily housekeeping, there isn't any 😂... I would stay again for economy only. But I did hear from others that other accommodation locally was little better or plain dire.. So I'd have a good check of the latest reviews. Thank you.

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Rooms

Rooms are often large with good views and some balconies, but décor and furnishings feel dated. Comfort varies with very warm rooms and limited ventilation in some windowless/basement options, occasional noise, and some uncomfortable mattresses; in-room WiFi can be unavailable or paid.

Related guest reviews

4

Niki

12 Jul 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

No internet in the room no windows very hot no hot water maintenance man came bad experience for our wonderful town of Eastbourne! 😢

8

Denise

1 Sept 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Lovely position overlooking the bandstand

2

Wai Hung Owen

7 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The Hotel is super old. Everything is very worn out and there is no air conditioning. On the day of the check in, the room is extremely hot and stuffy. The hotel stuff is willing to provide an extra ventilation fan which is small and works like a toy. After staying in the room for 10 minutes, the temperature inside the room is beyond any human being could bear. Under such circumstances, a change of room is requested to the front desk and downgrade to a non seaview room will be accepted. However, the manager and the front desk staff reassign another room and ask us to have a look. the room number is 123. The room is super big and is like a family suite, But it is also look like a haunted house in the Hollywood movie, After staying in that room for 2 minutes, we have decided to check out. Meaning we did not stay in that hotel at all. Will never never book such kind of Victorian era hotels again.

10

christine

21 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was a reasonablerate....large room...quiet

6

Susan

5 Mar 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

I would not recommend the rooms in the basement with a window even though it was fairly cheap at £45 but it was so hot that it was impossible to sleep.

10

Debora

23 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

It was a really good experience. The room was big, with a sofa and armchairs, a small table, and a huge window with a side view of the pier and the sea. A good bathroom too.

8

Susan

9 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely big room, great gaming 2 huge to the floor windows, couldn’t turn heating down so I slept on top of the bed

10

James

19 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Staff amazing and great views. Some really nice rooms and some slightly dated but still very large spacious rooms.

6

MATTHEW

12 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The mattress was knackered, so uncontrollably to lie on, when you can feel the springs almost digging into your body. I had to lay on top of the duvet, to give myself another layer, between myself and the matress. When it comes to the condition of the matress, its the chance you take with Britannia and a lot of other independent hotels. The rest of the room/bathroom was good, with plenty of toiletries provided, along with tea/coffee making facilities.

4

John

25 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

All good apart from the extreme heat in room 319. I tried everything to cool down but the net result was virtually no sleep.

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Service

Many guests praise friendly, helpful staff and smooth check-ins or thoughtful upgrades. Others report rude or unresponsive encounters, slow check-in, and poor handling of problems.

Related guest reviews

2

Sydney

4 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Over booked which is fine but didn’t even have the decency to say sorry or help find different location to sleep absolutely disgusting service won’t be coming back

10

Zoe

22 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff is very considerate, updating the room and letting us check in much earlier when we arrived in rain. Thanks so much!

10

Evelyn

5 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Exceptionally wonderful. The staff especially Ozoe was amazing. She ensured that my stay was so so comfortable and also the two ladies at reception were extremely friendly and helpful. This has become our hotel of choice every time we visit Eastbourne and which is very often. Not only are the price and rooms exceptional with awesome views but the hospitality and dedication of the staff is what draws Dr Pilcher and I to the Cavendish Hotel. I would recommend this hotel anytime. Thanks guys for a great stay as always

6

Claire

1 Feb 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Issue with checking in got kept waiting and then receptionist asked us to wait 5 mins as she having a break ,its not her personal fault but the hotels for not having cover as customers should come first, this was a bit of disappointment as me and my partner love the Cavendish Hotel and been 4 or 5 time's now. This wasn't acceptable unfortunately

4

Jude

10 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

1) Normal check-in is at 15:00 hours. We arrived at 13:30 and went to reception to pay for two days of car parking. We were told that the room was not ready and to come back at 15:00. We came back at 15:30 and was given the keys to room 112. On entering, the room was not made up and in a complete mess. It was reported to Reception and was offered a corner room with a limited sea view. This was refused as we had booked a sea view room. We asked if the room could be made up whilst we waited but the house keeping staff had gone home. Reception gave us another room with a sea view and we moved in. 2) Dinner was served by what looked like the maintenance man wearing his work clothes. He was the only waiter on duty. The next day we saw him cleaning the car park. I have photos but have not posted them. 3) Day 2 Dinner, the wine glass placed on our table was broken with a large chunk missing from it resulting in spillage when filling with water. We have stayed here before with no complaints but this was not a good experience considering it is advertised as a 4 star hotel.

10

Colin

19 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Friendly and helpful staff. Spacious clean room with great view. Good value with easy parking. Denisa at Reception gets 5 stars. Very helpful, cheerful and friendly. Hotel is in a great location. You cannot ask for more.

2

Jade

20 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The reception area was good, but the rest of the hotel was dirty, rotten, broken or stained g the staff were rude & verbally aggressive when approached about the situation.

10

Robert

17 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very friendly staff. Great location and nice & quiet.

2

Ian

6 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We arrived later than planned and asked if we could get a drink the night receptionist said the bar was closed. We then asked another member of staff If we could get a soft drink he said he would ask and then we were left sitting in the lobby waiting for him to return and he never did. We then asked the night receptionist where his colleague was and explained and he completely dismissed us. We asked that all we were asking for was a soft drink and he became very rude towards us and said it's water or nothing as this was not Las Vegas.!!!. We commented on how rude he was and he then claimed we were being racist towards him. I told him not to throw the race card into this and he completely dismissed us by telling us we should have booked somewhere else. Absolutely terrible attitude. I would not recommend this hotel to stay at. The night receptionist needs to go on to some form customer service course. Definitely not a place to stay at.

8

Sylwia

8 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very nice staff, everything went smoothly and in a nice atmosphere

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Location

Prime seafront setting by the pier and bandstand, with an easy walk to town, theatres, and restaurants. Handy for beach stays and local events.

Related guest reviews

10

William

22 Mar 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

We frequently stay in Eastbourne for work and the Cavendish has become our go-to choice. Lovely Victorian hotel with typically large rooms with high ceilings. The balcony rooms with seaview are lovely. Right on the seafront, less than a 5 minute walk to the centre and cheap easy parking opposite.

10

Andrian

8 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The property was ideally located , the staff were friendly and helpful an all round pleasant experience at a very reasonable rate

10

Svjatoslavs

30 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great location, close to beach and town centre

8

Trevor

1 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great location on the seafront, close to lots of sights and restaurants. Clean room with a good view, for a fair price. Nice bar area to relax in too.

10

Masaki

17 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This hotel is located the beach and from the room we can see wonderful ocean view.

8

Mrs Susan J

6 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great value for a one night bed and breakfast stay. Short walk to town centre restaurants and back from Congrss theatre. Staff very pleasant and reasonable choice for breakfast. Would use again.

8

Ian

21 Aug 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Very convenient for the pier & the wish tower area...

10

John

4 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 7 nights

😋 Great location. A smart old fashioned hotel.

8

Susan

26 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

We found the hotel was convenient for the tennis at Devonshire Park. It had lovely views over the seafront. The condition of the hotel was a bit dilapidated although there were building works going on, I assume to update it. We found the Reception staff very pleasant and helpful. The room was old fashioned and enormous. The bathroom and shower were ok. The pillows were too hard and neither of us slept well. The bed was clean though.

10

Elena

2 May 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Great beach location

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Dining

Breakfast and dinner are inconsistent: some guests enjoyed good value and tasty options, while others found them poor or cold. Service hours can be restricted or closed on some days.

Related guest reviews

6

Matt

27 Mar 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Breakfast was really poor, reminded me of army breakfasts. Cheap food bulk seemingly cooked without any care and attention. Hotel was nice but I would advise dining elsewhere in the morning.

4

Daniel

9 Jul 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Horrendous stay. Hotel is run down, room looked like it has been destroyed by a herd of cattle left in there. Everything chipped, broken destroyed. I Couldn’t eat in the hotel which I wasn’t aware of before I arrived as they were not taking bookings. On reflection though this was a positive as breakfast was the worst I have ever experienced. It’s amazing how there can be zero taste in any item of food or drink.

8

Anthony

9 Jul 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

Comfortable and friendly - easy on site parking and the buffet breakfast was one of the best and most generous that we have ever had. One night we also had the 4 course buffet diner and had the same experience. Our only criticism was that the sink and bath were "very"slow to drain and sitting on the wobbly toilet was an experience.

10

Anthony

12 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Lovely old hotel stayed here a few times the breakfast is good and hot

8

Mrs Susan J

6 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great value for a one night bed and breakfast stay. Short walk to town centre restaurants and back from Congrss theatre. Staff very pleasant and reasonable choice for breakfast. Would use again.

8

Stephen

5 May 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Friendly staff, good breakfast buffet, convenient location.

4

Kyle

11 Jun 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff are so unfriendly plus reception staff are abrupt and direct. Bar man although friendly serves all his friends and whilst serving you is talking in turkish to his mates leaving you wondering if he is talking about you. He then chases everyone out of the bar to close up the bar. Breakfast staff make you sit with other people dispite room having many empty tables. They are direct with little customer skills. 1 of the worst hotels in Eastbourne. Room is in awful state.

8

Mike

18 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

A grand beachfront hotel. There is the option of security controlled parking which is an additional fee or on street parking which is free from 6pm to 8am but reasonable after that. I took an elevator to my room on the 4th floor which had a lovely balcony providing an idyllic view. The room was nice and tidy and the bed gave me a great night's sleep. The dining area had a slightly tired looking décor with a buffet breakfast which got the day off to a good start. Decent value for money.

10

Stephan

28 Aug 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel is located in a beautiful place, room was clean and equipped with everything a traveller needs. Breakfast was excellent.

10

Cyndi

4 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 5 nights

We had been to the hotel before, so knew what to expect. We had booked a double sea view, and that was exactly what we got, with walk in shower, all facilities for the disabled, even though I never told them, however I did mention that I had a blue badge though, so whether they picked this up I thank them. The food was excellent both breakfast and dinner. Most of the staff were very friendly and professional. The one lift broke down on the first day, but we were shown the staff lift if we needed it. The main lift was working by the early evening.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	US$44
February	US$48
March	US$48
April	US$50
May	US$62
June	US$74
July	US$83
August	US$84
September	US$61
October	US$49
November	US$46
December	US$46

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4 $64	5 $59
6 $49	7 $55	8 $57	9 $57	10 $57	11 $69	12 $75
13 $49	14 $55	15 $55	16 $55	17 $56	18 $62	19 $75
20 $50	21 $74	22 $73	23 $74	24 $74	25 $73	26 $96
27 $57	28 $64	29 $61	30 $64

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $71	2 $70	3 $78
4 $58	5 $69	6 $69	7 $69	8 $69	9 $76	10 $89
11 $61	12 $70	13 $71	14 $70	15 $71	16 $71	17 $91
18 $61	19 $72	20 $70	21 $70	22 $70	23 $74	24 $89
25 $65	26 $71	27 $72	28 $71	29 $71	30 $82	31 $89

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About this property

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