Name: Royal Victoria Hotel
Address: Marina, St Leonards-On-Sea, St Leonards-On-Sea, England, United Kingdom, St Leonards-On-Sea, East Sussex, GB
Price range: $103–$126 per night
Rating: 7.88

What guests think

At Royal Victoria Hotel, travellers describe a grand, historic seafront property with spacious sea view rooms and friendly staff, balanced by clear signs of age and upkeep needs that affect comfort, ambiance, and expectations in places.

Room experiences vary, with draughty windows, patchy heating, some noise, and, during exterior works, sea views blocked by scaffolding; others report very large, quiet spaces. Cleanliness is mixed, as many rooms are tidy while some communal areas are dusty or smelly and a few bathrooms show mould or missed items. Service is generally welcoming and helpful, though breakfast operations and check-in can be slow and a handful of requests or bookings were mishandled. Expect character and value by the sea, with trade-offs in modernity and polish.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Historic building with piano lounge/bar and pleasant seafront spaces; on-site parking is very limited, so most guests use nearby street or public parking. Some stays were affected by exterior scaffolding and a creaky older lift.

Related guest reviews

8

Janet

Oct 6, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Wonderful sea views, especially from the lovely piano lounge, terrific for pre-dinner drinks and bar food. The lighting in the dining room was so low however that you couldn't read the menu. Staff were delightful.

4

Michael

Aug 25, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

We usually enjoy our stay at the Royal Victoria , however, this time the front of the building was covered in scaffolding. We booked a premier room with sea view, the only view we had from the room was through filthy glass, of builders rubbish and a mess of scaffolding. Impossible to see anything else. Of course we complained but there were no other rooms available. I have since written to the hotel manager and in fact the owner, no reply from either. I think that says a lot. Disgraceful .

10

Elizabeth

Sep 14, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The hotel was going through a external facelift...from the completed section it will look super when it's all done. The interior is historic and very attractive. Our room was massive and had a marvellous sea view. Very clean and comfortable.

8

Peta

Nov 6, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

N/A parking was on the riad behind the hotel.

6

Lorraine

Aug 21, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Had a very nice stay for 2 nights at the royal Victoria.beautiful building but could do with a little updating. Disappointed that scaffolding outside windows without pre warning. Breakfast was self serve but waiting times for replenishing hot food and toasting machine didn't toast so had to queue for one tiny toaster. It meant one element of breakfast always got cold. The staff were very helpful though but could do with more at breakfast time. Also disappointed as sat in piano bar 2 nights and no one played it!

8

Karen

Nov 13, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Very spacious double room, clean and comfortable. Lovely to have a couch and coffee table in a standard room. We were able to sit and watch the sea in comfort! Lovely breakfast, good choice. I would have liked it served earlier at the weekend though. We are early risers and 8am was a bit late for us. There is very limited parking on site so we had to hunt around the surrounding streets for a space. Something to bear in mind if you are not very mobile?

8

K

Jun 1, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Right on the seafront with lovely views, bit dated but that just gave it character. Very clean. Breakfast was good. Had to use on street parking as their tiny car park was full, but it was all free.

4

Zahrine

Dec 9, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel needs redecorating, lift sounds creaky and broken, carpet in the room needs changing, beds need improving, shower need better pressure and mould removed

8

Graham

Nov 2, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

No breakfast Lucky with parking Bed to small fror room Bathroom looking tired and in need of updating Shame about scaffolding But in all a pleasant stay

8

Mark

May 5, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Good hotel, the reception staff very friendly and helpful. Our room was large and clean, with excellent shower. Had also been recently decorated so felt clean and fresh. Car parking is available around the side streets. Good transport to Bexhill by bus or train, and a short walk along the promenade to Hastings old town. Would stay again.

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Cleanliness

Reports are mixed: many rooms are clean, but communal areas can be dusty or smelly and some bathrooms show mould or missed housekeeping.

Related guest reviews

8

Elizabeth

Sep 14, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

We arrived at reception at 2.40 and without even checking were told our room was not ready until 3.00! So we had to return in 20 minutes! Our evening meal in the restaurant was very good indeed. Breakfast was well below average, with most of the food either cold or dried up. Certainly not worth £29. The room was clean and the bed very comfortable. The sofa in the lounge was somewhat small but luckily we didn't spend much time sitting on it.

6

Richard

Jun 4, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Check in was ok, I booked and paid for it online and had a family room as there were no double rooms available, I wanted a double bed and was disappointed to find that it was only a 4ft6. The whole room was very dated, the hot water took forever to come through in the shower which was very poor and the bin still had empty tuna salad container and water bottles which made me think the room hadn't been cleaned. The electric wall heater gave off a smell for quite a while when I plugged it in. The breakfast was good which is a plus point. I was only there overnight so couldn't be bothered to say anything which maybe was wrong but I'd probably not stay there again for the price

4

Khuram

Oct 5, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room wasn’t very clean and there was no heating.

8

jean

Sep 24, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Niceclean hotel.

6

Charles

Oct 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff were very helpful and moved me to a sea view no problem at all. The bar area needs a deep clean - the curtains had a dreadful collection of dust on top. I had to fix the flush on the toilet as it was loose and came apart. The room was impeccably clean, the view amazing. Though certainly not worth anything more than £90 and that is generous.

8

Joanna

Jun 24, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Communal spaces were dirty and smelly, staircases and lift too. Inside the room was much cleaner and nicer though... bar staff wasn't attentive or much helpful. Dry plants in the firts floor lobby looked neglected too.

4

Zahrine

Dec 9, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel needs redecorating, lift sounds creaky and broken, carpet in the room needs changing, beds need improving, shower need better pressure and mould removed

6

Tim

Mar 3, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Really needs to be updated. Cleanliness a bit of an issue everywhere. View from the bar lovely.

6

Simon

Feb 24, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel has loads of potential but is tired, room was freezing and lots of cob webs found in the bathroom.

10

Lorna

Dec 8, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Everything was lovely. Nice and clean the staff were very helpful.

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Rooms

Rooms are generally large, many with sea views, but decor and furnishings are dated, with occasional maintenance issues, draughty windows, limited temperature control, and some noise; a few views were obstructed by scaffolding.

Related guest reviews

6

Paul

Jan 27, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff here are great. But the hotel has seen better days, much better days. The windows just didn't seal so we had a gale blowing in all night, VERY tired decor and threadbare carpets, very noisy fan in the bathroom. The shower wasn;t a mixer, you just had to try and balance the hot and cold. Breakfast was expensive at £14 and not very good. Hours were 8 to 10, we went down at 9 (so not late) and the food was stone cold. The coffee, although marked as filter or instant, was all instant. Very basic choice of non cooked. For the money I expected alot more. Give it a miss and go in to town. Parking is a nightmare. I drove around for about 20 minutes looking for a spot. I did find somewhere but it was a bit dodgy with the double yellows.

8

Paula

Jun 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice spacious room. It was hot and there was no air condtioning or fans. Maybe fans could be provided in hot weather

10

Derek

Jun 7, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Rooms are large and comfortable. Good value hotel overall. Like the ambiance and laid back feel.

4

Khuram

Oct 5, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room wasn’t very clean and there was no heating.

10

Elizabeth

Sep 14, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The hotel was going through a external facelift...from the completed section it will look super when it's all done. The interior is historic and very attractive. Our room was massive and had a marvellous sea view. Very clean and comfortable.

10

Gerald

Oct 19, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice room and quiet

10

Katarzyna

Dec 16, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely old fashioned hotel, very spacious room with stunning sea views.

10

June

Jul 15, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Helpful and friendly staff. Great location right on seafront. Spacious room. Exceeded our expectations.

4

Berkeley

May 19, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Clean room but Tired & dated , and noise from rooms above & main road no double glazing , small double bed Food very bland

6

Karan

Aug 9, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The stay could have been better. Booked a suite but surprised there was no fan. When asked for it, the fans conditioned was not functioning well. No fridge and the shower was decent. Could have been better for 140 quid a night.

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Service

Staff are widely described as friendly and helpful, with prompt room changes when needed. However, check-in and breakfast service can be slow, and a few requests or bookings were mishandled.

Related guest reviews

2

Kirsten

Jun 1, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Our reservation was overbooked to someone else and I was not telephoned and did not know until we went to check in. Staff eventually found an " emergency" spare room ,equivalent to what we booked ,however Expedia originally charged me £120 and in fact the room we were given was in fact £90 at the hotel. The room itself was very "tired" looking and obviously had not been decorated in a very long time.The bathroom was very dated ,old and not cleaned adequately with mould and dirt around the bath seals.The shower was very old, basic and with verytemperamental water temperature - went from very cold to scalding hot. Overall a very disappointing stay and extremely overpriced for the poor condition of the room .

6

Carole

Aug 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We booked a twin bed room but there was only one set of towels and one set of toiletries and even one biscuit (not bothered about this!!) The electronic key did not work and had to be changed. Staff very helpful however

6

Dorothy

Oct 25, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel could do with a good cleaning. The bed is the worst I have slept on and I have used budget hotels. Requested an Iron it took an hour for one to be provided after several calls to the receptionist.

6

Charles

Oct 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff were very helpful and moved me to a sea view no problem at all. The bar area needs a deep clean - the curtains had a dreadful collection of dust on top. I had to fix the flush on the toilet as it was loose and came apart. The room was impeccably clean, the view amazing. Though certainly not worth anything more than £90 and that is generous.

8

Neil

Oct 1, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Some of the staff were great, though the attitude of the reception when I turned up 3hrs earl for check-in was decidedly lacking. No help provided, no checking to see if the room was ready even though I was early, instead (because the day was very windy and wet) I spent an uncomfortable 3 hours in their so could 'lounge', decidedly lacking in amenities and the bar was tucked round a corner so not immediately visible if you go upstairs to it. The guy doing the bar and the front desk were very helpful later on, but that initial impression is pretty poor. On a quick look the décor was definitely suffering, peeling pain on all window frames and the net curtain in my room was torn AND had what looked like mildew. Having the bathroom/toliet down some stairs and round a corner was a bit strange as well and I could see that older people would really struggle as there is no hand rail down those steps

10

Maureen

Sep 8, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Check in was slow as I had a trainee but other than time it took eveything else was great

8

Gerard

Nov 9, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff was good. One night stay it was good

6

Kenneth

Mar 2, 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

The room that was booked for us was a sea view . but it was a cold wet day and heating was not working we asked for a different room away from sea . staff dealt with problem and was upgraded to a suite. could not fault staff all very friendly.

4

Stephen

Dec 7, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

My daughter was getting married so decided to book a suite for a couple of nights so hair make up and space for dressing before leaving for the ceremony. We looked at rooms a few weeks ago and agreed for an ice bucket Champagne glasses and small plates to be available in the room. Come the day of the wedding none of the agreed things were in the room. We asked 4 times for these items but never arrived so my other daughter went directly to the kitchen and finally got the items very poor service. As for the room itself peeling paint, wobbly table, very dated and dilapidated furniture,curtains hanging loose for windows, rusting heaters and poor decoration in the bathroom (screw holes by bath where a soap dish may have been!!! Too late to complain and move room as timescales of hair make up and dressing were tight so just got on with it. Having paid over £200 for 2 nights was very very dissapointing would not recommend friends or family to stay here unfortunately as it is an amazing building but needs lots to bring up to an acceptable standard 😢😢😢

10

Lorna

Dec 8, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Everything was lovely. Nice and clean the staff were very helpful.

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Location

Excellent seafront position near St Leonards and within walking distance of Hastings and local restaurants. Parking nearby is limited and the rear street is less appealing.

Related guest reviews

10

Tammi

Oct 31, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great stay as we traveled the south coast of England. Wonderfully walkable waterfront with a lot of restaurants just steps away. Very nice and helpful service at the front desk, and parking was super easy.

8

Mark

Oct 2, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This hotel is in an excellent position yards from the beach & very close to the centre of St Leonards. The breakfast is excellent value for money with a wide selection of hot & cold options. I would have expected to find an ironing board & iron in the room.

10

MELANIE

Mar 6, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Lovely stay at the Royal Victoria hotel which is right on the promenade with great views over the beach. Large buffet breakfast selection and very nice restaurant and bar area.

8

Derek

Apr 8, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Good old fashioned hotel,a little bit far from the town but apart from that very good.

8

K

Jun 1, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Right on the seafront with lovely views, bit dated but that just gave it character. Very clean. Breakfast was good. Had to use on street parking as their tiny car park was full, but it was all free.

8

Bryan

Sep 22, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

A lovely old hotel with beautiful features inside. The only which I was a bit uncomfortable with is the road to the rear of hotel which was a bit manky and a lot of rubbish

8

Ian

Sep 13, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely location, our room looked out to sea. Friendly staff, clean rooms. All round perfect stay although only for one night, would love to come back for an extended break.

8

Mike

Feb 18, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Conveniently on the beach front. Edwardian feel, yet modern approach.

8

Mark

May 5, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Good hotel, the reception staff very friendly and helpful. Our room was large and clean, with excellent shower. Had also been recently decorated so felt clean and fresh. Car parking is available around the side streets. Good transport to Bexhill by bus or train, and a short walk along the promenade to Hastings old town. Would stay again.

10

Matthew

Mar 21, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Grand hotel right on the seafront. Huge rooms. Friendly staff. Close to St Leonard's town centre.

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Dining

Breakfast feedback is inconsistent, ranging from excellent and plentiful to cold, lacklustre, or poor value, with replenishment and coffee quality sometimes criticised. Evening meals, bar food and afternoon tea attract more positive comments overall.

Related guest reviews

6

Paul

Jan 27, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff here are great. But the hotel has seen better days, much better days. The windows just didn't seal so we had a gale blowing in all night, VERY tired decor and threadbare carpets, very noisy fan in the bathroom. The shower wasn;t a mixer, you just had to try and balance the hot and cold. Breakfast was expensive at £14 and not very good. Hours were 8 to 10, we went down at 9 (so not late) and the food was stone cold. The coffee, although marked as filter or instant, was all instant. Very basic choice of non cooked. For the money I expected alot more. Give it a miss and go in to town. Parking is a nightmare. I drove around for about 20 minutes looking for a spot. I did find somewhere but it was a bit dodgy with the double yellows.

8

Elizabeth

Sep 14, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

We arrived at reception at 2.40 and without even checking were told our room was not ready until 3.00! So we had to return in 20 minutes! Our evening meal in the restaurant was very good indeed. Breakfast was well below average, with most of the food either cold or dried up. Certainly not worth £29. The room was clean and the bed very comfortable. The sofa in the lounge was somewhat small but luckily we didn't spend much time sitting on it.

8

Cheryl

Jul 31, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

I loved the hotel, lovely historical place. A little tired in places. Overall the place was worth the money charged. The food at the restaurant was nice.

8

Andrew

Jun 17, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Very pleasant stay. Lovely old grand hotel. Friendly service, good dinner and excellent breakfast.

6

Lorraine

Aug 21, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Had a very nice stay for 2 nights at the royal Victoria.beautiful building but could do with a little updating. Disappointed that scaffolding outside windows without pre warning. Breakfast was self serve but waiting times for replenishing hot food and toasting machine didn't toast so had to queue for one tiny toaster. It meant one element of breakfast always got cold. The staff were very helpful though but could do with more at breakfast time. Also disappointed as sat in piano bar 2 nights and no one played it!

6

J David

Nov 11, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Condition of hotel is dated. Worn out and stained carpet. Baths need significant updating. Food was average.

10

Natalie

May 8, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We loved the music played throughout great ambiance, size of the rooms was fabulous and well presented. Food available was great across the day parts breakfast and evening meal was delicious. Real selling point is the lovely afternoon tea this was splendid. No issues with the property our stay was awesome. Thank you

8

Francis

Apr 2, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room provided had 4 steps down to the bathroom and no mirrors in the main area. Every time I needed the bathroom or a mirror, I had to go down the steps that had no hand rail. I am disabled and use a cane. Was not very convenient. The breakfast provided was great and plentiful. The staff was pleasant and helpful.

8

Kenneth

Jun 6, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Lovely, characterful, old hotel in a great location on the sea front. Easily walkable to Hastings. Breakfast was a bit lacklustre but view from the dining room compensated somewhat.

10

Jonathan

Apr 3, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

A lovely unspoilt hotel which still has all its classic features and isn’t a bland, generic place. Breakfast is one of the best I’ve had in awhile. It all tasted fresh and didn’t look like it had been sitting around for hours.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	$96
February	$100
March	$98
April	$102
May	$102
June	$106
July	$117
August	$118
September	$111
October	$96
November	$94
December	$97

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6 $118	7 $118	8 $118	9 $118	10 $116	11 $126	12
13 $118	14 $118	15 $118	16 $118	17 $118	18 $118	19
20 $109	21 $109	22 $112	23 $109	24 $112	25 $119	26
27 $109	28 $112	29 $112	30 $112

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $103	2 $103	3 $112
4 $103	5 $104	6 $103	7 $104	8 $103	9 $107	10 $107
11 $107	12 $107	13 $103	14 $107	15 $107	16 $107	17 $107
18 $107	19 $103	20 $107	21 $107	22 $107	23 $107	24 $107
25 $104	26 $107	27 $107	28 $107	29 $104	30 $107	31 $107

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Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

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Good

Who stays here?

What guests think

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