Hotel Review: Malmaison Brighton

Malmaison = “Bad House”

Background

Located within the bustling Brighton Marina complex, Malmaison Brighton is a chic boutique-style hotel which offers views over the harbour or towards the inner-marina.

Part of the elusive Frasers Hospitality Group, there are 15 Malmaison properties across the UK which also includes other major cities such as Newcastle, Liverpool, Glasgow, Oxford and Manchester to name a few. The parent company also own the quirky Hotel Du Vin brand of hotels. There is one in Brighton located moments from the beach.

The 71-room hotel was formally known as the Alias Seattle Brighton, however it was bought by it’s current owners in 2015 and has just completed an extensive refurbishment project. The hotel does look spectacular. I’d say it’s chic and trendy with a lot of aspects which remind me of staying at the gorgeous Viceroy Santa Monica last year.

Location

As mentioned at the beginning of this post, the Malmaison Brighton is located within Brighton Marina, a bustling shopping, entertainment and dining complex situated to the East of Central Brighton along the A259 coast road. The Marina is served by several local buses, including route 7 which operates 24-hours a day.

At the Marina you’ll find a Cineworld Cinema, Rendezvous Casino, Hollywood Bowl (bowling alley), apartments, shops and a plethora of dining options. Car parking is complimentary in the multi-storey car park which is about a five-minute walk from the hotel. There is a drop-off and pick-up area right outside the entrance on ground level. There is also free WiFi, because that is literally the biggest bone of contention when staying at hotels nowadays. £15+ a day? Not here!

Checking In

Check-in is from 15:00, which is pretty standard for hotels in Brighton. You’ll find the reception area on the second floor, which is also home to the bar, brasserie, meeting rooms and some of the guest rooms. The art work is pretty cool and I love the use of different lighting.

Guest Rooms

Room types vary from twin and double guest rooms with inland or harbour views, to “Mal Club” rooms and suites. Rates vary between £89 – £200+ per night. There are also loads of promotions running too.

I was staying for one night in a Twin Inland Guest Room. As the name suggests, these do not feature a view overlooking the harbour but rather a view “inland” towards the rest of the marina. I had a rather lovely view overlooking a road and some shops. 😉

 

The room itself was clean, fairly spacious and everything seemed to be in working order. I’m delighted to have finally found a hotel which understands that more than just a couple of lights are needed. The plethora of power sockets was also well-received by myself considering I had an iPhone, iPad and laptop to charge and use before heading back to work the following day.

 

 

Amenities wise, the guest room featured a flat screen Plasma TV, minibar, hairdryer, ironing board, tea and coffee-making facilities. 24-hour room service and same-day laundry. The latter was interesting. £20 for a suit. Not bad at all!

The bathroom was also of a good size and featured a walk-in shower with a drench and hand-held option. The own-brand amenities were of a very good quality.

 

 

 

 

 

Chez Mal

Evoking a unique style with plenty of different seating options, the Chez Mal Bar is a great place to relax and unwind with a tea, coffee, mocktail or something a little more adventurous. This sign did make me laugh. You can also sit outside on the fairly expansive terrace which overlooks the harbour. It was a little cold for that though.

The bar is also where you can enjoy Malmaison’s very own Afternoon Tea which I’ve enjoyed before. It’s pretty cool. Adjacent to the bar you’ll find the Chez Mal Brasserie, which serves up a combination of British and French-inspired dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. To give you a rough idea of prices, the “Chez Mal” burger is £16.50, and a Fillet Steak is £29. That’s comparable to many restaurants nearby – which there are loads – including a Nando’s almost underneath. Mmmm.

Service

All staff members I came across during my short stay were polite and friendly. It seemed as though they genuinely enjoyed their job, especially the bartenders. I couldn’t really fault anything with the service.

Final Thoughts

The Malmaison Brighton is a quite charming boutique hotel which really did impress me. Compared to other hotels I’ve stayed at in Brighton, it might be a little farther out – but in some ways it is a lot better. Combined with the free parking, free WiFi and a very reliable bus route into the city – it’s a good bet for anyone visiting the city. In terms of value for money and my overall experience, it gets an 8/10.