 Brighton is a popular place to visit; welcoming 8 million tourists each year. With its hotels, restaurants, shops and entertainment facilities.
A major attraction is the seafront, which has a variety of bars, restaurants, nightclubs and amusement arcades, principally along the strip between the two piers, Brighton Pier and West Pier. Brighton is associated with notable popular music artists including The Levellers, The Kooks, Fatboy Slim. There are over 400 pubs and many nightclubs. There are also many live music venues including the Brighton Centre and the Brighton Dome.
Brighton has a number of museums including the City-run Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, the Booth Museum of Natural History, the Brighton Fishing Museum and the Brighton Toy and Model Museum. There are many privately run galleries, including some in the arches on the seafront.
Brighton is the home of Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club who's fans often give a "warm" reception to opposing team's supporters, in particular those fans supporting Nottingham Forest.
The origins of the often used term; "On a Dirty Weekend" are reputed to refer to Londoners (Royalty and alike) using Brighton as a venue for illicit weekend love affairs. Blackpool, in the North West of England hotly dispute this by claiming, "A REAL dirty weekend has always been part of Blackpool's charm"... somehow, I think the PR department for Blackpool has lost the plot!
Any visit to Brighton inevitably begins with a visit to its two most famous landmarks - the exuberant Royal Pavilion and the wonderfully tacky Palace Pier , a few minutes away - followed by a stroll along the seafront promenade or the pebbly beach. Just as interesting, though, is an exploration of Brighton's car-free Lanes , where some of the town's diverse restaurants, bars and tiny bric-a-brac, jewellery and antique shops can be found; or an idle meander through the quaint, but more bohemian streets of North Laine .
 The Royal Pavilion
The Royal Pavilion is a former royal residence located in Brighton, United Kingdom. It was built in the early 19th Century as a seaside retreat for the then Prince Regent. It is often referred to as the Brighton Pavilion.
The Royal Pavilion is situated in Brighton town centre and is fifteen minutes walk from Brighton station. Buses stop either outside the Royal Pavilion on Steine Gardens, or on North Street which is within 5 minutes walk.
Opening Hours
October to March 10.00am-5.15pm (last tickets at 4.30pm)
April to September 9.30am-5.45pm (last tickets at 5.00pm)
Closed from 2.30pm on 24 December and all day on 25 & 26 December
Booth Museum of Natural History
The Background
Founded in 1874, by 19th century naturalist and collector Edward Thomas Booth, the Booth Museum of Natural History is the second largest regional natural history museum in Britain. As well as housing Booth’s original collection of British birds, today it contains three quarters of a million natural history specimens in a collection designated of national importance.
The Collections
Today these combined collections form a staggering archive of flora and fauna, with virtually every group of living organisms represented, including many rare, endangered and extinct species. Though the collection is primarily focused on the natural history of the local region, it also extends to other countries and continents. The complete collection comprises over 600,000 biological and 50,000 geological specimens. In addition there are over 5,000 microscopic slides, 12,000 books, journals and periodicals dating back three centuries, and thousands of site records. Almost a thousand of its specimens have been published in scientific journals, and include many ‘type’ specimens (specimens used in the original description of a species).
Fascinating... I need a PINT or TWO!!
No visit to Brighton would be complete without touring a few pubs and clubs and sampling a few jars of the local ale.
Nightlife is hectic and compulsively pursued throughout the year, making Brighton unique in the sedate southeast. There are a couple of outstanding clubs, lots of live music and more cinema screens per head than anywhere else in Britain. Midweek entry into the clubs can cost just a couple of pounds and cinema seats are similarly priced before 6pm.
Various Pubs in Brighton
The Cricketers 15 Black Lion St. Just west of the Lanes, this is Brighton's oldest pub and it looks it too; very popular with good pub grub served in the pleasant setting of its Courtyard Bar.
Dr Brighton's 16 King's Rd. Popular venue for happy people.
Druid's Head , 9 Brighton Place. Great, old pub in the heart of the Lanes with a flagstone floor and a raucous jukebox.
Font & Firkin Union St. Spacious converted chapel with a bar in place of the altar and occasional live music.
The Great Eastern 103 Trafalgar St. Relaxing pub with bare boards and bookshelves, lots of real ales, and no fruit machines or TV.
The Hand in Hand 33 Upper St James St. An agreeable pub with its own brewery out the back.
The Prince Albert 48 Trafalgar St. A listed building, right by the train station, popular with students. Live rock upstairs, real ale downstairs; free pool in the afternoon.
The Smugglers 10 Ship St. A young crowd packs out this place, with a good jazz club upstairs, dance club downstairs, and free pool during the day.
The Beach King's Road Arches tel 01273/722222. R'n'B, classic grooves and occasional stand-up comedy nights.
Casablanca 3 Middle St tel 01273/321817. Basement venue featuring live bands and all types of funk, including latin and jazz.
Concorde 2 Madeira Shelter, Madeira Drive tel 01273/207241. Live music venue, with an admirable booking policy featuring everyone from Bert Jansch to Sparklehorse; also has club nights at the weekend and a Tues night comedy club.
Escape 10 Marine Parade tel 01273/606906. Brighton's trendiest nightclub packs them in night after night, specializing in funk and techno.
The Jazz Rooms , Smugglers Inn , 10 Ship St tel 01273/328439. Popular jazz venue in the basement, with the livelier Enigma upstairs catering for active ravers and fronting the occasional abstract dance troupe.
Paradox 78 West St tel 01273/321628. The best option after the Zap Club . Its Wild Fruits gay nights on the first Mon of the month are particularly popular.
Revenge 32 Old Steine tel 01273/606064. The south's largest gay club with Mon night cabarets plus upfront dance and retro boogie on two floors.
Zap Club 188-193 Kings Rd Arches tel 01273/821588. Brighton's most durable club, right on the seafront opposite Ship Street.Great Place to Stay and Good Value if You BOOK ONLINE  Royal Albion Hotel  SPECIAL VALUE
BRIGHTON PIER / BRIGHTON Average Nightly Rate £76.0 Location. The Royal Albion Hotel is housed in two interconnecting Regency buildings, located on the city's seafront, adjacent to the Old Steine and war memorial, and directly opposite the beach and Brighton Pier. London Gatwick Airport is 31 miles from the hotel, around 30 minutes by car.
Hotel Features. Guests can relax with draught beers, hot drinks and light meals in the bar, which features a wide-screen television showing sporting events and extends into a contemporary, conservatory-style side lounge with views of the pier. During fine weather, guests can take in sea views from the first-floor terrace. The hotel houses seven meeting rooms, the largest of which can hold up to 80 people. Staff at the 24-hour front desk are on hand to exchange currency and provide round-the-clock room service.
Guests of the Royal Albion can dine in the restaurant which offers sea views and serves buffet breakfasts and traditional British fare, including Cottage Pie, Gammon Steak and Fillet of Cod at lunch and dinner.
Guests benefit from discounted access to the David Lloyd health club, one mile away. The Palace Pier, opposite the hotel, offers cafes, rides and an amusement arcade. The nearest golf course is approximately half a mile from the hotel; bicycles and scooters are available for hire within 100 metres, and hikers can explore the trails of the South Downs, 1.5 miles away.
Guestrooms. The Royal Albion Hotel houses 185 guestrooms across five floors, all of which feature predominantly red or blue colour schemes. All rooms include dial-up Internet connections, 18-inch televisions with cable channels, tea and coffee making facilities, direct-dial phones, and hair dryers.
Expert Tip. The Brighton Sea Life Centre is located 100 metres from the hotel and is visible from the lounge bar. Housed in a grand Victorian building, the centre replicates more than 30 marine environments, and houses creatures ranging from seahorses and giant Japanese spider crabs to sharks and endangered ocean- going turtles.
Property Amenities - Bar/Lounge
- Restaurant(s)
- Elevator/lift
- Suitable for children
- Currency exchange
- Express check-out
- Comp newspapers in lobby
- Air-conditioned public areas
- Parking nearby
- Wedding services
- Business services
- Patio
- Internet public area - wireless
- Audiovisual equipment
- Laundry facilities
- Conference room(s)
- Banquet facilities
- Safe-deposit box
- Meeting room (small groups)
- Exhibit space
- Room service (24 hours)
- Dry cleaning service
- Use of nearby fitness center (discount)
- Internet public area - comp
- Medical assistance available
- Complimentary breakfast
Area Attractions Beach - opposite
Palace Pier - opposite
The Lanes (shopping) - 200 metres
Sea Life Centre - 100 metres
Pavilion (performing arts venue) - 500 metres
Dome (theatre) - 500 metres
Marina - 800 metres
South Downs - 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometres)
Devil's Dyke - 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometres)
Lewes - 10 miles (16 kilometres)
Arundel Castle - 15 miles (24 kilometres) Royal Albion Hotel Booking - more interior pictures of bars and rooms...
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