Brighton. It’s such an easy trip from London and a nice way to get out of the Big Smoke for a UK weekend break. It’s also on the seaside so you can get a bit of fresh air while you are at it. Brighton is quite a hip place as well and there are so many places to eat and discover while you are there, making a weekend break in Brighton a very good idea, indeed.
So, first of all how do you get there? I took a Thameslink train that took exactly one hour from London to Brighton (from London Blackfriars) with no changes. Easy as that. We arrived in Brighton and checked into Jurys Inn Brighton on Stroudley Road which is a five-minute walk from the train station. So, if you are carrying luggage it’s so nice that the hotel is located right next to the station because it makes for a very easy walk.
Jurys Inn has 36 hotels and I chose the Brighton location for convenience. Easy to get to from London, easy access for a weekend break and within easy reach from the train station so no lugging around suitcases. The Jurys Inn Brighton is also really close to the city centre so once you drop off your bags and check-in then it’s just a short walk to all the best Brighton attractions – about a ten-minute walk. Check-in as well is super easy and the staff are friendly so it’s all a smooth process. Jurys Inn has a ‘Stay Happy’ motto so the staff does everything possible to ensure the guests are having a happy stay.
The rooms are quite spacious at Jurys Inn with a huge king-size bed where a set of towel-swans awaited us…it’s the little things right? I also was pleased to discover a bathtub in the bathroom so I mentally clocked that I was going to unwind later with a nice, leisurely bath – always a plus.
We were starving by the time we reached Brighton so once we checked into the hotel we freshened up and then headed out again for some food. We managed to stumble across VIP (Very Italian Pizza) which is a family-run restaurant using homemade ingredients from the family farm in Naples, Italy. Having been to Italy twice this year alone I can vouch for the pizza – it was honestly so delicious and so authentic with fresh ingredients and homemade sourdough crust. The restaurant also has a really cosy atmosphere and the prices are really reasonable as well. For wine and a huge delicious pizza I think I paid £12.
We followed up our late lunch with coffee at Redroaster Café which is Brighton’s most Instagramable café for sure. The interiors are beautiful and the coffee is excellent. They also have great cocktails and a Thai food menu that you can order from in the evening.
After that it was a walk to the seaside for us. It’s nice being able to access the sea so close to Brighton – what’s a one-hour train ride after all? The wind was quite strong the day we visited so the waves were rough and wild – quite a sight to see! If you do have time make sure you have a stroll down the Brighton boardwalk and get yourself an ice cream cone if the weather suits.
Another great area to explore is The Lanes in Brighton which have so many amazing little shops and restaurants. It’s a historic quarter with twisting lanes and back alleyways full of bars, cafes and shops. It’s definitely a great place to get lost for a few hours. Browsing heaven indeed.
After all the walking around in Brighton we headed back to Jurys Inn to settle down in the Dream Bed in our room. By Dream Bed I mean the softest mattress, duvet and about 6 HUGE pillows which are so cosy it’s like being wrapped in a cloud. With the gusty wind outside we were more than happy to settle into bed and turn on Freeview, which is available in all the rooms. And if you feel hungry, Jurys Inn Brighton has a room service menu you can order from so you will never feel a hunger pain! There are food options within the hotel as well at Oddsocks Bar and Kitchen with a bar menu available all day as well as a seasonal restaurant menu from 6pm.
***
The next morning we woke up, having slept well in our cosy dream bed and headed downstairs for breakfast. Jurys Inn Brighton has a big breakfast buffet with hot food such as eggs (scrambled, fried or poached), sausages (both meat and veggie), etc. as well as fresh fruit and coffee. You can also order Costa coffee like I did from the Costa Coffee bar for an extra charge but if you are picky about coffee well then it’s always worth it! I had mushrooms, tomatoes and two eggs on toast for my breakfast, going the healthier route as usual.
After breakfast we decided to explore a bit more of Brighton before heading back to London. We were able to leave our suitcases at Jurys Inn as well so if you do want to stay a bit longer in the city after check-out you can store your luggage which is really convenient.
We headed to the Brighton Royal Pavilion to see the architecture which was beautiful and it was so nice to have a stroll in the park and watch the squirrels play. The Brighton Royal Pavilion was originally built as a seaside pleasure palace for King George IV and you can really see architectural influence from both India and China in its structure.
We also took one last stroll along the seafront before heading back to Jurys Inn to pick up our suitcases and head back to busy London. If you are looking for a lovely UK weekend break then Brighton is such a nice place to visit! You can also look for other ideas in terms of what to see around Brighton in the Brighton City Guide on the Jurys Inn Website.
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @beautyrocksblog where you can see all my videos from my weekend break in Brighton on my Instagram bio under the highlight reel ‘Brighton’.
