STAY No.124 by GuestHouse: A Chic Boutique Retreat Redefining Quiet Luxury on Brighton’s Iconic Seafront

No. 124 by GuestHouse

The latest addition to Brighton seafront is a contemporary home-from -home with plenty of charm.

photo: @guesthousehotels

Tucked behind a classic Regency townhouse façade and confidently standing alongside its storied neighbours - Hilton's Double Tree Hotel and the Grand - the elegant yet contemporary No.124 is a standout newcomer to Brighton’s vibrant hotel scene. In fact, Brighton earned a spot among the UK’s top ten cities in Condé Nast Traveller’s 2005 Readers’ Choice Awards, while No.124, along with its acclaimed Pearly Cow restaurant and Field Trip Spa, was named the definitive place to stay and dine in this eclectic city.

photo: @guesthousehotels

As Adam Rice, No.124's amiable hotel manager, notes: “We like to think of it as a contemporary home-from-home with a refined edge and a side of rock' n'roll.” After countless brainstorming sessions in its vibrant drawing room, the Brighton Curated team can vouch for this. With its teal-coloured walls, David Shrigley artworks and feathered faux peacocks perched atop the mantelpiece, there's more than a hint of a cool private members' club about it, Mayfair’s The Arts Club, maybe, or dare we say it, a far less pretentious Soho House.

photo: @guesthousehotels

When the lights go down, the atmosphere adjusts accordingly. Think soft velvet sofas, flickering candlelight and a drinks list featuring Brighton Gin and sparkling wines from leading Sussex vineyards, Ridgeview Wine Estate and Everflyht. Mixology-maestro Josh Williams knows how to shake a zesty tipple or two. Might we suggest the aptly named 'Seaside Martini', a blend of Brighton Gin, Nori Dolin, Pear Eau de Vie and pineapple to get you in the holiday mood.  

photo: @guesthousehotels

Keeping things local is at the heart of this boutique hotel, which also has outposts in Margate, Bath and York. Downstairs in Brighton's seductive Pearly Cow restaurant, Chef Andrew MacKenzie serves shellfish locally sourced from Fish, an established fishmongers close to Hove Lagoon, artfully arranged on ice and the finest cuts of meat from Horsham's Trenchmore Farm, cooked over an open flame. FYI, Sunday roasts here with all the trimmings, cauliflower cheese and pillowy Yorkshire puddings, are not to be missed. Plus, the ample cheese board comes courtesy of The Cheese Man, the insider's cheese shop, also located by Hove Lagoon. Even the in-room refreshments, most notably Hoogly Tea, is sourced from less than a mile away. The brand's founder and former chef Tina Gloggengieser, creates pudding-inspired blends such as Baked Apple Chai from a studio in Preston Park. 

 photo: @guesthousehotels

Meanwhile, each of the 32 rooms is unique, though milky pastel-coloured walls, ship's varnish floors and soft drapes run throughout. Other room touches include Crosley record players and a selection of retro vinyl. Of the three suites, The Guest Room really stands out. This spacious double is designed to interconnect with large guest rooms and, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, boasts dreamy sea views of the West Pier and beyond. Another plus is the bijoux veranda, just big enough to accommodate two chairs and an all-important drinks table.

  photo: @guesthousehotels

And then there’s the No.124 Field Trip Spa, a hidden gem reached through a secret flint-walled garden. In this first-floor sanctuary, take your pick from a variety of body scrubs and facials featuring sustainably sourced ingredients, or opt for the Copper Cove Experience for two. The latter includes bubbles of both the fizzy and bubbly bath kind as you soak in a high-sided copper tub. Afterwards, drift off with a blissful 90-minute massage on side-by-side therapy beds.

photo: @guesthousehotels

Whether you are a day tripper, guest or local, No. 124 is the ultimate escape. And when Pearly Cow Brighton's sea view terrace reopens in time for spring, where better place to spend long, lazy brunches, lunches, and sundowner soirees?

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