Artist Residence Brighton Blogger Review

Despite being a predominantly personal-style focused blogger, the types of posts that I enjoy reading the most are hotel reviews and mini restaurant write ups. Most of my days are consumed by the ‘New In’ sections of Mango and Zara, whilst simultaenously having a Net-A-Porter window open and trying to match up the pieces for the best high-end dupes – this is so much the case, that when I see a London hotel review pop up on my Twitter feed, I instantly click in. The nosey neighbour in me loves to see inside each of the rooms, relishing the decor and personality and adding each to my list of must-visits. That being said, it’s strange that I do so few of these reviews myself. The stubborn businesswoman in me simply doesn’t want to work for free, but the blogger and writer is dying to share each Insta-worthy detail and unique little quirk.

As such, this year I’m endeavouring to post more hotel and restaurant reviews. I’ll hardly be taking the place of Time Out and I doubt my write-ups will be hitting the desks of The Guardian, but hopefully they will be perfect if you’re looking for somewhere aesthetically pleasing that will rake in the love on social. They’ll also be honest about the availability of milk in the room and the accessibility of mayonnaise at dinner time – you know, the important stuff.

Today we’re kicking off with a review of Artist Residence, the much loved and much shared gaff that overlooks the seafront in Brighton. K and I headed there a few weeks back for a long weekend to celebrate my 23rd birthday (still my birthday month, I’m not letting it go) and as soon as we decided on Brighton, I knew this is where I wanted to stay. From exposed brick walls to distressed wood and a neon-lit cafe/bar, it’s a blogger’s paradise and perfect for a few days of shameless snacking and napping. Price wise we got a decent discount because they were doing various constructions works throughout the hotel, none of which affected us in any way and very few of which we even saw. Having done a little bit of research today, for the same room and length of stay, prices vary from £200-300 depending on the month and availability. For a few night’s this is quite pricey, but split between two or as a treat, it’s well worth the cash money.

Now for the all important 3 B’s – bedroom, bar and breakfast. Despite the moniker of ‘Tiny Arty Sea View’, our room was not as a small as we expected. There wasn’t room for some spontaneous aerobics, but there was a little desk and chair, space around both sides of the bed and a full length mirror by the door. The double window looked out onto the Regency Square Garden and across to the sea, although this was slightly obstructed by the eyesore that is the new British Airways i360.

Nonetheless our little cubby hole was well equipped with faux fur rug, blanket, flat screen TV and a mini-fridge stocked to the brim. Local teas and coffees were provided and the milk came in a little carton as opposed to those useless sachets, which, for anyone that has ever stayed in a hotel ever will know make for two mugs of tea and nothing else. This meant we didn’t have to ring down to reception every time we had a cuppa to ask for more rations, which, as minor as it sounds, was a God-send. The bed was comfy, the room was warm and the decor was lovely enough to warrant many an Instagram snap – the only negative I can point out is that the bathroom door works on a slider system of sorts, and ours not being so tightly attached, it literally fell off the wall and onto a sleeping Keiran as I tried to sneak out of the shower without waking him up. Warranted, it was fucking hilarious at the time, but had it knocked him on the block, it might not have been such a lol moment.

Breakfast is included in every stay and can be enjoyed in the cafe on the ground floor, with a suitably hipster menu of pancakes, poached eggs and limitless lattes which means you won’t have to go scouring for that perfect brunch spot. The Cocktail Shack bar was an unexpected and surprising addition to our two night stay, and though the menu is pretty limited (think 6 or so unique cocktail choices and then your usual mixers, wines and beers), we headed down here each night before dinner for a well-enjoyed tipple or two.

All in all Artist Residence did not disappoint, and if I’m ever feeling a bit flush in the future, I might indulge in one of the Bigger House Sea View rooms which feature stand-alone bathtubs *dream*. If you’re heading down to Brighton soon or considering a mini-break but not sure where to go, I’d definitely recommend this as your base of action, especially if you’re looking to get some good content for the ‘gram.  

Book your rooms here: http://rstyle.me/n/cgdi5wbzygf