UK: No. 124 by GuestHouse, Brighton to open on the Brighton beachfront

Posted in News on 8 October, 2024

New coastal hotel No. 124 by GuestHouse, Brighton will open next month for overnight guests, day visitors and locals.

A new Bar, Terrace, Lounge, Games Room, Pearly Cow restaurant and Courtyard will open first, soon to be followed by FieldTrip Spa and spacious Hideout Suites.

The latest hotel to date by GuestHouse, No. 124, Brighton is perfectly placed in the cultural hub of the UK. Characterised by sweeping sea views looking out across the English Channel, No. 124, Brighton is a 32-bedroom hotel including three indulgent suites. A regency-style building, the façade straddles three Victorian and Georgian townhouses which have been lovingly restored by the GuestHouse design team to embrace the city’s colourful personality and vibrant history. Playful quirks in each room (and across all GuestHouse properties) include in-room record players and help yourself pantries.

The opening of No.124, Brighton is the group’s fourth and biggest project to date.

No. 124, Brighton is a 32-bedroom hotel including three indulgent suites.

Playful quirks in each room include in-room record players and help yourself pantries.

Rooms
There are 32 rooms are spread across four floors and split into six categories, each prioritising guest experience and making efficient use of space, including underbed storage and carefully planned vanity areas for a clutter-free stay. The front rooms are designed to be a neutral backdrop to the wonderful seascape that they frame. While the back rooms have a richer colour palette and layered finishes to add cosiness, with seaweed inspired wallpaper and playful, George inspired tapestries. A Charleston colour palette is paired with shapes and textures inspired by the pavilion – found in the mirrors and lamp shades. Local fabric designer Beki Bright provided the cushion fabric, Ceramics and accessories are sourced from local shops Phohm and Rural Simplicity.

The Hideout
The Hideout Suite on the ground floor is accessed by its own dedicated sea-front entrance, as well as through a hidden connecting door into reception. The suite features a super king bedroom with walk-in wardrobe, a separate lounge with its very own Pantry, beautiful bar cabinet, cocktail making station, kitchenette, plus a sumptuous copper bath and wet room, with gorgeously big windows.

Ground Floor
Upon entering the Regency-style building, guests are welcomed into a spacious reception, designed to feel like entering someone’s home with a large dining table and chairs, wood panelling, and art and sculptures by local creatives. The lounge spaces respect the original layouts of the Regency townhouses. A bar-lounge area sports a darker evening aesthetic that seats up to 22 guests, with a connected games room, featuring walls lined with shelves holding vintage games, chess board tables and vintage armchairs. Ethically stuffed Peacocks and miniature ships with bespoke sails sit proudly above the fireplaces, and fabrics by local designer Alessandra Chambers are chosen for the cushions. Unexpected elements such as a giant disco ball suspended above the reception desk and light up helter-skelters atop the bar reference the flamboyance and eccentricity associated with Brighton, spearheaded by the Palace Pier.

Courtyard
The Courtyard marks the transition between the original buildings and the new spa building. With a fully glazed roof bridging the gap, the space has been imagined as a winter garden that can be used for lounging, dining or events with a capacity to seat up to 30 guests. The walls retain the exterior finishes and the space is filled with greenery, featuring a tree in the centre.

Pearly Cow
Spread across four bays on the lower floor, is Pearly Cow, a 65-cover restaurant dedicated to honouring local produce from field and sea. It is a moody, atmospheric space with a dark palette, wooden floor, low lighting and heavy fabrics. The walls have been used to celebrate local art and the back bar has a showpiece by UK stained-glass maker Jack Brindley. In an inviting space to the side of the restaurant is a private dining room with capacity to seat up to 16 guests and an attached area for guests to gather and enjoy pre-dinner drinks.

The Terrace
The outdoor Terrace Bar is an equally stylish space with extra-large striped umbrellas with heaters, layers of characterful fabrics, marble-top tables, and wildflowers that take inspiration from the garden at Charleston. The terrace has 45 covers, an outdoor kitchen including a woodfired oven, and beers on tap.

Field Trip Spa
Accessed from a dedicated rear entrance with wildflower garden or through the hotel is Field Trip, GuestHouse’s holistic wellness concept which is part of the modern extension. The interiors are a juxtaposition of heavy materials and translucent ethereality – heavy flint and raked concrete textures at ground floor and perforated metal, translucent hanging fabrics on the first floor. There are three treatment rooms and two double treatment rooms – one of which contains a now signature copper bathtub for a blissful saltwater bathing experience – there is also a relaxation area to further enhance any treatment.

Ahead of opening
Ben Swindells has been appointed as Hotel Director for No.124, Brighton with further senior hires to be announced in the coming weeks. Swindells joined GuestHouse Hotels as Group Operations Director in October 2023, having held senior positions at various established hotels and hospitality companies. He will now take on the additional role of Hotel Director, overseeing the hotel’s bedrooms, F&B offering, Pearly Cow restaurant and all weddings and events. Ben brings with him a solid understanding of the group’s exciting position in the market, bringing one off boutique hotels to Britain’s most happening hotspots.

Ben Swindells says: “We’re thrilled to bring No. 124 by GuestHouse to Brighton, a city that perfectly aligns with our vision of creating vibrant, one-of-a-kind boutique hotels. We’ve assembled a passionate team dedicated to creating a hotel that truly reflects the city’s diverse and colourful character. The local community has been incredibly supportive, and we’re excited to collaborate with local suppliers to offer our guests an authentic Brighton experience. We believe this city has been waiting for a place like No. 124 – where locals and visitors alike can enjoy a warm, welcoming space full of personality.”

The opening of No.124, Brighton is the group’s fourth and biggest project to date, enriching Brighton’s hospitality scene with GuestHouse Hotels’ signature laid back luxury and characterful offering. Designed to be the new flagship property of GuestHouse Hotels, the group is now headquartered in Brighton.

guesthousehotels.co.uk

About GuestHouse
GuestHouse is a boutique hotel group bringing one-off hotels to historic buildings on Britain’s most desirable streets. The owners and visionaries behind the brand are the three Guest brothers (Tristan, James and Tom) who are on a mission to develop a new generation of upscale hotels that will offer guests all that is lovely about the traditional guest house experience but with added elements of luxury for all to indulge in and enjoy. The opening of No. 124 by GuestHouse Brighton marks the latest steps in GuestHouse’s exciting expansion journey, following No. 1 by GuestHouse, York, No. 15 by GuestHouse, Bath and No. 42 by GuestHouse, Margate.

GuestHouse will continue to cherry-pick iconic buildings in the heart of cities and reimagine them on the inside to create a sense of being perfectly at home, while at the same time bringing surprises and treats to hotel guests and the local community alike. While every GuestHouse hotel will encompass shared values and commitments to its guests, each will be one-off and true to its location. With imaginative interiors and playful touches (like help yourself pantries and in-room record players), GuestHouse properties are in-keeping with their surroundings and respect the heritage of their iconic buildings. When guests walk through the doors, they enter a colourful and creative world inspired by greatness of each place which emphasises the loveliness of each building and is fully considerate of the happiness of each guest. Engaging staff, imaginative design details and surprising finds within the hotels match the uniqueness of the cities outside, and the Guest brothers are enlisting regional makers and community artists to use the hotels as a showcase of local talent.