I went for Afternoon Tea that was a gift and it was very good. Service was excellent and the food was lovely. My only criticism is that the scone wasn't warm, but was otherwise very nice. Would definitely recommend. One star deducted for location just because it is far away along the seafront and up a hill.

A beautifully located hotel with a great terrace overlooking the sea where you can dine. Food was excellent. The cod loin was the best I have had. Perfectly cooked. Service was a little slow outside on the terrace but seemed very good inside

We had afternoon tea in the conservatory. The staff were extremely welcoming. We had a wonderful view of the gardens, croquet pitch and out to sea. The tea was delicious. I am a fussy eater but I had no problems and was able to eat it all. Looking forward to visiting again.

Nice location and a nice old world feel about it. The staff were friendly and the location is good. The beds are small (I'd say double rather than queen) and the hotel is a bit tired. The lifts are ridiculous. I mean ridiculous. You can just about get one person and a pram in them as long as you hold the prM up at an angle. No chance you're getting a mobility scooter in there (given this is Eastbourne that's half the potential clientele). The main lift was unable to get to the 3rd floor despite us trying repeatedly. Shower pressure meek, bring your own gowns. We also got over charged. Not an issue, they made good, but just something else to deal with. Parking is on the street, and plentiful.

My wife and I decided we needed an Autumn Break and have had family lunch gatherings at the Hydro in recent years, chose a 4 night dinner, bed and breakfast offer. Highly recommended choice, booked on line received telephone call to check and confirm all details. All staff helpful, friendly & very professional. The food is top quality in choice, presentation and taste. Our sea view room very comfortable. This hotel must be one of the best in Eastbourne

I was here for the afternoon for a function. The hotel looked immaculate and had a really nice ambience to it. Food was great however bar service good, could of been better as we had to wait for someone to come back to the bar now and again. Seemed they may have had been short staffed on this occasion but I'm not knocking this for the service as I couldn't fault it. Staff were professional and attentive. Positive, prompt and polite at all times.

I had my daughters baby shower in the orangery room. It was fantastic the staff was attentive and very nice. We had the afternoon tea the food was amazing. Compliments to the chef. Anita.

We had a fantastic Sunday lunch - the food was high quality with superb service in a lovely dining room with a pianist to suit the ambience. Very good value too 👍

I did not stay but attended a wedding. Lovely location with beautiful garden and views. Staff were lovely and very attentive and the parts of the hotel i saw were clean and well looked after

I had lunch in the conservatory of the hotel, the dining room and the view over the sea front were absolutely stunning. The slow cooked ox cheeks was delicious. It definitely is on my come back list!

The Hotel is a lovely place. Great views and very comfortable. But prices have increased since lockdown ended, as is the norm in the hospitality businesses. For example £6.20 was charged to my friend for 2 slices of toast, 2 pats of butter and only one preserve. £25 for a bottle of wine when you can buy some of them on line for as little as £4.99 each bottle! I therefore, like many others, do not visit as often as we used to. When we do go then it's usually just a hot drink, no cakes or a main meal. Just a chat and then we leave.

Lovely hotel, great food and great experience, think poirot and immerse yourself. Wish the weather was a bit better as they have a heated pool which I really wanted to use. We will be back. The conservatory views are outstanding!

Room very nice, good location. Swimming pool NOT heated as advertised. Reception didn't seem to know what they were doing when we arrived lots of unnecessary confusion.

Very accommodating to wedding guests, even allowed a small, well behaved dog in as it was pouring with rain & our pre-booked accommodation was at least half hour drive away, so couldn't leave our dog in a strange place for 10hrs. Food & service were superb.

The Hydro Hotel was excellent, the room was very nice with stunning views and the little extra touches by the staff to help us celebrate our anniversary made us feel special, so much so that we are hoping to go back each year to celebrate our anniversary at the hotel. The staff here are so friendly and can't do enough to make your stay perfect. The food in the Crystal restaurant was amazing and the wait staff were very attentive and also went out of their way to make the experience a special one. All staff here really know how to run a hotel to its best ability I can't praise them enough. The location is perfect too, with views of the sea and the downs which make it very peaceful and relaxing, however it's close enough to the town which is only a short drive or 10 minute walk away to go shopping or buy gifts. Next time we hope to stay for longer and try more of what the hotel has to offer.

We were given a voucher for a lunch for 2 as a gift. Making our reservation was straight forward and the receptionist very accommodating. She asked for our voucher code to be put against the reservation. On arrival we were seated in the very nice conservatory. My wife is a vegetarian and we were very pleasantly surprised by the good selection of Vegan options. After a reasonable wait our server asked us if we were ready to order, but we had not been offered a drinks order, which should be the protocol. Anyway we placed our order and in due course our starters were served and later the main courses. Then things seemed to go down hill. After our main course was cleared, we waited for at least 45 minutes for the offer of desert or coffee, but this never happened. We therefore requested the bill and to our surprise, on it's arrival, the voucher had been ignored. This wasn't a problem when we noted it and the server said they would get it sorted. Another long wait and we were told it would be ok. So in summary, nice venue, helpful receptionist, good menu, nice food, poor service.

Living in Eastbourne The Hydro is our “go to” hotel for a break. We have just returned from a night at The Hydro and as normal it did not disappoint. From Emma who took our booking to the staff in the restaurant nothing was too much trouble. A busy weekend with birthday parties and events the staff were as attentive as always and the food was up to its usual high standard. Our room, overlooking the sea was clean , comfortable and quiet. Just what we needed. Would we go back? Absolutely

The food was very good and excellent variety of choice on the menu. Staff very friendly and efficient in all areas Rooms maintained well. Good views and good outside seating area. Only drawback was the water pressure for the shower, not a major issue but could have been better. Will look to have another visit

My work trip was good. The hotel was quiet at this time of the year. A few daytime functions. I worked in Eastbourne 2 of the 3 days. 1 day spent at the hotel. Room was clean. Staff friendly and helpful. Mattress uncomfortable. Told staff tried to add a board under the mattress. Would have maybe expected a little more. Over all beautiful sea views. Room has coffee and a fridge. Desk and seating. Food catered for gluten-free and vegetarians.

Second time I've had lunch here in the conservatory. The food was lovely and reasonably priced. The setting is sophisticated, clean, bright, relaxed with lovely views. The staff are professional and friendly. Only slight negative was the slow service, bit of a wait for food etc but worth the wait.

I had a fantastic Vegan afternoon tea yesterday and it was so delicious. The sandwiches, scones and selection of vegan cakes were a real treat all served on a lovely cake stand with a pot of tea. The atmosphere of the conservatory restaurant was very relaxing and I look forward to returning again.

Just got home from a 2 night Summer Weekend Break to celebrate my parents birthdays. We really enjoyed our stay. Comfy beds, great food, beautiful weather so we loved the outside seating area with awesome views and nice cool drinks! Special thanks to Andrea our waiter who is such a lovely character and was always there for a chat with a big smile. He looked after our group perfectly!

We've just spent 2 wonderful days at the Hydro Hotel to attend a family member's wedding on the premises. We were blessed with beautiful weather and were so impressed with the attentiveness of the staff and the beautiful setting of the hotel. The decor inside is very traditional and probably a tiny bit old fashioned but very clean and well looked after. The outdoor space was outstanding, including the swimming pool which was a good size and heated. All in all a great experience!

Fabulous late Victorian hotel. Still has most of its original features. My Room reflected the period. There is a fabulous new veranda where you can eat. Great food with many gluten free options. Service was impeccable. When we walked in, it looked like a scene was an Agatha Christie novel. Highly recommended.

Our stay was wonderful with a comfy room and great customer service. The food was great and the grounds were very pretty with lots of seats around the edge to enjoy the view and weather. The only down side was the shower, because the water pressure and temperature were increased using the same knob so it was a choice of scalding water or a dribble of water. Apart from that fabulous hotel and service.

We had our wedding at the hotel recently and the venue was perfect for what we wanted. The hotel is grand and well maintained with a wonderful traditional feel to it. The ceremony took place outside which was amazing in a beautiful rose garden with a sea view. Food at the hotel was delicious and very flavoursome. The canopes were amazing and very well presented. The staff couldn't have been any better on the lead up to the event or on the day. They were so helpful and accommodating. Because of all these factors we had the most incredible day and I'd highly recommend the hotel for all sorts of functions or even just a spot of lunch