Hotel Pelirocco

About Hotel Pelirocco

Hotel Pelirocco opened on Regency Square in the late 1990s and has a decent claim to being Brighton's original boutique hotel. It occupies two combined Regency townhouses a few doors from the seafront, and its nineteen bedrooms are each themed around a musician, subculture or piece of pop-culture history - rooms devoted to soul music, rock and roll, burlesque and British seaside kitsch among them.

The themes are done thoroughly rather than as a coat of paint, with commissioned murals, period furniture, record players and, in some rooms, mirrored ceilings or a heart-shaped bath. It is a hotel that knows exactly what it is, and guests either love it or should book somewhere calmer. Practicalities are sound: en-suite bathrooms, good beds and free wifi throughout, and booking direct through the hotel's own site includes breakfast.

The Playstation Bar downstairs serves cocktails to residents and their guests and gives the place a sociable feel in the evening, more like a small members' club than a hotel lounge. Staff are long-serving and know the city well, which is useful for anyone trying to get into a busy restaurant at short notice.

The position at 10 Regency Square is excellent: the beach is a minute away, the Brighton Centre and the conference venues are next door, The Lanes and North Laine are within ten minutes, and the underground car park beneath the square solves the usual Brighton parking problem. It suits couples, groups of friends and anyone in town for a gig or a stag or hen weekend, and is not aimed at families or at very light sleepers on a Saturday night.