Where to Stay in Brighton: The Best Neighborhoods & Hotels

The Best Neighborhoods to Stay in Brighton

• Seafront: Perfect for first-time visitors! Right on the water and the ideal base for sightseeing and beach days – Hotel Du Vin
• North Laine: For those who like something different! Quirky shops, cafés, and bars with a cool vibe – Mrs Butler’s Mews House
• Kemptown: Blend in with the locals! A mix of beach, sightseeing, and authentic Brighton – Drakes Hotel

The Best Neighborhoods to Stay in Brighton on a Map

To help you get your bearings, we’ve marked the neighborhoods on a map.

Staying on the Seafront

We recommend staying on Brighton’s Seafront if it’s your first time in the city and your plans include sightseeing and beach days.

The Seafront runs west along the beach from Brighton Palace Pier. From here you get the best views of the sea, and there are multiple access points to the beach — which is practically right at your doorstep.

This is also where you’ll find the city’s most important attractions, like the piers and the Brighton i360 observation tower.

And food? You can grab something delicious on just about every corner. Fish and chips or a big soft-serve ice cream on the beach taste especially good — or honestly, why not both? Just watch out for the seagulls!

Advantages of staying on the Seafront:

• Right on the water
• Beach at your doorstep
• Many attractions nearby
• Great starting point for further sightseeing

Disadvantages of staying on the Seafront:

• Very touristy
• You won’t get an authentic Brighton experience here

Our Hotel Recommendations for the Seafront

Staying in North Laine

North Laine is the right base if you want to discover Brighton’s alternative, lively side — think cool secondhand shops, quirky cafés, and live street music around every corner.

North Laine is a trendy neighborhood with a strong artistic influence, centered around the pedestrian zone of Kensington Gardens. Countless cultures come together here, and it’s genuinely one of the most interesting parts of the city to explore.

You can browse secondhand stores, eat at one-of-a-kind restaurants, and catch street musicians doing their thing. It’s no surprise that North Laine is considered a real Brighton highlight in its own right.

The beach is a bit farther away, but buses run frequently and the walk down to the coast is genuinely lovely — so you won’t mind it.

Advantages of staying in North Laine:

• You get to experience alternative Brighton
• Great shops for unique souvenirs
• Incredibly varied things to do
• Supports sustainable, independent businesses

Disadvantages of staying in North Laine:

• On weekends it can get loud late into the night
• The beach is about a 20-minute walk away
• Accommodation here tends to be a bit pricier

Our Hotel Recommendations for North Laine

Staying in Kemptown

Kemptown is the right choice if you want to experience Brighton in all its authentic glory — away from the tourist crowds.

Kemptown sits along Brighton Beach and gives you the beach, a bit of sightseeing, and cool bars all wrapped up in a pleasantly quiet residential area. It’s the perfect blend of everything the city has to offer, without feeling like you’re in a theme park.

There are loads of beautiful historic Regency-style houses here, and the LGBTQ+ community has such a strong presence that there’s no shortage of colorful bars to explore.

The biggest draw of Kemptown is definitely how easy it is to mix with the locals and see a side of Brighton that most visitors miss entirely.

And if you do feel like sightseeing, the piers and the city center are easily walkable from here.

Advantages of staying in Kemptown:

• Quiet, attractive residential area
• Authentic Brighton, away from the tourist crowds
• Great location close to the beach
• Plenty of cafés and bars
• City center is easily reachable on foot

Disadvantages of staying in Kemptown:

• Hardly any major attractions in the immediate vicinity

Our Hotel Recommendations for Kemptown

Practical Tips for Staying in Brighton

To wrap things up, here are a few practical pointers for your trip to Brighton:

Tourist Tax in Brighton

So far, Brighton — like many other British cities — does not charge a tourist tax. That said, it’s quite possible this will change in the near future. In the UK, Manchester led the way in 2023, introducing a charge of £1 per night.

The Cheapest Months to Stay in Brighton

Your Brighton trip will be most affordable in the winter months from December through February — after all, swimming isn’t really on the cards then.

But there’s still plenty to discover, and the beach is peaceful and wonderfully uncrowded. Traveling outside peak season always has its perks.