A Family Stay at Brighton YHA 

June 13, 2017

Sleeps: up to 8 in a room. 

Location: Brighton seafront.

Price: From £45 for a family room for 4. 

This review is based on a room for 4 with a travel cot. The room was priced at £145 for 5 of us on a Saturday night in May Half Term. 

Brighton YHA could not be in a better location. Situated a stone’s throw from the seafront and a short walk from Brighton’s shops, bars and restaurants Brighton YHA is the perfect base for families to explore the city without little legs having to walk too far! 

Welcome to YHA Brighton

We visited the hostel over May half term to see how well YHA cater for families. Our party consisted of my husband and I, Logan (20 months), Daisy (7) and Morris (12). We enjoyed a fantastic stay at the YHA Eden Project last Summer so the children already had an understanding of how hosteling works and were really excited about the trip.

Our Little Backpackers

The grand, Regency style building made a great first impression. The entrance of the hotel is very smart and flanked with pillars feeling more like a typical city hotel than a hostel. As we enter the main hall the grandeur continues with marbles floors and rustic wood panelling. We are welcomed at the desk by a friendly Kiwi receptionist. He fills us in on details of our room, where we can get a bite to eat and times breakfast is served. Eager to get rid of some of our heavy bags we head straight upstairs to settle in. 

Views to the Pier

Half way up the stairs we are greeted with a sweeping view of the seafront and the Pier. Carrying on to our hunt for our room we follow long hotel corridors passing the odd hen party banner on bedroom doors and other friendly guests. On entering our family room I’m surprised at how it feels more like a hotel rather than a hostel. The entrance takes us along a short hallway to find a large family bathroom…including a bath (you might assume a family room had a bath…but I’ve come across many that don’t!) The bathroom fittings are smart chrome and the bathroom fresh and clean. Towels are not provided although they are available for an additional cost if you don’t bring your own. 

Smart Family Bathroom

The bedrooms are bright, light and spacious. Two sets of bunk beds lined the walls each made up with the YHA bright green linen. There was also plenty of storage with a lockable chest under each bed and a large wardrobe. Logan had a travel cot provided which was set up by the window. Often, when we stay in a hotel as a family we feel cramped in a family room with the double bed and z-beds taking up all the floor space…but this felt spacious despite 5 of us sharing. Again the room was clean and well presented…there were a few features that were a bit tired..like the radiator cover and scratched wallpaper…but this is a hostel NOT a hotel which is easy to forget when the rooms and facilities are of the standard that Brighton YHA has to offer. 




We were worried that being located right in the heart of the city would mean a sleepless night…but we experienced quite the opposite! Despite being able to see fringe events from our bedroom window we found that by 11pm the noise was bearable outside. The air conditioning provided in the rooms also meant that we could happily close our window and still feel comfortable. 

Watching the action from our window

Downstairs there is an really bright and airy lounge area. There is a friendly, laid back feel throughout the communal areas and we found that other guests were welcoming of our children (and their noise!) The children particularly enjoyed playing table football in the bar area. 

Table Football

The bar is open to residents 24 hours a day offering a range of hot and cold drinks as well as bespoke pizzas, tapas and burger options. Of course….as with any hostel…there is a well equipped self catering kitchen available if you would prefer to cook for yourself with seating for up to 12 people. 

Bar and Lounge Areas

We didn’t eat dinner at the hostel but we did indulge in their full English breakfast. Again, this is an additional cost of £6.25 for adults and £3.25 for children. I thought this to be really reasonable…especially for the children who enjoyed the whole range of hot options they had on offer. If you are organised (unlike us) you can book breakfast online at the time of booking and save an additional 10% off the full price. 

Child’s Breakfast for £3.25

We really enjoyed our stay at Brighton YHA. As a family we like the laid back welcoming approach that we don’t always find in smarter hotels. The facilities and rooms exceeded our expectations and the location could not have been more central. I would highly recommend using Brighton YHA as a family base for exploring the city…if you book out of season you can find a family room for 4 for as little as £45 / night! Please check their website for the latest offers and availability. 


5 Tips for a Family Stay at YHA Brighton

1) Bring your own towels

2) Book breakfast online in advance to save 10% 

3) Parking in Central Brighton overnight can be expensive so check online for the best prices car parks

4) Explore different dates and room options when booking to get the best price

5) Consider bringing your own food to cook in the communal kitchen saving the stress of eating out 

We received a complimentary stay with Brighton YHA in exchange for this review. All views and opinions are my own.


7 Comments

  • Lisa Jane

    June 20, 2017 at 12:29 pm

    I’m really impressed with the facilities. You wouldn’t expect a hostel to have a bar and the table football is great for kids too;) Great tips for other families staying to. The location couldn’t be any better! Thanks for linking to #MondayEscapes

  • Nell (Pigeon Pair and Me)

    June 20, 2017 at 1:30 pm

    We’ve stayed in a couple of youth hostels, and they can be great for families. I do like the relaxed vibe. This one sounds great – good to be so central, but still quiet. #MondayEscapes

  • Joanne Brady

    June 21, 2017 at 8:30 am

    we LOVE YHA! We have stayed at one in Yorkshire – Grinton Lodge – which is in such a very different place to Brighton, but the standard of rooms, the communal areas, and the friendly vibe sound very much the same. We would go back again and have started to look at YHA as our first choice whenever we go anywhere, before we start looking into hotels. As a family of six, YHA is much better value than hotels or B&Bs, which often can’t accommodate us in the first place.

  • Mini Travellers

    June 21, 2017 at 10:31 am

    Gosh that YHA looks brilliant. We did some YHA says in Icelanf but have never actually done it in the UK, I think we may try it! Thanks for linking up to #MondayEscapes

  • Holly Shannon

    June 21, 2017 at 2:37 pm

    I never realised the YHA caters for families, good to know as I have a lot of relatives dying to visit Brighton but I have no space to put them up 🙂 xx

  • Claire at Tin Box Traveller

    June 21, 2017 at 10:38 pm

    What a great location and facilities for the price. It makes a city centre stay really affordable for families #MondayEscapes

  • beatravelling

    June 23, 2017 at 9:18 pm

    Good-looking YHA! It can be just as amazing as a fancy hotel, and sometimes even better!

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