Grand Brighton hotel to auction off furniture ahead of revamp

The Grand Brighton hotel is to auction off some of its furniture ahead of a major refurbishment starting in January next year.

The seafront hotel first opened in 1864 to cater to a surge in wealthy Victorian holidaymakers and featured the first working lift outside of London.

In February, it was sold to Fattal Group, owner of Leonardo Hotels UK and Ireland, which said it planned to "invest significantly" in the property to retain its "iconic status".

The Grand appeared in the 1979 British film Quadrophenia and famous guests over the years have included ABBA, who stayed at the property after winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton. Numerous politicians have spent the night at the hotel during the party conference season, and it was the site of an IRA assassination attempt against Margaret Thatcher in 1984.

As part of the revamp, all 201 bedrooms will be upgraded for the first time since 2019 with a range of luxury furniture going under the hammer.

"This is an exceptional opportunity to acquire furniture from one of the city's most iconic hotels," said Simon Rose, managing director of Pro Auction.

The first phase of the auction is scheduled for 19 December and will feature furniture from the hotel's guest bedrooms including beds, bedside tables, wardrobes, desks and chairs.

Subsequent sales will occur every five weeks starting from March 2024.

Fattal is understood to have acquired the Grand for £50m - £60m. The hotel was last sold by De Vere to privately-owned British firm Wittington Investments in 2014 for an estimated £50m.