Port Hotel and Eastbourne.
As the needle hit the record and Bill Withers filled the high ceilinged room I lifted the sizeable sash window to take in the view from a beautifully designed room in Eastbourne’s newest hotel, Port. Seeing the potential in Eastbourne, property developer Peter Cadwallader teamed up with a carefully selected crew to bring something new to this South Coast town in the hope others will follow and put Eastbourne on the map again.
Having worked with Port over some months creating a body of photography for their launch they gifted me a stay while I explored Eastbourne some more in research for an article I was writing. My week had been busy and I was relishing the idea of a Friday night away from home without the feeling of always having something to do next.
I’ve long championed weekend breaks away locally - it’s so easy to overlook our local areas and often find ourselves booking time away in further flung places but these mini local breaks not only give us an opportunity to reset without the stress of a long journey but also to become acquainted with what’s on our doorstep while feeling like you could be a million miles away.
In the months working with Port I got really curious about Eastbourne - the light is beautiful here and there are so many places and things to discover. Not least the brilliant local businesses popping up - Eastbourne is a creative town and has a real down to earth feel about it.
After a rainy walk on Butt’s Brow with a friend I drenched myself in the shower in preparation for a date. Wrapped in a thick, fluffy towel I flicked on the HAY kettle and dug into the supply of Hoogly tea. The sun had decided to make an appearance and it turned out to be a brilliant evening to take pictures. My date was patient while I clicked away at the palms on the hazy seafront and also generous with some knowledge about local life.
Saying our goodbyes I headed back into the hotel to take advantage of room service. Sitting by the huge bay windows eating the most generous and delicious salad looking down onto the seafront I observed the light get more and more magic and the tide get further out. I couldn’t let the opportunity to get some more pictures go so headed back down to catch the sunset while walking bare foot along the sand.
Heading back to Port I was excited about locking the door behind me, running a bath and sinking into the huge bed. Everything at Port has been sourced lovingly - the food, the interiors and the alcohol. Imran Ismail is the interior designer on Port and he has thought of everything - clever places to keep your stuff, minimal design that’s easy on the eye and bespoke design like the poured concrete basins in the bathrooms.
I did get that bath and it was every bit as lush as I hoped. Sinking into the delicious bed I selected some music and journaled the hell out of something that had been on my mind and I settled in for some zeds.
Waking up in a room bigger than my whole flat is a strange experience but none one I took for granted. After an early morning walk along the beach, I went back to bed with my cuppa and my book. When check out time came around I headed to the terrace to grab one of the legendary hash breakfast baps and loading my bags up in the van I headed into town to explore. It was raining on and off but I loved it all the same.
There is so much to do in Eastbourne - from picking round the many furniture charity shops to browsing the Indies in Little Chelsea and on Grove Road. Of course, don’t miss the Towner Gallery nor any of the beautiful gardens within the town. I’ve written more on Brighton on the Inside.
A huge applause to Port for going against the grain and carrying on with the vision despite the resistance from locals (the colour of the front was controversial) and creating a buzz round this wonderful town.
If you want to see me in action using the room check out my reel.