Brighton

The Grand Hotel is a Victorian hotel in Brighton on the south coast of England. It is located on Kings Road, the main carriageway along the seafront; one of several major hotels along this road. Following the fashion to include a hotel's parent company in its name, it is also known as the De Vere Grand, but is more colloquially known by locals as simply The Grand. It was awarded 5 star status in 1988, but has recently gone out of ratings due to lack of investment.

The hotel was designed by architect John Whichcord, and built in 1864 on the site occupied previously by a battery house. It was originally built for members of the upper classes visiting Brighton and remains one of the most expensive hotels in the town. Amongst its advance engineering features at the time was the "Vertical Omnibus", a hydraulically powered lift operated thanks to "Monster cisterns" in the roof. This was the first lift built in the UK outside London where only two others had been installed.