Life’s a beach in Brighton and Hove

From beach fun to gay nightlife and a real-life pleasure palace, Brighton is definitely the place to party. With its exotic mash-up of elaborately ornate Indian design and over-the-top Chinoiserie, the Royal Pavilion epitomises the pleasure-seeking lifestyle that the Prince Regent, who commissioned it, loved to lead. If you want to live life to the full and to be bold, bright and fabulous there’s nowhere better than Brighton and Hove.

The area is teeming with fun, quirky and cool places to be and to be seen. With one of the UK’s biggest gay communities, you can expect everything from the classy to bohemian to kitsch and a wealth of gay-friendly bars, pubs, clubs, shops and hotels. There are regular, colourful events all year round and gay-friendly nights at many of the city’s other clubs and music venues.

Under the Victorian arches below the promenade, you can party into the small hours. The early birds can also enjoy some café-culture and sip a coffee or freshly made smoothie whilst reading the Sunday papers.

Cuisine

Brighton and Hove is a great place to people watch and it’s busy with cafes, bars and pubs. Sip artisan teas. Try some fruit jelly. Share a slinky cocktail. Grab a sandwich to go. Taste seasonal produce from local organic farms and trusted local suppliers. Enjoy the freshest catch of the day, oysters, market fish or Channel crab at the many seafood brasseries. And there’s nothing better than a bag of hand-warming fish and chips on the end of the wind-blown pier. Vegetarians will love the stylish food on offer too.

Shopping

Retail therapy never becomes a shopping nightmare in Brighton. And it’s not just the high street shops that draw the crowds. Head for The Lanes - a warren of alleyways and narrow thoroughfares lined with little shops perfect for gifts, jewellery and antiques. In the North Laine you’ll find boho styles, alternative chic and handcrafted homewares.

One-off boutiques and unique shops really sets Brighton apart from fashionable Bond Street to arty Kensington Street and the vintage chic of Sydney Street and Gloucester Road. From purse-friendly to budget-blowing, you'll quickly fall in love with shopping in Brighton.

Sea City

This is a city by the sea so make sure you visit the funfair and the iconic Brighton Pier and the sandy stretch for vigorous beach activity. There’s loads on offer for everyone - hire bikes and try water sports all year round.

Near the Royal Pavilion you’ll find the cultural quarter of shops and galleries including the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery - a wonderland for art nouveau and 20^th century decorative art and design. Don’t miss the puppet and mask collections too.

On the lower promenade close to the pier you’ll find the Artist Quarter - home of many little galleries and workshops nestled in the old fisherman’s storage arches.

Brighton abounds with expression and creativity - why not see a play at a tiny theatre in an 18th century pub or comedy in a club setting too.

In May the city gears up for the Brighton Festival. The spring is busy with the Festival’s Fringe but all year round there are annual events from parties on the beach to motor rallies and spectacular lantern parades. To discover more than 1400 spot-on ideas for short breaks, just go to www.visitengland.com/morecities and be inspired. See you soon.

Leonardo Hotel Brighton is ideally situated in the heart of the city, giving you a great location to start exploring all that Brighton has to offer.