Grand Hotel (Brighton)

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The Grand Hotel is a 5-star hotel in Brighton on the south coast of England. It is located along the seafront road called 'Kings Road'. It is one of many hotels which are all situated along this road. It is also called the 'De Vere Grand', which is the sign on the front of the building, but is more commonly known as just The Grand.

The hotel was built in 1864 and was designed by architect John Whichcord. It was originally built for the upper classes staying in Brighton and is one of the most expensive hotels in the city.

The Grand Hotel, Brighton, 2004

There are 200 rooms in the Grand Hotel, Brighton, comprising: 8 Inland Singles, 115 Inland Twin and Double Rooms, 31 Sea view Twin and Double Rooms, 42 Sea view Deluxe Rooms.

The hotel was bombed by the IRA on the early morning of October 12, 1984, in an attempt to assassinate Margaret Thatcher during the Conservative Party conference. Thatcher survived the bombing. Five people died in the attack, including Roberta Wakeham, wife of the government's Chief Whip John Wakeham, and the Conservative MP Sir Anthony Berry. A prominent member of the Cabinet, Norman Tebbit, was injured, along with his wife Margaret, who was left paralysed. Thatcher insisted that the conference open on time the next day and made her speech as planned in defiance of the bombers, a gesture which won widespread approval across the political spectrum.

See Brighton hotel bombing for more information.