Artist Residence

It is a true boutique hotel where no two rooms are the same and each has its own unique quirky style. Around half the rooms are ‘artist’ rooms designed by artists who decorated rooms at the hotel in exchange for a place to stay with each artist giving their room its own individual character and the remainder are ‘house’ rooms featuring retro-style furnishings and limited-edition art on the walls. One of the hotel rooms features a mural designed by Blek le Rat, the French graffiti artist who is considered the father of stencil graffiti and there are also rooms with art by Jo Peel, Fox Fisher, Maria Rivans, Charlie Anderson and Jess Albarn.

The hotel has loads of character with an eclectic design that features reclaimed wood and retro furnishings and a high priority is given to giving the hotel a unique, yet stylish, bohemian ambience.

The 24 hotel rooms all feature an original decor with comfortable beds, a small work desk, a flatscreen television, a Roberts digital radio, tea and coffee making facilities including Nespresso coffee machines and Le Cruset tea sets and a fully-stocked mini bar in a Smeg fridge. The en suite bathrooms tend to be on the smaller side but they have powerful rainforest showers and Bramley toiletries. Some of the larger rooms have claw foot roll-top baths. The high ceilings make even the more compact rooms feel spacious.

Many of the rooms offer views of the sea with Regency Square in the foreground, although the view is split in two by the BA i360.

Although it has a lift, access to the hotel is via a small flight of five steps and the nature of the older historic building means that this hotel is not really suitable for guests with disabilities.

The hotel has a small restaurant and two bars.

The Set restaurant gets high praise for its creative tasting menus that have a focus on modern British cuisine.

Breakfast is served in the more casual Set Bar which features exposed brick walls, which has a tapas-style menu later in the day.

Having both a restaurant and a bar is a big stretch for a small 23-bed hotel, but Artist Residence goes further and also has another bar, The Fix, which has a cool hipster vibe.

The small and intimate character of the hotel and its restaurant and bars gives it a cosy, clubby feel

It is a pet-friendly hotel where you can bring your dog (for an extra £15 per pooch). Unlike some hotels, you can leave your dog unattended in your room. Dogs can hang out in the bar with their owners, but they can’t go to the restaurant. If you want to bring your dog, it is best to first check with the hotel as not all the rooms are dog-friendly.

It is the original hotel in the small Artist Residence hotel chain (which now has four hotels with a fifth one set to open in Bristol soon).

The hotel is at the top of Regency Square at the western edge of central Brighton. It is only a four-minute walk to the British Airways i360, a 10-minute walk will take you to The Lanes and it is 15 minutes to the pier, Brighton Dome, Brighton Museum and the Royal Pavilion.

The hotel doesn’t have its own parking but there is a secure public car park just across the road underneath Regency Square, which charges £18 for 24 hours.