Today I want to take you on a tour of a unique and spacious holiday apartment for four in Brighton and Hove for rent on Airbnb. This is one of my favourite Airbnb discoveries in the city so far (except for this houseboat) for its authentic charm and character. The best part? It costs from just £120/night.
It features in my Guide to AirBnBs in Brighton, but I always felt it deserved a post of its own. So when the owner, Paula Barnes, spotted I’d written about her place and got in touch to thank me, I took the opportunity to invite myself round for a proper snoop, take some more photos and get a feel for this special place.
A Hove mews apartment
You’ll find my secret Brighton holiday apartment set within an 1860 mews/stable on Cambridge Grove, a quiet cobbled street in Hove, just off The Drive. It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and is decorated with quirky collected treasures, colourful textiles and old paintings, but has plenty of modern comforts as well, like a great shower, TV, Netlix, and comfy beds.
My tour begins in the incredible kitchen, which Paula can’t wait to show me as it’s set inside a giant greenhouse. I love all the natural light flooding in, the plants, books, vintage finds, which Paula is expert at curating. Most of the features of this room are original, too, including the full height glass ceiling, the floorboards and the lime-rendered walls.
I can easily imagine sitting at the big dining table in the morning, sipping coffee and planning my day ahead in Brighton, what I’ll do that night, reading my book in the afternoon as the sun streams in. It must be incredible to see the stars at night and the sky in the day with seagulls flying over and is also fabulous when its raining.
There’s such a lovely story behind the house, too, as I find out. “All our houses would have had greenhouses,” Paula tells me. “Mine is one of the few left these days. The greenhouses were used to grow exotic fruit for the big houses in nearby Cromwell Road. Bringing exotic fruit to your dinner guests was seem as a status symbol at the turn of the century. My place was always known as the Peach House. ”
Somehow I manage to peel myself away from this exotic space and walk around the rest of the apartment, which includes a beautiful lounge, two double bedrooms, one of which has an en-suite bathroom with a lovely roll-top bath.
A Hove Mews studio apartment
Our tour does not end quite yet. If you’re looking for something smaller than the two-bedroom apartment, here’s another option on the same floor of the mews house. A cosy studio apartment for two, styled in the same way as the bigger apartment and with its own fire place for cosy nights in! From £85/night.
Things to do in Hove
Cambridge Grove might be tucked away, but it’s in walking distance from Hove train station and close to the main routes in and out of Brighton. There are also plenty of cafes, bars, restaurant sand shops nearby, and it’s not far from Hove Lawns and Hove beach.
You needn’t worry about finding your way around, as Paula has put together her own guidebook to Brighton, which she adds to as she finds thing. Oh, and did I mention that she also has a copy of my book, Secret Brighton, on hand if you want to go off-the-beaten path in the city.
I hope you enjoyed your tour of these incredible Brighton AirBnBs. You can book your stay and find more information on each of these incredible mews apartments here and here.
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