Bedford Hotel (Brighton)

Bedford Hotel
The hotel from the southeast
Location in central Brighton
General information
Location	Brighton, United Kingdom
Coordinates	50°49′19″N 0°09′08″W / 50.82194°N 0.15222°W / 50.82194; -0.15222
Opening	1967 (original: October 1829)
Other information
Number of rooms	131

The Bedford Hotel is a hotel on the seafront in Brighton, England which has subsequently been renamed the Holiday Inn Brighton after becoming a part of the Holiday Inn business.

The original hotel dated from 1829, but the current building opened in 1967.

Pre-dating Brighton's more famous Grand Hotel by over 30 years, the Bedford opened in October 1829, having been built for William Manfield. The late Georgian-style hotel was subsequently leased to its designer, Thomas Cooper, in 1835. This arrangement lasted only until the following year, after which Manfield ran it again until 1844 when he leased it to Joseph Ellis. In 1855 Ellis purchased the hotel outright. As a fashionable hotel in a fashionable resort town, the Bedford attracted many celebrity guests and even royalty. Amongst the guests was Charles Dickens, who wrote Dombey and Son while staying at the hotel.

In 1866 the West Pier was built, by Eugenius Birch; it meets the seafront opposite Regency Square, very close to the hotel.

The International Gun and Polo Club, founded by George Mashall in 1874, was based in the Bedford Hotel, though the grounds were located in Preston Village, Brighton, probably at Preston Park.

Mr. A. J. Morriss (often referred to as “AJ”), bought the hotel in 1947 and made numerous alterations and improvements to it. It is believed that his all stainless steel kitchen and utensils was the first to be installed in any hotel in England. He also had a proper sprung dance floor put in, so that they could extend the use of the dining-room. Whilst refurbishing the bedrooms other rooms were found hidden behind fireplaces which were being dismantled.

Unfortunately, one evening, Morriss was attacked with a heavy hydrant key to his head by a young man, who unbeknownst to anyone, had recently been discharged from a psychiatric hospital, who was staying at the hotel with his mother. He made medical history at the time by having brain surgery whilst still conscious – he eventually recovered, but his eyesight was greatly impaired.