Hastings
If hotels aren’t your thing, there is a luxury seaside apartment on Airbnb that shows off high ceilings, white walls, exposed brick and beautiful wooden floor boards throughout…it’s pretty snazzy.
ZANZIBAR INTERNATIONAL HOTEL
Zanzibar International Hotel 9 Eversfield Place, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, TN37 6BY
Zanzibar Hotel is what Condé Nast Traveller have named as a world class boutique hotel and offer rooms from £99 per night. Their ‘no children under 5’ rule means relaxation and rejuvenation is top priority too.
Right on the edge of the Old Town you can find The Old Rectory, an eight bedroom house that has been given a WOW-over and been dolled up pretty damn nice. Amenities include WIFI, a TV and DVD player and each room has been designed individually with it’s own, unique character.
CLIFF RAILWAYS
West Hill, George Street East Hill, Rock-a-Nore Road Hastings East Sussex TN34 3EG
Don’t leave without riding the rails. Heading up the Cliff Railways will give you some beaut views over the coast, and the East Hill lift has the added accolade of being the steepest funicular railway in Britain. Go tick that one off the bucket list.
1066 SPORTS
1066 Target Sports Ashdown House Sedlescombe Road North St Leonards-on-sea TN37 7PB
If all the war-themed history that Hastings has to offer gets you in the mood, you can have a go yourself with archery, crossbow and axe-throwing – allegedly a great way to unwind – at 1066 Target Sports.
Looking for something a little (or a lot) less quaint during your stay at the seaside? Why not check out The True Crime Museum. Set in 3000 sq/ft of underground caves, The True Crime Museum has a whole host of unusual artifacts to offer, including a bed used for lethal injections, a hangman’s noose and original artworks produced by murderers and criminals from across the world.
If you’re all about old stuff, make time to check out the Shipwreck museum, which is guaranteed to float your boat (sorry!)
Obvs Hastings is also a town with a LOT of history, so you won’t be running out of old stuff to look at. Hastings Castle was the first motte-and-bailey castle to be built on English soil, and if you ever had to make a model one of those at school, you’ll know it’s a big deal.
As well as art from across the globe, the Hastings Museum & Gallery has lots of local collections, including one on John Logie Baird who was living in the town when he invented a little thing called the television.
Hastings has a lot of good art. The shiny, black-tiled Jerwood Gallery is home to some of the best contemporary British art in the country, plus regularly rotating exhibitions.
If you’re after a bit of peace and quiet, climb up to the terraced garden above The Stag Inn, or if the weather’s not so great, head inside, where you’ll find a traditional white-washed pub, complete with exposed beams, warm fires, a great selection of ales and ciders and a friendly welcome.
The St Leonard is a proper locals pub with a good selection daily changing casks from local breweries. On a Wednesday night you’ll find the place jam packed with load of competitive quiz goers.
If you’re after something a bit more alternative, try the Boulevard Bookshop and Thai Cafe – a home-style cafe where the food is cooked exactly to your own taste and at £15 for two courses it’s a bloody bargain too!
MAGGIE'S
Fishmarket Road, Rock-A-Nore Rd, Hastings TN34 3DW
Sat right down on the beach, Maggie’s is a no-frills kinda place but their fish ‘n’ chips come in HUGE portions and are all cooked to order by Maggie herself in the open kitchen. But this place is only open for a few hours a day and very busy, so if you want to try some of the best fish ‘n’ chips around you better book ahead.