Eastbourne’s Port Hotel puts a pastel spin on the seaside aesthetic

Imraan Ismail blends modernism with beach elements

Bauhaus vibes and nautical, natural hues combine at Port Hotel in the seaside resort town of Eastbourne on England’s south coast.

The 19-bedroom boutique hotel is the creation of Peter Cadwallader and Ian and Clive Douglas, who revived the Victorian townhouse on the Royal Parade. They enlisted Imraan Ismail to design its interiors, which reflect its surroundings in innovative and subtle ways.

Port’s black painted façade is a stark contrast to the soft hues of its rooms, which are dressed in a palette of pale pink, stone and sage tones inspired by beach pebbles and the South Downs, which backdrop the town. Circular motifs and rounded edges feature, too, as well as brass detailings that pay homage to the domes on Eastbourne Pier.

Throughout the East Sussex hotel, there are black lacquered metal accents, terrazzo wall panelling, bespoke concrete features by The Poured Project, and cork floor tiles, which help ground the spaces. Meanwhile, oak joinery, in the form of a large drinks bar and bed headboards, and dried flower displays peppering the surfaces, bring in natural warmth and textures.

Photography: Emma Croman

In the bedrooms, slatted wooden headboards are inset with porthole-like marble disks while striped pillowcases and floor-length curtains channel subtle nautical vibes. The circular motifs continue via brass bedside tables and rounded mirrors in the bathrooms.

Port’s restaurant serves seasonal, locally sourced produce and doubles as an informal gallery. Pale pink banquettes with leather strap-held backrests and black tubular metal dining chairs are set below framed abstract paintings by local artist Jonathan Murphy, all available to buy. Its concrete-topped drinks bar, meanwhile, serves the signature Port Onyx cocktail, which mixes Sussex gin with Port-infused pear gin.

11-12 Royal Parade, Eastbourne BN22 7AR, United Kingdom

Photography: Emma Croman
Photography: Emma Croman
Photography: Emma Croman
Photography: Emma Croman
Photography: Emma Croman
Photography: Emma Croman

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