Hastings in East Sussex was once much maligned, often a punchline to jokes about the “roughest” seaside towns in the country. Those in the know, though, know differently. This coastal community has a long-held artistic tradition and more recent implants – known to locals as “Down from Londons” (DFLs) – have added to this reputation.
While the town, made up of the Old Town, new town and edgy St Leonards-on-Sea, may still be a little rough around the edges, it’s full to the brim with eccentric art galleries, cosy pubs, Michelin-recommended places to eat – and some of the most quirky shops and museums you’ve ever seen (try the Fishermen’s Museum and True Crime Museum ). After you’ve got your 1066 history fix, antiqued up and down the streets of St Leonards, danced to live Irish music in The Albion , eaten from the imaginative menu at The Crown on All Saints St and washed it all down with a pint or two at the First In Last Out on the High Street, head to one of Hastings’ best stays – rounded up here..
. Vive, Havelock Road Hastings and Ibiza are rarely referred to in the same sentence, but Vive Hotel is where the two meet. Open for just a year, this hotel in the up-and-coming new town was a collaboration between Jason Bull – who previously owned the snazzy Es Vive in Ibiza before he sold it to footballer Lionel Messi – and designer Sean Cochrane, who designed the Balearic escape.
Set in a former university building, rooms are modern and functional, wi.