How to spend 24 hours in Brighton for Mother’s Day 2024

Just an hour and twenty minutes train ride from London, Brighton is a busy seaside town featuring a popular pier with fairground rides, plenty of street art and historic buildings.

Bright is famous for its pier, but there's lots more on offer too (Image: Emily Davison)

I was invited to visit Brighton with my mum for a little pre-Mother’s Day weekend away, and having never been in the colder months it gave me a whole new appreciation of Brighton and things to do that don’t just involve the beach.

Here’s everything you can get up to on a weekend trip to Brighton:

Come on a spin around Brighton with me (Image: Emily Davison)

Spend the night at the DoubleTree by Hilton Brighton Metropole

If you’re looking for a hotel within a stone's throw of the beach, the DoubleTree Hotel owned by the Hilton is a prime example of one of Brighton’s historic hotel buildings with close access to the sea.

It was first built in the 1890s and today it’s a popular spot with a restaurant, pool and spa.

The DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton dates back to the 1890s (Image: Emily Davison)

We spent the night there with great views of the seafront from our fourth floor room, where we could see Hove and the Pergola.

The hotel is also dog-friendly, with pet-friendly rooms available, and they even provided my dog Rosie with her own comfy bed and water bowl whilst we were there.

My guide dog Rosie also enjoyed her stay (Image: Emily Davison)

The hotel also has a downstairs wellness centre including a pool, sauna and steam room, as well as an on-site spa run by Pure Spa.

The pool and fitness centre is a fair size, although it can get busy in the early morning so be mindful of that if you fancy a quiet swim.

Complimentary bath robes and slippers are also provided if you fancy using the facilities.

The hotel is within easy reach of the seafront (Image: Emily Davison)

The hotel also offers a very good breakfast buffet, which features a selection of cooked and non-cooked breakfast options, including a full English buffet, fruits, pastries, breads, cereals and cheeses.

If you’re planning on having breakfast, the restaurant is normally very busy between 9:30am and 10:30am, so be sure to get there early if you want to avoid the rush.

Have a relaxing treatment at the Pure Spa

We were also invited to try Pure Spa’s Deluxe Facial, a 40-minute treatment aimed at targeting specific skin needs.

The facial comprised several steps beginning with a foot scrub, leading into a facial cleanse, neck rub, exfoliation, face mask and finally a skin treatment.

My facial was aimed around targeting the dryness, probably caused by waking in the brisk sea air, and the products were blended using rose to soothe the skin.

I came away from my stay feeling very refreshed (Image: Emily Davison)

Take a trip on the Brighton i360

Located just a short walk from the Double Tree Hilton Hotel is the famous Brighton i360, a large glass pod giving visitors 360-degree views of Brighton from 138 metres high.

There’s also a bar on board as well, where you can get drinks and snacks and sit at comfortable sofas, or stand to see the views of Brighton, the Sussex coastline and South Downs National Park.

Lasting 20 minutes, this is a great way to get off your feet, to see Brighton and the surrounding neighbourhood of Hove from a different angle.

The i360 is a great way to see Brighton from a different perspective (Image: Emily Davison)

If you or your mum has a sweet tooth, you can also book a Cream Tea along with your ticket, served in the downstairs café after your ride.

The Cream Tea features two freshly baked scones and a selection of cakes on offer at the café on that day.

You can also book a Cream Tea with your i360 ticket (Image: Emily Davison)

Tickets for the i360 start at £18.50 for adults and £9.40 for children, with Cream Tea bookable for an additional £8.50 for adults and £4.10 for children.

The i360 gives views from 138 metres high (Image: Emily Davison)

Enjoy delicious French cuisine at Cote Brasserie

If you’re looking for delicious French food, Cote Brasserie located on Church Street is a short walk from the Theatre Royal and the Royal Pavilion.

The Royal Pavilion is full of history (Image: Emily Davison)

Their menu features a range of classic French options from croquettes and steaks to crème Brulee and a selection of French-inspired cocktails and wines.

We tried their Steak Soiree, where you can get a bottle of wine when you order a steak and two sides.

Cote Brasserie serve delicious French food (Image: Emily Davison)

My personal highlight would be the Salmon Croquettes, which had a delicious cream sauce and were packed with flavour, and the Fillet Steak with peppercorn sauce.

For Mother’s Day, Cote will be offering a sharing board featuring a choice of meats for £25 per person.

Cote Brasserie is near the Theatre Royal and Royal Pavilion. (Image: Emily Davison)

Explore Brighton’s famous lanes

One of the must-see things to do in Brighton is the Lanes, with its array of independent shops, eateries and of course its colourful street art.

Don't miss the circus mural on Hanningtons Lane (Image: Emily Davison)

You can easily spend a few hours just walking around the Lanes, browsing the shops and searching for street murals and artwork.

Be sure not to miss the circus mural on Hanningtons Lane, as well as the Alice in Wonderland street art on London Road.

The Alice in Wonderland street art is on London Road (Image: Emily Davison)

If you fancy something sweet, be sure to stop off at Boho Gelato, serving handmade Italian-style ice cream with vegan and gluten free options available.

My personal recommendation would be the Hazelnut and Chocolate combination, which is like eating a rich indulgent ice cream version of a chocolate seashell.