The Langham Eastbourne | A New Chapter for This Historic Hotel

Set on Eastbourne’s Royal Parade, just a stone’s throw from the beach and with sweeping views
across the English Channel, The Langham Eastbourne has been part of the fabric of the town for
more than a century.

In July this year, the historic seafront hotel changed hands as Neil and Wendy Kirby, who successfully
ran The Langham for more than 21 years, entered their well-deserved retirement.
While a new chapter is beginning, much of what guests know and love about The Langham remains.
The hotel has retained its long-standing team, led by General Manager Simon Brown, while its new
owners have ambitious plans for the future, including investment in the property and a renewed focus
on making The Langham a vibrant part of the Eastbourne community.

Here, Eastbourne Life brings you the latest news, events and stories from The Langham.
Latest News from The Langham Eastbourne

Catch of the Day: Dogs Go Free This October

October marks the return of dogs to Eastbourne beach for the winter season, and The Langham is
celebrating its four-legged neighbours.
On Saturday 3 October, dog owners can pop into the hotel and pick up a free Langham tennis ball
before heading across the road for a game of fetch on the beach. Even better, throughout October,
dogs can stay at The Langham free of charge, saving the usual £25 per dog, per night.

Guests and locals are encouraged to share their best beach photographs and videos by tagging
@the_langham_eastbourne and using #CatchOfTheDay.

Christmas Parties at The Langham

The party season is coming, and The Langham is getting ready to celebrate. From festive get-
togethers with friends to office Christmas parties and larger celebrations, the hotel will be welcoming

groups throughout the festive season with Christmas dining, drinks and plenty of seasonal sparkle.
Starting on 1 November 2026, it’s “Christmas Office Parties’ season, with prices from £89 per person.
For this fabulous Festive Experience, please contact – frontdesk@langhamhotel.co.uk

Christmas by the Sea

For those who would rather swap Christmas cooking for sea views, The Langham will also be
welcoming guests for Christmas and New Year’s Eve stays and celebrations.
Settle in by the sea for a four-night Christmas escape, arriving on 23 December. The full-board
package includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, alongside a programme of festive entertainment and
tickets and transport to this year’s pantomime at the Devonshire Park Theatre. Prices start from £845
per person for an Inland Room, rising to £945 per person for a Sea View Junior Deluxe, with the
option to extend the stay on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.

Discover Christmas at The Langham

See in 2027 on the Eastbourne Seafront

The Langham is also preparing to wave goodbye to 2026 in suitably sparkling fashion.
Its two-night New Year package offers arrivals on either 30 or 31 December, with half-board
accommodation, entertainment, a New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner, a trip to the pantomime at the
Devonshire Park Theatre and one particularly special Eastbourne moment: a private fireworks display

hosted by the hotel on the beach. Prices start from £480 per person for an Inland Room, with sea-
view options available, making it a rather lovely excuse to wake up to the English Channel on the first morning of 2027.

Discover New Year at The Langham

Meet The Langham’s New Owners

With new ownership comes a new chapter for one of Eastbourne’s best-known seafront hotels.

We sit down with Alan Wheatley and Grant Bovey, the new owners of The Langham to hear why they
chose Eastbourne, what attracted them to the historic property, what they have planned for the hotel
and why retaining the people and personality that guests already love was so important.

What first attracted you to The Langham and made you want to become part of its next
chapter?

What first attracted us to The Langham was its character and its potential. It has a fantastic seafront
location, a strong reputation and a real sense of history, but we also felt there was an opportunity to
build on those foundations and take the hotel forward.

We liked the fact that it wasn’t about starting again or trying to turn it into something it wasn’t. The
opportunity was to respect what people already loved about The Langham, while investing in the
property, developing the team and gradually improving the guest experience.

Why Eastbourne? What excites you most about the town and its future?

Eastbourne has a lot going for it. You have the seafront, the South Downs and some of the most
beautiful coastline in the country, but there is also a real sense that the town is evolving.

What excites us is the opportunity ahead. Eastbourne already has established events such as the
international tennis and Airbourne, but increasingly there are reasons to visit throughout the year, with
a growing cultural, food and events scene.

We think perceptions of Eastbourne are changing too. It can still celebrate everything that has
traditionally made it special, while attracting a new generation of visitors, businesses and residents.
For us at The Langham, it’s exciting to be part of that and to contribute in our own small way to the
town’s next chapter.

The Langham has been part of Eastbourne’s seafront for more than a century. How important
is it to you to preserve the character and history of the hotel?

It’s incredibly important. When you take responsibility for a hotel that has been part of Eastbourne’s
seafront for more than a century, you must recognise that you’re really a custodian of its history.

The Langham has welcomed generations of guests, and many people have their own memories and
connections with the hotel. We want to respect that heritage and retain the character and warmth that
make it special.

At the same time, preserving history doesn’t mean standing still. Our responsibility is to look after
what makes The Langham unique while continuing to invest, improve and make sure the hotel
remains relevant for future generations.

The hotel’s long-standing team has remained in place under the new ownership. Why was
retaining the team so important to you?

The team is a huge part of what makes The Langham what it is. Some of our colleagues have been
here for many years, and with that comes an incredible amount of knowledge, experience and,
importantly, relationships with our guests.

Our goal isn’t to come in and change everything. We want to listen, understand the hotel and build on
what was already working well. Retaining the team was fundamental to that.

Successful hotels are ultimately about people. You can invest in bedrooms, restaurants and facilities,
but it’s the people who create the experience and make guests want to return. Our job now is to
support the team, invest in their development and give them the opportunity to be part of The
Langham’s future.

What are your plans for The Langham over the next 12 months, and what changes might
regular guests start to notice?

Over the next 12 months, our focus is very much on continuing to improve the hotel while retaining
everything our regular guests already love about The Langham.

We’ll continue investing in the property, with improvements to bedrooms and public areas, as well as
developing our food and beverage offering and making more of our fantastic seafront location.

Guests will also start to see more events and experiences throughout the year, giving both visitors
and local residents more reasons to come to The Langham.

But we’re not looking to change things simply for the sake of change. It’s about lots of thoughtful
improvements — some very visible and others behind the scenes — that collectively make the
experience better. We want regular guests to still recognise the Langham they know, just an
increasingly better version of it.

How would you like The Langham to become more involved in the local Eastbourne
community?

We’d like The Langham to be seen as part of the Eastbourne community, not simply somewhere for
people to stay when they visit the town. That means working more closely with local businesses,
suppliers, charities and community organisations, as well as creating events that give local people
more reasons to come into the hotel. We have already joined the Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce
and Visit Eastbourne.

We also have an important role as a local employer. We are keen to create opportunities for young
people to enter hospitality, develop their skills and build careers with us as we grow as a company.

Ultimately, we want local people to feel that The Langham is their hotel too — somewhere they feel
comfortable coming for a coffee, afternoon tea, a meal, an event or a special occasion, and a
business that plays an active and positive role in Eastbourne.

What do you think makes Eastbourne such an exciting destination right now, both for visitors
and locals?

It has all the things it has always been known for — the seafront, the South Downs, the theatres and
major events such as the international tennis and Airbourne — but there is also a new energy
developing around the town.

There’s a growing food, cultural and events scene, alongside continued investment, which is giving
both visitors and local people more reasons to spend time here throughout the year.

One of Eastbourne’s greatest strengths is that it can appeal to so many different people. You can
walk on the Downs in the morning, enjoy the seafront in the afternoon and go to a restaurant, theatre
or event in the evening.

For us, the opportunity is to play our part in that evolution and help encourage people to see
Eastbourne as a destination to enjoy throughout the year, not just during the traditional summer
season.

If we sat down with you again in five years’ time, what would you hope to be able to say about
The Langham and the chapter you’ve created here?

In five years, we want The Langham to be recognised as one of Eastbourne’s leading hotels —
known for its people, its hospitality and food, and its connection with the local community.

We want to have invested significantly in the hotel, developed a strong team and built a business that
is successful, sustainable and still retains the character that makes The Langham special.

Our ambition also goes beyond one hotel. We want The Langham to become the foundation of a
growing hotel group, with a small collection of distinctive hotels that share the same values, standards
and commitment to their local communities.

If we can achieve that while being good custodians of The Langham and making it in a much better
place, we will be very proud of what we’ve built.