#InBedWithIbis at Brighton's Big Screen On The Beach

Brighton is my favourite city in the UK, so if there's ever a chance to pack a bag and jump on a train down to the south-coast, seaside town then I'm there in a heartbeat. ibis Hotels kindly invited me to be their guest at Brighton's Big Screen on the beach for the second year running. I had so much fun spending 24 hours in Brighton with them last year that I was more than excited to do it all over again and see if Brighton's Big Screen had that same appeal that drew me in last year.

Spoiler: It absolutely did.

This year I opted for the screening of 'Dirty Dancing', which is one of my all-time favourite classics. Considering I'm usually someone who has a penchant for gory horror movies or 80s sci-fi flicks, Swayze stole my heart and I succumbed to the classic romance movie.

This year I ventured to Brighton with Laila from Tape Parade. After checking into our room late afternoon, we discovered an Ibis crafted goodie bag on our bed complete with sweets, an eye mask and our VIP passes for the Big Screen later that evening. Having visited ibis the previous summer, I knew what to expect from the hotel itself, which is located merely a 30 second walk from the train station. I've stayed in a few ibis hotels during my travels, but the Brighton hotel is my absolute favourite. Even though Ibis are essentially 'budget' hotels, the Brighton one boasts much more of a boutique feel and theme. I noticed this year that they have completely eradicated the reception desk in favour of staff members waiting for guests to arrive at the door and checking them in via a tablet.

Dirty Dancing on the Brighton Big Screen from the comfort of an Ibis Sweet Bed

Strolling around Brighton town centre

Shortly after ditching our bags into our ibis hotel room, we took a casual stroll down the beach which is conveniently only a 10 - 15 minutes walk away from the hotel. Upon our arrival we were greeted by the director of the Brighton Big Screen, Bill Murray (yep, that is 100% his real name), who grabbed us some drinks from the bar. I was pretty chuffed to discover that they stocked my personal favourite London-based beer - Camden Pale Ale. It was such a nice surprise to discover that they had the best brew both on tap and in cans, especially when they were hand-delivered to our bed for the evening.

As part of the VIP package for Brighton's Big Screen you're treated to the comfort of one of ibis' own 'Sweetbeds', which are situated beneath a canopy opposite the cinema screen. There are around five or so beds all together, and by the time the trailers had started all of the beds were occupied, so they seem to be pretty popular! Comfortably tucked beneath the duvet with a pint and some popcorn in hand, the title track 'Be My Baby' blared across Brighton beach as the opening credits rolled out across the screen in front of the sunset. I've seen Dirty Dancing twice at outdoor screenings and there's nothing quite like the atmosphere that that film brings amongst the audience. No matter how many times I've seen it, I'll never, ever tire of it.

The film itself was broken up with a fifteen minute interval, which allows enough time to grab another drink, some food or take a quick toilet break. Despite the beds being incredibly cosy, it meant after an hour drinking beer snuggled up it gave me a moment to stretch my legs ready for the second half of the movie.

Although the Brighton Big Screen is now unfortunately finished for the year, the VIP Sweetbed experience costs £25 per person, which includes a drink, popcorn and some food. Considering standard cinema tickets in central London are around £15 without food & drink, the idea of watching one of your fave films from the comfort of an actual bed rather than an old, stiff cinema chair is so much more appealing. Plus, you're literally on Brighton beach itself, which is so much more magical than a traditional, stuffy old cinema!

After the movie ended, we took a gentle stroll back up the hill to our hotel (stopping off at a pub en route, of course) before delving into our own ibis Sweetbed in our hotel room for the night. ibis rooms are as you'd expect for the price point: basic, clean and all your amenities covered, including a TV. 

In the morning we were treated to the breakfast buffet as part of our booking thanks to the ibis team. We loaded up on hash browns and baked beans to ease our my hangover from one too many beers at beach before checking out.

Prices for the Brighton ibis hotel start from around just £55 per night, which considering its super central location is incredibly reasonable.

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Disclaimer: I was invited to Brighton's Big Screen by Ibis Hotels for review purposes, but all words and opinions are my own.