The iconic Hotel Pelirocco celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. We chat to Marko, the longstanding hotel GM who regaled us with some tales…
I started working at a faded old chintzy B&B, back then called the Pavilion Hotel, in 1998 – cleaning rooms for cash in hand. I was doing a little studying but more into raving on the hills in the late 90s free party scene.
All nighters outdoors would be followed by all dayers at Bust the Box in any haunt that would have it (before they got kicked to the next venue for over enthusiastic partying.)
One summer, the Pavilion Hotel was taken over by a couple who came down from London, Mick Robinson and Jane Slater, who renamed it Hotel Pelirocco. After confirming I still had a job, they told me to go and look at their first refurbishments.
‘Dotty’ a small single room had been dedicated to 60’s avant garde Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama so was now electric orange with black dots all over. And I mean, ALL over. Floor, ceiling, furniture, bed spread, everything was orange with black dots. Very relaxing…!
In the Easter of 2000 The Boys from Faith came down from London to centre their weekend of relentless partying around the Peli bar. So one messy stopover later, you could consider Hotel Pelirocco well and truly opened! This epic weekend introduced the Rocco as a home for ex acid house clubbers to rest their weary legs and heads to refuel before hitting the clubs of Brighton.
The legend had begun.
A whole twenty five years later, it’s proud to be a proper grown up Boutique Hotel. It’s been in the local and national press and on Good Morning Britain. It has hosted myriad gigs in the bar, even our annual alternative Great Escape festival. We’ve had Fatboy Slim and ADF (Asian Dub Foundation) perform here plus hosted infamous afterparties for The Strokes, Primal Scream and many others.
Our 19-rooms are annually refreshed or rethemed and the parties that introduce the novel and bohemian designs are renowned. No longer Brighton’s best kept secret, we’re everyone’s favourite hotel, whispered about from London to Paris, New York to Munich.
