The Imperial Hotel

4 star
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8.5 / 10
164 reviews

164 traveller reviews of The Imperial Hotel

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96
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39
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21
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Room
8.5/10
Service
9/10
Value
8.5/10
Cleanliness
9.5/10
Location
9.5/10
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Pampered at the Imperial by PurleyGirl
10 / 10

We stayed at the Imperial Hotel with a party of 6 fom June 23rd until June 25th 2006. We were thankful that we took the excellent advice to pay extra for rooms at the front of the hotel - the rooms were comfortable, if slightly shabby, but the view, the breeze and quietness were well worth the money. There was some noise at night from traffic and people walking home, but not as much as we would have expected from a busy road, and we were able to sleep with our windows open without being woken. Our double room on the corner of the 2nd floor was delightful - it had three windows, offering views of the river and the town. Two members of our group had a double room on the first floor which was spacious and comfortable, but I would request the second floor because the view over the river was better. The staff were wonderful - highly professional, welcoming and helpful. There was always someone available at reception or in the front entrance hall. The staff in the restaurant were also excellent. We booked on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis, and the meals were fabulous. The breakfast buffet offered a good variety of cereals, yoghurts, fruits and fruit juices and the cooked breakfasts were excellent. The evening meals on all three nights were delicious, beautifully presented and enjoyable. The chambermaid who took care of our room was delightful, friendly and efficient, and the whole hotel was spotlessly clean thanks to a very efficient housekeeper. The hotel is situated within walking distance of the town centre, which was nice to stroll around, especially the old butcher's row, and there were plenty of shops to suit all tastes. It was especially useful to be able to walk into town, as the traffic was very heavy getting in and out of Barnstaple. Most of the clientele seemed to be older couples and tour parties, but our teenagers felt welcomed and comfortable. We would stay at the Imperial Hotel again without hesitation.

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Overpriced and over rated! by BusinessTraveller101
4 / 10

I paid £100 for one night’s single stay- definitely not worth the money. The room was small dark with drab decor and very basic facilities - no mini bar! My room view was of the back street and car park – lovely. There was no atmosphere at this hotel when I stayed- I felt like I was staying in an old peoples home!

The breakfast was very basic - the fruit on offer was limited, for a 4* hotel it was very primitive with just grapefruit and orange segments. The layout of the tables meant no privacy – I had a planter between the next table and it and me was as if I had joined them, as I was so close to them!

Overall, I was not impressed, but as this is a hotel group that have the monopoly in the area when looking for a 4*, there is little choice, but as I will be returning to the area on business regularly, I will take my chance with a 3* the next time and avoid this overpriced, over rated hotel.

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ohh la la by Casper-17
8 / 10

lovely hotel, the food is excellant and the hotel has a lovely feel to it. in a good location and staff are freindly. make sure you take smart clothes though- they require a shirt and tie in restaurant but well worth it. dont think much of barnstaple but a great base for exploring saunton sands etc

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Ideal Break by bevilj
8 / 10

This was our second visit to the Hotel, and again we booked a superior/river view room. We also had friends join us for part of our stay. The welcome was sincere, the dining room well managed, the food/wine as good as on our first visit. Our friends enjoyed their visit. I do agree, pay the extra for the accomodation, it makes all the difference to your stay.

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Nice hotel, but beware some of the rooms by MikeC_2006
8 / 10

The Imperial is one of the Brend group of hotels across Devon and Cornwall. This relatively recent aquisition to the group has had a massive and tasteful refurbishment in recent years, and the lounge areas and restaurant are particularly welcoming, comfortable and luxurious. Both breakfast and dinner were excellent, with a good choice of dishes for dinner, and a great selection of vegetables served with the main course.

Now for the "beware" bit. From our experience, the standard rooms can be a little dated (especially the bathroom - room 222), with poor sound-proofing and poor views. Not liking room 222, we moved to room 7, which was better furnished and decorated, but still had a dreadful outlook (the window looked into a narrow passageway with a view of a fire escape and staff quarters). Whilst I recognise that you "get what you pay for" - and therefore the more expensive rooms will have better outlooks etc - I do think that with a four star luxury hotel it is reasonable to expect at least a decent outlook from the bedroom.

We would be happy to recommend the hotel - but make sure you know what quality of room you are likely to expect when you book.

Also, be aware that this is of course a town hotel, so don't stay here if you want extensive grounds or somewhere nice to sit outside with a drink on a summer night.

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Great location, great food! by Georgio
8 / 10

Had a nice break for a couple of days at this very English hotel in North Devon. If you enjoy good food then this is the place for you - every meal (even breakfast) was superb, with an excellent if fairly limited table d'hote menu. The hotel could not be in a better location, right in the centre of the large town of Barnstaple, overlooking the river and just a short walk from the main shopping area. We paid extra for a "superior" room thinking that it would be a step up from the standard room. Not so. The front rooms, overlooking the river, are all called superior for that reason only. Our room, in fact, was quite cramped and in the top corner of the hotel - what made it worse was the fact that our table in the dining room was also right in the corner, away from everybody. We felt that we must have B O or leprosy or something. The public areas - lounge, bar, dining room, etc. are splendid. If you have an advance booking and have been sent the hotel brochure with directions on the back be aware that the directions are incorrect as the Plumb Center they refer to as a landmark is no longer there. We drove around for 40 minutes in heavy traffic because of this.

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Superb service, superb food - quality environment by A TripAdvisor Member
10 / 10

We cannot rate the hotel highly enough - service was superb; likewise the food. Staff were pleasant and had "old-fashioned" respect - a breath of fresh air when I compare with the "chavs and jeans brigade" who populate just everywhere now.

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excellent food by A TripAdvisor Member
10 / 10

Eight of us stayed for two nights in August o4 and found the service to be well above average and the standard of food to be excellent. We had a lovely time, and would return again in the future.

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Won't return!! by A TripAdvisor Member
4 / 10

I love BARNSTAPLE as a town . I will quickly add this as I do not wish my review to reflect the town itself.

We arrived at this hotel for a 1 night stay mid afternoon last summer.

We had high expectations considering the hotel description.

The reception staff were very unfriendly and completely looked down their noses at us . Fair enough we were wearing jeans and t shirts but had just travelled for 4 hours!

Room was cramped and dated.

Terrible accomodation and terrible service! Would not return!!

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best avoided by james0
2 / 10

for a supposedly top-of-the-market hotel in this backwater, there is no obvious porter, the staff are not well-trained, the accommodation is diabolical, the bartender doesn't know how to mix a bloody mary and liver comes rare. what more could you - NOT - want.

Avoid like the plague. Another member of the Brend Hotels Group.

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  • imperial hotel barnstaple
  • Address: Taw Vale Parade, Barnstaple EX32 8NB, United Kingdom

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