The Imperial Hotel

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... more

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... more

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

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.

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 -... more

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... more

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.

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.

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!!

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.