The Imperial Hotel

Barnstaple 51.07701700, -4.05758700 , Taw Vale Parade (Show on Map)
8.8
Excellent


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Summary of reviewsThe Imperial Hotel receives abundant praise for its blend of convenience, comfort and quality, making it a highly recommended destination for guests. The location is particularly lauded, seamlessly combining the charm of Barnstaple town with the serenity of the picturesque Taw River, offering not only breathtaking views but also easy access to shops, restaurants and local attractions. The central position and ample parking facilities enhance the hotel's appeal as an excellent base for exploring North Devon.

The breakfast at The Imperial Hotel stands out with numerous positive reviews highlighting its varied and first-class offerings. Guests appreciate the wide range of options, from a cold buffet to hot dishes served from the kitchen and often commend the quality and presentation, labeling the breakfast delicious and unbeatable. Efficient service and a pleasant dining atmosphere contribute to a superb start to the day.

Dinner at the hotel's restaurant also receives high marks for its exceptional taste and presentation. Guests are consistently impressed with the variety and quality of the dishes, considering dinner a highlight of their stay. The fine dining experience is complemented by excellent service, although some note that meal pricing could benefit from clearer communication.

Rooms at The Imperial Hotel are praised for their cleanliness and comfort. Many guests describe them as spacious, well-maintained and equipped with modern amenities. Cleanliness is a hallmark throughout the hotel with housekeeping staff ensuring a spotless environment. The comfortable beds are a particular highlight, contributing significantly to the overall experience.

The staff at The Imperial Hotel receive high acclaim for their friendliness, professionalism and attentiveness. Guests frequently mention how the staff's excellent service enhances their stay, creating a welcoming and accommodating atmosphere. The hotel also provides reliable free wi-fi and ample, well-organized parking facilities, further adding to guests' convenience.

Families find The Imperial Hotel especially accommodating with specific amenities and activities designed for children, making it a pleasant stay for all ages. The hotel's family-friendly facilities and rooms are appreciated by guests traveling with children or grandchildren.

Overall, The Imperial Hotel lives up to its four-star rating by offering top-quality service, impressive amenities and a comfortable, clean environment, ensuring a memorable stay for guests.
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Hotel with EV Charging Stations

Family Friendly Hotel

Business Hotel

Hotel with Parking

EV charging stations  


Accessible Hotel

4-Star Hotel

Room Types
Standard Single Room This room overlooks the town, and benefits from tea and coffee facilities and a flat-screen TV.

Standard Twin/Double Room This room overlooks the town, or small courtyard area if the room is situated in the River Court Building, and benefits from tea and coffee facilities and a flat-screen TV. Please note, some of our Standard Rooms are located in our River Court Building, an annex to the main hotel. All River Court rooms are dog friendly.

Deluxe River View Twin/Double Room This large, airy room overlooks the River Taw and includes chocolates and fruit platter on arrival. Other benefits include tea and nespresso coffee machines and a flat-screen TV and Bathrobes and slippers

Superior Twin or Double Room This room overlooks the town, and benefits from tea and coffee facilities and a flat-screen TV. Please note, some of our Superior Rooms are located in our River Court Building, an annex to the main hotel. All River Court rooms are dog friendly.

Superior Double or Twin Room with River View Providing free toiletries, this twin/double room includes a private bathroom with a bath, a shower and a hairdryer. The twin/double room provides a tea and coffee maker, a wardrobe, a carpeted floor, a flat-screen TV, as well as river views.

Standard Double Room Providing free toiletries, this double room includes a private bathroom with a bath, a shower and a hairdryer. The double room provides a tea and coffee maker, a wardrobe, a carpeted floor, heating, as well as a flat-screen TV. The unit offers 1 bed.

Small Double Room Featuring free toiletries, this double room includes a private bathroom with a bath, a shower and a hairdryer. The double room features a tea and coffee maker, a wardrobe, a carpeted floor, heating, as well as a flat-screen TV. The unit has 1 bed.

Guest Reviews
8.8
Excellent
Location
The Imperial Hotel boasts an enviable location that has garnered widespread praise from its guests. Situated on the edge of Barnstaple town and overlooking the picturesque Taw River, the hotel offers a seamless blend of convenience and natural beauty. With its central position, visitors can easily access the town center, making it perfect for shopping, dining and exploring local attractions like the theatre and cinema. The riverside setting provides not only a tranquil atmosphere but also beautiful views and opportunities for leisurely walks and cycles.

Guests have highlighted the hotel's proximity to key amenities, including shops, restaurants and transport facilities, making it ideal for both short stays and extended visits. The location serves as an excellent base for exploring North Devon with easy access to nearby beaches, coastal towns and scenic walks along the Tarka Trail. Additionally, the ample parking facilities and serene surroundings enhance the overall experience, ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable stay. Overall, the hotel’s superb and convenient location is a standout feature that leaves a lasting impression on its guests.

Breakfast
The Imperial Hotel has garnered a myriad of positive reviews regarding its breakfast offerings, establishing itself as a standout feature of guests' stays. The breakfast menu is applauded for its wide-ranging selection, encompassing both a cold buffet and hot dishes served from the kitchen, ensuring plenty of options to suit diverse preferences. Many guests highlight the exceptional quality and presentation of the breakfast, labeling it as first-class, fabulous and even unbeatable. Whether it’s the best full English breakfast they've ever had or an incredibly rich and delicious meal, the consistent praise for the breakfast's taste and variety is evident.

Guests appreciate the efficient management and service provided during breakfast with some noting the accommodating nature of requests, such as offering late breakfast options. The breakfast's quality extends to its freshness and the hot serving of items like toast, even during later dining times. The breakfast atmosphere is boosted by the excellent staff, noted for their efficiency and willingness to make the dining experience pleasurable.

While a few reviews mention the higher cost associated with the breakfast, the overwhelming consensus is that the variety and quality more than justify the expense. The extensive breakfast options include cooked-to-order meals, fruit, cereals and a broad range of hot food items, all of which are tailored to individual preferences.

Overall, the breakfast at The Imperial Hotel is frequently described as exceptional, superb and among the best experienced by guests in a long time, making it a highly recommended aspect of the stay at this establishment.

Dinner
The dinner experience at The Imperial Hotel has been consistently praised for its high quality and delightful variety. Guests have frequently highlighted the exceptional presentation and taste of the main dishes. The hotel's restaurant offers a splendid fine dining experience with a dinner menu that provides an impressive array of options, ensuring there's something for everyone.

The food itself has been described as perfect, fantastic and of excellent quality with many reviews mentioning that the dinner was the highlight of their stay, surpassing even their other holiday meals. Some guests have rated their dinner as the best food of their holiday while others have labeled it as truly amazing and delightful.

Even though the bistro's space was mentioned as small and sharing the same menu with the main restaurant, it too has garnered compliments for serving Michelin-quality food in an informal setting. The bar and restaurant were often described as very nice with the little touches like white tablecloth service adding to the experience.

Occasionally, some guests found the pricing of meals a bit confusing or on the higher side, but the quality and presentation of the food generally met expectations. The service was frequently acknowledged as excellent, enhancing the dining experience further.

Overall, The Imperial Hotel's dinner options not only impress with their quality and taste but also offer a delightful and memorable dining experience that guests seem to cherish long after their stay.

Rooms
The rooms at The Imperial Hotel receive high marks for their cleanliness and comfort. Guests frequently highlight the modern, well-maintained bathrooms and the spotlessly clean spaces throughout. Many describe their rooms as comfortable with several specifically mentioning the comfortable beds. Superior and spacious rooms are noted for being particularly large and clean, while standard rooms are praised for being well-appointed, even if sometimes small.

Several reviews mention the convenience of room amenities, such as kettles, good-sized facilities and walk-in showers. Some rooms even provide fridges. However, there are occasional mentions of limited plug sockets and rooms that can get quite hot or cold, depending on the season. Despite this, most guests express satisfaction with the overall comfort and cleanliness of the rooms.

There are some mixed feelings about room size; while many find the rooms spacious and perfectly comfortable, others note that some rooms, including those advertised as Superior, can feel a bit cramped. Noise and ventilation issues are sporadically mentioned with some rooms described as noisier or less ventilated than ideal. Despite these minor criticisms, the ambiance and decor receive positive feedback, maintaining a balance of original character while incorporating modern touches.

The hotel's location is appreciated for its centrality, offering convenience for overnight stays and easy access to the river views. The rooms vary in their outlooks with some having pleasant views over the river, adding to the overall experience.

In summary, The Imperial Hotel offers clean, comfortable and well-maintained rooms with modern amenities. While there are a few minor issues regarding room size and temperature, the majority of guests find their accommodations very satisfactory, praising the hospitality and excellent upkeep.

Beds
The Imperial Hotel has garnered a reputation for its particularly comfortable beds, highlighted frequently by guests. Phrases like comfortable beds, great beds and very comfortable were commonly used to describe the sleeping arrangements with king size and super king-sized beds available, ensuring ample space for a restful night's sleep. The mattresses are often praised for their comfort, whether they are soft or firm, although a few guests found some beds too soft or too firm for their preference.

Twin beds were described as comfortable, although some noted them as narrow. A recurrent theme in the reviews is the variability in bed comfort: while most visitors found the beds exceptionally comfortable and enjoyed a luxuriously comfy experience, some pointed out issues such as beds being pushed together creating an uncomfortable ridge or single beds being particularly uncomfortable.

Despite a few mentions of discomfort, the overwhelmingly positive feedback suggests that The Imperial Hotel tends to offer a reliably comfortable sleep experience with many guests considering the beds a highlight of their stay.

Cleanliness
The Imperial Hotel stands out for its exceptional cleanliness, garnering numerous positive remarks from guests. The rooms consistently impress with descriptions such as spotlessly clean, immaculately clean and clinically clean. Guests have noted that the cleaning service and housekeeping staff play a pivotal role, ensuring rooms remain tidy, fresh and well-maintained.

The hotel as a whole maintains high standards of cleanliness with phrases like impressively clean spaces, perfectly cleaned and clean and pristine hotel being commonly mentioned. This attention to detail extends beyond the rooms to all areas of the property, as visitors frequently highlight the orderly and well-kept environment. Many reviews appreciated the hotel's blend of traditional and modern aesthetics, coupled with a first-class cleanliness standard.

Visitors also praised the friendly and helpful staff, contributing to a clean and comfortable stay. In summary, The Imperial Hotel promises a superbly clean and cozy experience, backed by attentive housekeeping and a spotless environment throughout.

Staff
At The Imperial Hotel, guests consistently highlight the exceptional quality of the staff. Descriptions of the staff range from friendly, helpful and accommodating to highly professional and efficient. Visitors often mention that the service provided by the staff significantly enhanced their stay, creating a relaxed atmosphere where nothing was too much trouble. The reception team received particular praise for being pleasant, courteous and efficient.

The overall impression given by the reviews is that the hotel's employees go above and beyond to ensure guests feel comfortable and well taken care of, showing great enthusiasm and attentiveness. Many guests noted how the staff's politeness and attentiveness stood out, providing consistent support throughout their stay and contributing to a welcoming environment. The service was frequently described as superb with the staff demonstrating exceptional courtesy and professionalism.

In summary, the staff at The Imperial Hotel are frequently described as the highlight of the guests' experiences, delivering outstanding, top-class service that leaves a lasting positive impression.

Wi-Fi
The Imperial Hotel provides wifi that is included with the stay and offers easy access, ensuring reliable connectivity. Guests appreciate the excellent wi-fi speeds available. However, there have been some mixed experiences regarding the pricing structure; while some guests mention complimentary wifi, others noted unclear fees and misunderstood the charges for internet access. This confusion suggests an opportunity for the hotel to clarify its wifi policy to enhance guest satisfaction.

Parking
Parking at The Imperial Hotel offers numerous positive aspects, making it a convenient feature for guests. The hotel provides free parking, which is a notable advantage, ensuring that guests do not have to worry about additional costs. The parking spaces are well-organized and clearly defined, making it easy for guests to find a spot without confusion. The availability of free and ample parking ensures that there are generally sufficient spaces for guests' vehicles. Additionally, there are extra parking spots at the rear of the hotel and disabled parking is easily reserved.

Guests appreciate the ease of access to the parking areas, making it simple to get to and from their vehicles. The parking is conveniently located either directly outside the front door or behind the hotel, enhancing the overall convenience. Despite some mentions of tight parking spaces in front of the house and potential difficulties during peak times, the general sentiment is that the parking facilities are well-managed and ample for most needs.

Family
The Imperial Hotel is an excellent choice for families seeking a welcoming and accommodating environment. With a strong focus on family activities and family-themed accommodations, it is perfect for family traveling together. Guests have praised the hotel for its family friendly facilities, including comfortable family rooms and a dedicated kids' room. The hotel ensures that both children and teenagers are well-catered for with the bar and restaurant accommodating even the youngest members of the family.

Many reviews highlight that both children and grandchildren love staying at The Imperial Hotel, making it a suitable destination for multigenerational family trips. The presence of activities specifically designed for children enhances the family focus, ensuring that everyone has a pleasant stay. Given its reputation as a family welcoming establishment, it is evident that the hotel is enjoyable and convenient for visiting family locally. Despite a few mentions about some rooms and amenities not being very family friendly, overall, guests find the hotel great for families and appreciate the nice family facilities offered.

4 Star
The Imperial Hotel consistently impresses guests with its excellent four-star service and high-quality offerings. Many reviewers highlight the hotel's impressive amenities, noting that they often surpass what one might expect from a typical four-star establishment. Positive comments include descriptions of the immaculate facilities and a service level that justifies the hotel's star rating. Guests use terms like superbe, excellent stay and best stay ever, indicating a high level of satisfaction.

The hotel is described as providing a perfect place for both first-time visitors and returning guests. Those who have stayed mention they would definitely come back and many align their expectations with the services rendered. Terms like ideal and comfortable further underline the level of comfort and convenience provided.

Despite a few remarks about the room not meeting four-star standards, the overall sentiment is that the hotel delivers a fabulous experience with many guests feeling that their expectations are not just met, but often exceeded. The value-for-money aspect of the hotel is noted, suggesting that it is a good choice for those seeking high-quality service without breaking the bank. The hotel is also highly recommended with guests suggesting it as a great place for another stay.

In summary, The Imperial Hotel successfully maintains its four-star rating through stellar service, excellent amenities and an ability to exceed guests' expectations, making it a highly recommended destination for travelers seeking comfort and quality.

Business
The Imperial Hotel stands out as an excellent choice for business travelers visiting Barnstaple. The hotel offers robust business-friendly amenities, including reliable WiFi and well-equipped business facilities, such as meeting spaces and a dedicated business floor. Guests can find a printer conveniently located in the reception area and appreciate the quiet workspaces available for uninterrupted productivity.

The check-in process is smooth and welcoming, even during busy arrival times, ensuring a positive start to any business trip. Additionally, the lobby is friendly and the service is noted for its professionalism. The hotel's accessible location near a local marketplace and shops makes it easy for guests to meet daily requirements and manage business affairs efficiently.

Comfort is not compromised with large, comfortable bedrooms, good quality toiletries and ample hot water in good-sized baths. Business travelers can also look forward to decent coffee and tea in the reception area, perfect for staying refreshed throughout a busy day. For those in town for corporate stays or conferences, the Imperial Hotel proves to be ideal, offering all necessary facilities and excellent service to meet the demands of professional guests.

Accessible
The Imperial Hotel offers a range of accessible facilities tailored to meet the needs of guests with disabilities. The availability of wheelchair accessible amenities and rooms ensures comfort and ease of movement throughout the property. Guests have praised the hotel's accessible walk-in showers and the convenience of easily reserving disabled parking. The hotel's location itself is noted for being highly accessible with accessible parking directly outside the front door for those with mobility challenges. Overall, the hotel provides easy access to its rooms and other areas, making it a suitable choice for individuals requiring specific accessibility accommodations.

Luxury
The Imperial Hotel is a beacon of luxury and elegance, consistently praised for its grandeur and classic charm. Guests are greeted with a luxurious atmosphere that pervades every corner, from the luxuriously comfy beds to the lavish and interesting decor. The hotel’s traditional quality and charm are evident throughout with luxurious finishings and beautifully decorated spaces that enhance the experience of luxury accommodation.

The feeling of luxury extends beyond the decor, as the service at The Imperial is recognized for its first-class quality. Excellently managed, the hotel ensures that every guest feels pampered and well-cared for. The dining room, offering a silver service experience, adds to the opulence with outstanding food that perfectly complements the luxurious surroundings.

Overall, The Imperial Hotel offers a luxurious stay defined by its old-world charm, elegantly maintained spaces and a first-class ambiance that leaves a lasting impression. Whether it’s the classic decor, the spacious rooms, or the overall feeling of luxury, this hotel epitomizes a luxurious getaway that caters to every need with excellence and charm.


No, The Imperial Hotel doesn't have any pool.

No, a spa isn't available at The Imperial Hotel.

No, The Imperial Hotel doesn't allow dogs.

Yes, parking facilities are available at The Imperial Hotel.

No, The Imperial Hotel doesn't have a gym.

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