The Imperial Hotel

Location and style

No coffee machine in our room

The hotel is a lovely establishment in a wonderful location by the river and within easy access to the town centre.

Prior to booking we knew it was a small room which was comfortable with a large bathroom. However, the room allocated was in the annex across the car park from the main building. The downside was that access to our room was up two flights of stairs. The bottom flight was steep but OK. However, the second shorter flight was much steeper. My wife who is 82 has pins in both femurs had difficulty climbing the second flight. We mentioned this to reception but claimed the hotel was full but she would make a note of her difficulty. We understand difficulties like this occur but mentioned to the receptionist that access to the room was not listed as unsuitable for people with difficulties climbing stairs when we booked the room. We believe in future this should be made clear by Booking.com. We often found it difficult to park our car in the car parks due to spaces allocated to electric vehicles, disabled spaces and a bus parked in the rear car park. Fortunately, my wife has good walking movement which does not qualify her for a disabled badge. However, apart from the above we had a wonderful time and should we return to the Imperial Hotel we will book a more suitable room.

The property is well maintained and close to local amenities

Attitude of staff, all exceptional

Nothing

Great location. Friendly staff

Rooms were a little hot . But manageable

What a beautiful old world hotel, luxurious charm, service superb, food delicious, rooms were comfortable , clean and big enough , we did received a complimentary upgrade. Parking free with no issue.Location was perfect to wander this lovely old market town .

Upstairs rooms overly hot Road sweepers and extractor fans noisy in the mornings Bathroom shower tired looking

Excellent hotel, up graded to a delux room. Good location in centre of town with good parking. Room very clean, bed comfortable, lovely breakfast. All staff helpful and very friendly.

None

Lovely hotel. Nice staff and all dressed in uniform. Great facilities and Electric parking

Location and ample parking

The riverbank setting is beautiful and this grand old hotel was festooned in flowers. The staff were all very helpful and professional. There was a lift to our accessible disabled-friendly room. The ensuite wet room was amazing. The twin beds were comfy. The food was delicious and beautifully presented.

I couldn’t find any faults. If we had had a large powered wheelchair it might have been a bit tight in the lift, but that didn’t apply.

Easy location - I could walk everywhere I needed to from there

The only thing I found lacking from the room was a lack of usb charging sockets - fortunately I had brought my own adapter

A beautiful and immaculate hotel with elegant charm. The staff are friendly and welcoming.

The bed, super comfy and roomy, more than enough pillows supplied. Super friendly staff.

Looking a bit outdated inside and a few areas noticeably in need of touch ups. Cooked breakfast seemed as though it had been kept under heat lamps or something as when it arrived you could tell it wasn't freshly cooked and plated to order. Now I love a good full English, but I didn't eat any of it. I sampled everything on the plate only. I felt cheated out of paying the extra 20 quid for it per person I paid for the both of us. Good job they had a continental on as a bowl of crunchy nut saved the day. I'd get breakfast elsewhere, as it would have been a lot better and probably cheaper by at least a fiver a head. Gutted as I so wanted a good fry up that morning.

It is well placed for town, bus, trains and walks. Bed was very comfortable.

The Hotel looks tired and very dated. No fridge in the room. I thought breakfast was included as i could not see anywhere what the extra price was like other hotels i have stayed in so i left without breakfast. Not paying £17.50 for the little i would eat at breakfast.

The Imperial is a lovely traditional hotel with friendly staff, great breakfasts and a nice view overlooking the River Taw. The location is excellent, right next to Barnstaple town centre. My room was spotlessly clean and had great plumbing. The building is very much a hotel from the 1800s but brought up to date. The decor is traditional and the staff are there to help.

We had a lovely relaxing weekend as always. Staff are so friendly,polite and attentive to any requests or special needs you may have,

The location and the building was charming and had a lovely feel to it fresh flowers etc. The room.was lovely and spacious, the bed was comfortable. We were given a upgrade from the room booked which was a nice surprise.

The television only had Limited channels would have been nice to get the WiFi on to watch Netflix.

Breakfast, clean, staff

Bed was way too small for the price paid

This characterful hotel is always welcoming. It is well located for exploration of North Devon. The staff are brilliant and always helpful. In general the stay is good value for maney.

We were kept awake by a dog barking until the early hours in the morning when myself and I eventually fell asleep out of exhaustion. I did approach the night porter about this but nothing was done about it. We were booked in for 2 nights but decided to check out the next morning (at a loss, no refund or compensation) and booked in to a great hotel in Exeter.

Posizione favorevole, hotel ben organizzato, stanza molto confortevole e pulitissima

Nulla

Very enjoyable stay, very relaxed, food was excellent (Dinner plates were hot, very rare these days ) Staff Lovely I can’t speak to highly of them. All in all, very satisfied.

no safe in the room and no Fridge eventualy we had the iron and ironing board , but the room was clean and okay the hotel is very well situated near the town centre ,also car parking was no problem

A very good selection of cooked food and cereals, fruit available. The hotel is situated opposite the tidal river, 2 minute wander in to the centre of town. Staff were very attentive and considerate, without being over bearing. They work hard to ensure your stay is totally enjoyable. The word "no" is not in their vocabulary :)

There was nothing that I would consider to be detrimental to our stay.

Management out right accused me yesterday of writing a negative review on here. As I've been accused and now banned from the premises for this accusation, I may aswell write a negative review on here to reflect this. This is how regulars get treated? This hotel needs to do better. Confronting me over something in front of my 9 year old daughter who merely wanted some food is far from acceptable. The manager was rude and I will not stand for it. A family friendly hotel? I think not. If you don't like non-residents coming in, don't allow them in. If this hotel hates children, don't invite families in. It is simple as that. This hotel is over priced anyway, so that's a winner for my bank account. There are plenty of other places to go to that are actually welcoming, so not being able to go to this hotel is a zero loss to me, but my review is damaging to them. Do better.

Staff helpful

No Ac in room little sleep first night had ask for fan the second night I

A fantastic first class hotel with fabulous service ,food and staff This was our second visit and we will definitely stay again even though it’s a six hour drive it’s worth the journey, we love it!

If fine dining with excellent service are what you are looking for in a hotel then this is the place for you. Both dinner and breakfast were delicious and served by the most efficient and attentive staff.

First time staying in this hotel. If you want quality food and really well trained staff this is the place to go. Only has 4 star hotel rating but feels like more

We stayed in Room 117 which was excellent, the food and service was also excellent. We stayed as part of a coach trip for 4 days. First class throughout. The coach company was „Roberts“ based at Huggelscote in the East Midlands.

Allt. Fantastisk atmosfär, andas lyx. Vi hade balkong, perfekt. Frukosten var mycket bra. Bra läge, fin trädgård, bra gratis parkering.

Inget, allt var mycket bra.

Excellent riverside location for this luxurious hotel is enhanced by the attentive but discreet staff. Delicious food too!

The Brenda Family hotels are all brilliant. The staff are well trained, happy and stay for many years. It's always a pleasure to see them again and again.

A very warm reception at a lovely hotel made for a great start to our stay! Our superior room was well appointed, in excellent condition and spotlessly clean. The plentiful staff were all well turned out, pleasant and very helpful. The large number of return customers in the hotel speaks loudly of the pleasant experience. We would be most happy to return!

Although very well done I thought the evening 4 course meal was rather expensive.

Excellent hotel. Great location, ample parking and reasonably secure for motorcycles. Great food. Friendly helpful staff.

Nothing.

Staff attentiveness was good, friendly & polite. Rooms were in lovely condition, bedding and facilities were clean and good quality. Any minor issues were dealt with care and consideration. House keeping staff were pleasant & helpful. It was quiet and were given a complementary room upgrade, which we appreciated. Food - breakfasts were great, one of the best omelettes I have had in a long time. Dinning in the resturant was good, nicely presented and tasted lovely. Would happily revist as overall a lovely hotel.

Nothing springs to mind

The breakfast was excellent and staff pleasant

Very.disappointed in room 104. My son had this room and found it to be very cramped. More like a hostel room he said. He didn’t sleep well. At £102 for the night this was unacceptable. He was reluctant for me to complain at the time, which I would have done and am pleased of this opportunity

We could only receive BBC channels on the TV

We visit The Imperial every year and have never once been disappointed with the accommodation, the food and the service. This year we had friends come along too, as we have been singing the praises of the place for the last fifteen years or more. We have stayed in all of the Brend hotels over the years. They are all friendly, well-run establishments, but The Imperial remains our favourite.

Lovely hotel, great location, lovely views, very helpful staff, good parking with EV charging, great food, good room service and breakfast choices. The rooms are excellent but I found the mattress to be very soft and found it difficult to get comfortable. I usually prefer a firmer mattress, so if this bothers you I’d consider that.

We spend a lot of money at this hotel, so we did not appreciate the rude, and cold mannerisms from one of the managers upon our visit today. One bad experience out weighs all of the good ones.

This was my second visit. Hotel ideally situated to walk around Barnstable and explore the surrounding area. A high quality hotel. With friendly and helpful staff. Food is varied, tasty, well presented and service is good. My main reason for returning was the food. Though the hotel is lovely, but if considering booking, book early to obtain the better rooms.

Nice hotel with excellent staff and customer service, perfect location within walking distance to town and bus station with ample parking.

My friends and I had a very enjoyable time at the hotel. Food was excellent and staff very friendly and helpful.

First time here,walked through the doors and we both knew that this was going to be a wonderful holiday.Staff are amazing,food is excellent and plenty of it.The hotel is spotless,plenty of space inside an outside to relax with a nice drink or a quiet read.We have already booked to go back in August can’t wait.

A perfectly located hotel overlooking the tidal river, quiet, very comfortable beds and very friendly staff, highly recommend.

We got a lovely upgrade Beds were very comfortable Bathrooms clean Good location

Food wasnt great

I stayed at this hotel last year with Great Rail Journeys and took advantage of a summer offer to return. Despite the heat outside the hotel was cool with air conditioning and fans. The food and service were again outstanding and the young people serving well trained and most pleasant, as is the charming maitre d' and the reception staff. I did not feel out of place as,a solo traveller, the bus services from Barnstaple to the coast are excellent a d the river an d park near the hotel interesting for watching the tides, the bird life and the weekend 5km run. I hope to return. G

A lovely experience

Nothing

Great location very clean and helpful staff

Nothing

Barnstaple was a meeting point for our friends and us, so we let them choose the hotel since they are quite picky. In the end, everything worked out perfectly. The location, the excellent service, and the staff’s genuine desire to make our stay as enjoyable as possible all came together to create a wonderful experience. We were all very happy with our choice.

The food was absolutely amazing, as was the service. All staff were friendly and polite and very attentive. Rooms very spacious and we had lovely river views. A very well run hotel. Great location for a stroll around Barnstaple town, and a great base for exploring North Devon

Excellent location & well signposted.

N/A High standard, which never fails.

Clean and comfortable. Staff were excellent. Good location

Bath was high and difficult to manoeuvre.

Excellent! Clean room , lovely upgrade and friendly helpful staff.

Nothing it was fab

Stayed here for my special birthday, the cleanliness was outstanding also the food… staff were excellent especially Cathy from reception.. thankkyou

We have stayed at the Imperial quite a few times now and it never fails to provide us with a very pleasant experience. The hotel is well situated for many of the North Devon attractions and is a very good base from which to explore. If you have an EV the charge points are easily accessible. The service is excellent and always attentive to your needs. The staff are friendly and helpful, ever present but not intrusive. The restaurant for both dinner and breakfast are superb, multiple choice and cooked to order so always fresh. A very pleasant place to stay.

We return to The Imperial when visiting family. A beautiful building and the staff are so professional we wouldn’t stay anywhere else

The location is perfect and the hotel itself is such a beautiful building. We had a balcony room overlooking the river - just perfect

Absolutely nothing

What a gem. Beautiful hotel.

Decor choices and the authentic feel of a special, heritage borne hotel. It’s done in a tasteful and sophisticated way, from fresh flower arrangements to frame hanging on the walls.

Location was great! Fan in the room was welcomed in warm weather.

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We had a last-minute need for a hotel when some other plans fell through. The Imperial Hotel was a life saver. Not only that, the staff were absolutely incredible. This location should never be a fallback - it should be the first plan because it is so lovely and relaxing. I can't say enough good things about the staff there. They really did take all of our travel stress away.

Enjoyed another visit to The Imperial where we were made very welcome by the staff. Restaurant serves excellent breakfast and an evening meal worthy of a top restauarant. Staff are very efficient and it is a joy to see everyone serving in the restauarant and bar looking happy at their work.

We have just returned from a five day stay at The Imperial. I had read other reviews, and was hoping to have a pleasant experience, but the hotel exceeded all our expectations, The room , 101, was huge, with dual aspect , floor to ceiling windows, most comfortable bed ever, and immaculate bathroom. All the staff were superb, nothing was too much trouble for them, and it was good to see youngsters working there as well, and seeming to enjoy their work. For the first time ever during a holiday, we actually booked again for another break, in just 6 weeks time, to which I am already looking forward

First time at the Imperial but have stayed in other Brend Hotels. All staff were great and the food was lovely although I did notice there were some repeats on the menu after a few days, Our stay was for 7 nights so I would not have expected this during this time. Booked the state Room which had recently been refurbished. Storage for clothes was haphazard with the small wardrobe on one wall, small chest of drawers opposite and more storage in the bedside cabinet. So lots of opening of drawers looking for things! Bathroom was refurbished but shame no bathroom cabinet or shelf to keep things on.

Excellent

Absolute great place to stay. Staff very friendly and helpful. Facilities all good and breakfast is first class. Will stay again when in the area.

Central clean off the street and uncluttered

Comfortable 'salon' rooms with books, games, and quiet ambiance. Execellent attentive staff.

A very comfortable hotel with an excellent location. The staff were all friendly and helpful. Dinner choices changed daily and were all excellent, well prepared and good value.

Breakfasts were fantastic. Lots of choices and service was great!

Great location for walking into town and a long estuary. Loads of breakfast options, hot and good quality food.

It’s an old building so creaking floors. If possible choose front facing rooms.

Gemütliche Englische Atmosphäre, wie mann sich das wünscht. Tolles Restaurant. hervorragendes Frühstück (Unbedingt Kipper bestellen).

Very comfortable room and friendly staff. Old fashioned in a good way!

Only criticism is the body wash and shampoo is only accessible when using the shower , too high for use in the bath! An old fashioned bar of soap would be good.

All but one staff were exceptional and went far beyond required to assist, but one short dumpy girl showed it was inconvenient to serve a tea and considered rude. The hotel is beautiful inside and out.

The English breakfast was the worst I have experienced so did not repeat it, One evening meal, a burger at £27 just tasted of Chutney. You get two bottles of water on your first day but the following days got none, told these are complementary on your first day but you pay the same rate every day so considered petty, especially when the rooms over 30 degree in the heat wave and no air conditioning with most guests over 60. Guests gathered on ground floor for free tea in the evening then following day told only available if you paid for the main meal, again petty as both tea and Latte twice the price of any cafe or restaurant we experience and do this weekly so know. Breakfast result: The hash brown was soggy and full of fat, the black pudding edges were like a sole of a shoe, The mushroom unpeeled so edges chewy and the sausage cheap like meat wrapped in a condom. Terrible. For the fist time I had to email the hotel on return to home to make them aware.

Good car park, easy to find.

Position

The cost, way over the top. And much cheaper direct then I booked through Bookings.com. Did try but both parties refused to refund the difference. Last time I use any of them. Breakfast was also extra at around £20 we declined. Lift not working. I was told 2 weeks before but they said we would be on 1 st floor. We were actually on top floor,3 I think.. and very steep stairs.

Ambience excellent food.very helpful and friendly staff.

Lack of spa and disappointed in small garden space.lack of comfortable garden chairs and parasols.

Very freindly staff and very helpful

Everything, very central to everything. Easy to find, parking available. Clean welcoming.

Convenience

Staff were very friendly. Very high standards of cleanliness. Standard size room is a large room with large double bed. Quality food reasonably priced.

Very nice hotel lovely breakfast

Nothing

A wonderful experience from the moment we walked through the door. The whole building is exceptionally decorated, the furnishings luxurious and the rooms delightfully decorated. The service provided is exceptional and the restaurant provides a wide choice of very tasty food

The highlight of our stay was the food, which was absolutely delicious! All the staff were very friendly and attentive, and nothing was too much trouble. Our bedroom was clean and comfortable, although it was very hot when we arrived, and we had to turn off the radiator and heated towel rail and open the window to cool the room down enough to sleep. The shower was over the bath, which was quite awkward, and a walk-in shower would have been preferable. At the time of our stay the lift was out of order, which we found difficult walking up and down to the second floor. The chairs in the lounge were very low, and difficult to get out of for elderly people.

So look forward to our annual break at the Imperial- such a relaxing ambiance. The staff and food are both amazing and the weather was too!! Thankyou so much.

We have been visiting the Imperial 2 or 3 times a year for quite a few years and have always found the hotel to create a welcoming and extremely comfortable environment. Staff are very friendly, attentive and helpful, the food is superb, rooms and public areas are spotless, the standard of housekeeping is excellent and the hotel is only a short stroll from the town centre. What's not to love?

Staff were both professional and friendly. Beautiful old hotel, very relaxed atmosphere.

We found the bed quite uncomfortable, that's only our personal opinion, we like a softer mattress, saying that the bed was of a high quality.

We had a lovely weekend at this hotel. The food was excellent as always. All the staff are so friendly and we will be back later in the year.

As part of a coach trip, this has got to be one of the best we have stayed at. The staff were brilliant, very attentive, polite and nothing was too much trouble. The food was delicious, four course meal every night if you wished. Everywhere was spotless and comfortable. The attention to detail was amazing. The only complaint was that the lift had broken down the week before, so this did cause some difficulty for some people which I am sure will be dealt with shortly. Thank you to all concerned for a lovely holiday.

Just returned home from another excellent stay at the Brend Imperial Hotel in Barnstable. This hotel continues to excel and you are given first class friendly service throughout which is also complimented by fantastic food. Would highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting North Devon.

We enjoyed our short break at the Imperial Hotel. The breakfast and dinner were delicious with plenty of variety. Comfy bed . Refurbished bathroom with walk in shower was lovely, very well thought out with plenty of room for toiletries. Thank you for a comfortable stay.

Excellent stay in an excellent hotel, in a great location. Great staff and service. We had a river view room, which was lovely.

Fantastic family run hotel,excellent service lovely relaxing hotel and wonderful food,excellent location and views of the river. Unfortunately Barnstaple is not as good as it used to be shops closed,but that’s the same in many many towns now but a very good department store.

We come back time and again to stay at this hotel because it always maintains its high standard of service. The positive staff who are so professional, the amazing food and the general atmosphere of this hotel always sends you home feeling relaxed.

An outstanding hotel - All the staff were well trained, friendly and efficient. The meals in the restaurant were of a very high quality, - good choices at Breakfast and Dinner

A very warm welcome at Reception, a very nice and very clean room, fabulous service across the whole hotel and really excellent food (both breakfast and especially dinner). We couldn't have asked for better!

Thought our stay was extremely comfortable and staff very welcoming

A shame the lift was not in operation but this did not spoil our visit

If you want luxury, comfort and great service then come here. Food is good and plentiful and changes every day. Staff are very friendly and go out of thier way to ensure you have everythong you need.

The old-fashioned ambiance and unfussy service made our stay very enjoyable. The staff were extremely attentive and always helpful.