OYO Imperial Hotel

The outside looks old and a bit weather beaten, but the rooms inside are clean, modern and lovely. The staff were so helpful and made everything easier. I’m looking forward to seeing the place after its makeover. Can’t recommend it enough.

Barrow is a lovely town with friendly people and plenty to offer, but it feels as if it has lost its old momentum and needs some TLC. Locals seem genuinely sad about what has happened to this hotel, which used to host parties and events. Since Covid, it has become a HMO for immigrants, and in my view its reputation has suffered as it has fallen into disrepair. The damp in the building needs fixing, and I’d rate the hotel no higher than two stars at present. Our room was apparently the best one. It was clean, tidy and clearly modernised, but there was a nasty smell like fresh sewage. The lift smelled damp too, with car air fresheners hanging inside. The carpet was filthy and needs replacing as soon as possible. The breakfast setup felt dated, like something from the 90s, though the cooked breakfast was nice. There was toast, cereal, tea, coffee, juice and warm yoghurts, but only apples and oranges, no bananas. It was free, but there are things I’d change. The car park could be brighter and a coat of paint might make it feel safer. A gate could help too, as it seems like an easy place for crime, so be careful. CCTV would be useful. The blonde young woman at reception was kind and courteous. The man at the desk was less helpful, blamed the smell on the 'sani flo', which I don’t believe, and handed me air freshener.

The room was clean and comfortable, and I slept well. At breakfast, though, there was no written notice of the serving hours. Perhaps they’d been mentioned at check-in, but that’s a lot of information to remember, and I’d expect the times to be printed somewhere. I came to the breakfast room at about 8:55 and was told cooked breakfast had finished because service ran from 7-9 am. That was disappointing. Breakfast was advertised as included in the room price, and it felt misleading when staff wouldn’t provide it. Even if they were right to enforce the hours, their pedantic manner and the lack of clear information felt like poor customer service and spoiled my impression of the company. There was only instant coffee too, no filter coffee.

The hotel is in the middle of renovation, so it looks messy inside and out, and the shared areas aren’t great. Given the work going on, that’s understandable. The friendly welcome and service, comfortable room, and a very good breakfast included in the price more than made up for it. Special mention to the breakfast team, who were warm, helpful and happy to do anything they could.