Imperial Hotel

The first evening meal was bland, beige and poorly presented, with mediocre quality and portions. The choice was dire: just three mains, one always salad and another always fish, so there wasn’t much to choose from. Vegetarian and vegan options had to be booked at breakfast. When our waitress asked how it was, I said I’d reserve judgement as it was our first holiday meal. My husband gave it an overly generous 5 out of 10, and she replied, “that's as good as it gets in this place” !!!! My gob was smacked. Breakfast the next morning was dry, overcooked and tasteless. The fried bread could rebuild the Berlin Wall, though the mushrooms were nice and the poached egg passable. The second evening’s roast beef was just OK. Since then, we’ve walked to the local Wetherspoons instead of eating at the hotel. We’re here with one of three coach parties this week, mostly over 60s. When will these places realise not everyone over 60 is deaf, doddery or old? Please don’t discuss guests at reception as if we can’t hear you. We may be over 60, but we’re NOT ALL DEAF!!!! The staff are mostly doing their best, and this experience won’t spoil our break, but the hotel could do much, much better. Give guests more choice, improve the food quality and sort out the decor. Having read most of the recent reviews from the past six months, I thought we’d been put in a different hotel when we arrived. The place is very dated and shabby, dirty in some areas, and needs a deep clean at the very least, though really it needs refurbishing. Our double room is a nice size, and we paid extra for a Seaview, but it wasn’t the cleanest. The bathroom is very outdated and not user friendly, with the shower over the bath. Surely a walk-in shower should be the minimum these days.

We had a lovely large room and bathroom, and the view was fabulous. The meals were all very good and the service was faultless, so I’d definitely stay again. We had a great five-day stay and also visited the local museum and aquarium, which features sea life from the area. 👍

We spent Christmas 🎄 here as a group of 38, and the staff made it special. They were all exceptional, nothing was too much trouble, and service was efficient. The food was very good, drinks were well priced and the rooms were clean. It’s also a great spot close to the harbour. Thank you all x

The staff were very helpful, and our waiter did his best to look after everyone. Still, my dinner was cold each night, and breakfast on the day we left wasn’t much better. It’s a good hotel in ilfracombe, in a nice location, but it seems to have gone downhill since my last stay.