Imperial Hotel

We were 16 Hillwalkers, and the staff were lovely throughout. Both breakfast and dinner were very good, though the portions might have been a little large. There are filtered water stations on every floor. The Tourist Office gave us excellent advice and can arrange a tour of the town, which is well worth doing.

There’s a smoking area on the first floor, just up from the bar. The hotel also does a really good breakfast, and its Tapas menu is very good too.

The steaks were cooked just right, and the service was excellent. We tried the Brazilian special as well and had a nice experience. One small thing about the Brazilian coxinha meal: for €15 it came with chips, salad, and a single piece. Coxinha is made with potato dough, and this was basically one large one. In most places they cost €3 to €6 each, so for €15 I’d expect something closer to 10 small ones or 2 large ones. It felt a bit like being served one Scotch egg for €15.

The room had one real downside for me: getting into the raised shower felt unsafe, I was worried about falling when stepping out, and I never got the water temperature right. The rest of the stay was great. The hotel is in a lovely spot in the heart of Dundalk, and the rooms were super clean. The lobby looks like it’s had a fancy refurbishment. Reception were very accommodating, and one of the women in the lobby recommended a sushi place down the road. The restaurant bar is comfortable and looks lovely, with a good choice of food. My grilled prawns tapas arrived sizzling and was just the right amount, and the truffle chips were very good. My husband liked his chicken curry, and the bartenders were friendly and engaging. Not sure how our friends found the hotel, maybe Expedia? I’d still highly recommend it.