Imperial Hotel

I’m heavily pregnant and went in to use the bathroom. The man at the front desk was extremely rude and hostile. He asked where I was going, and when I asked to use the toilet, he told me there was a public one down the street and to get out. I understand they can’t let everyone use the bathroom, and I’d have understood if he’d politely said it was for customers only. The way he spoke to me was disgraceful. I won’t be bringing my business here anymore.

The hotel is right in the middle of town, with easy access to transport. Great location.

The biggest problem for me was the noise. There seems to be no soundproofing in this echoey metal building. At 3am, I’m lying awake hearing every sneeze, cough and fart, plus every flat, bellowed note of drunken Frank Sinatra from the inconsiderate neighbours. Bring heavy-duty earplugs if you’re staying here. The rooms themselves are fine, very clean, bland and corporate, like a cheap Airbnb, though there’s a mild damp smell. It’s apparently now an annex down an alleyway, and they shouldn’t advertise it using the former hotel. The place is central and convenient, but the alley feels pretty sketchy at night, so I’m not sure how to rate the location. We arrived late, around 10:45pm, after a long travel day, and there was some confusing comedy at the entrance before the sweet night porter answered and kindly showed us down the alley to our lodgings. It’s odd, but not quite as bad or dramatic as some of the other reviews make it sound. On a generous day, it might have scraped three stars.

I go there every day for tea. Today, I ordered one and sat for an hour before asking for the manager. The bar lady said they were busy, though she was able to go downtown, and the guy I’d ordered from walked past with a guest around back. When I went outside, then came back in and stood in the doorway, another guy asked if I was okay. I said I wanted to speak to management. He got smart, pulled the door open and hit me with it, then tried to grab my arm. I told him he’d be sorry if he touched me. They called the guards, so I called them too. Then he said I’d been there too long having tea and they had other customers. This place bars and discriminates against you when you complain.