THE IMPERIAL HOTEL TORQUAY

Everything you want indoor and reasonable price and well located

Lovely size room but furniture was not good left my clothes in the suitcase drawers were not clean. Shower was pathetic and not impressed that the radiator wasn't on in bathroom. Needed a good clean especially edges of carpet and bathroom floor they don't look at the edges and corners. Would we come back definitely no.

I was genuinely excited to stay at The Imperial Torquay. After seeing the photos on Google, I was really looking forward to experiencing a Victorian-era building and deliberately chose it over a chain hotel for that reason. I imagined stepping back in time and soaking up the elegance and charm of its prime years. Unfortunately, the first impression was disappointing. The exterior entrance didn’t reflect the grandeur I had expected, and I couldn’t help but wonder what it must have looked like in the late 1800s and early 1900s. I had high hopes that the reception and interior spaces would fully capture that historic magic. The reception staff were welcoming, which was a positive start. Our room was cosy, with older furniture that I actually found quite charming. While it clearly wasn’t original Victorian décor (and I understand the building has seen refurbishments over the decades), I tried to appreciate its character. The hotel itself is vast, with endless corridors, and it’s easy to imagine what it must once have been like in its heyday, with ladies in corsets and gentlemen strolling through the halls. However, cleanliness details were disappointing. The bathroom water glass had visible toothpaste on it, suggesting it hadn’t been cleaned. The kettle area was also dusty, although interestingly the bedside tables and bed frame were not. These small but important details made the room feel less cared for than it should have been. I had also imagined the lounge and bar area to be warm, welcoming, and full of character, with comfortable seating and sea views a place to sit with a book and truly relax. Instead, the space felt sparse and lacking atmosphere, with limited seating and little of the historic charm I had hoped for. The restaurant felt empty and uninspiring, rather than magical or reflective of the hotel’s heritage. The following morning, we discovered there was only one towel provided for two people. We managed made it work as we need to leave. but when I mentioned it at checkout, the response was simply, “Did you look in the cupboard? The cleaning crew always leave one in there.” There was no apology or acknowledgment, which was disappointing. Having worked in aviation and stayed in many hotels, I’ve never encountered a room prepared with only one towel. The response made me decide not to raise my other concerns in person. Overall, I left feeling disappointed not because the hotel is without potential, but because I had such high hopes for it. Perhaps my expectations were influenced by the online photos and the romance of its history. I do appreciate supporting an independent historic hotel rather than a chain, but with more attention to detail, maintenance, and guest experience, this place could truly live up to the grandeur it once represented.