The magnificent 19th-century Victorian four-star hotel commands a cliff-top position, overlooking Torbay and the beautiful Devon coast. A historic property, built in the town’s Victorian period, the hotel is a reminder of why this part of Devon became known as the English Riviera.
The hotel offers breathtaking sea views, plus a host of leisure facilities, making it the perfect setting for a traditional seaside holiday combined with contemporary comfort and attentive service.
The foundation stone of the hotel was laid on 28th March 1864 on the site of the Royal Hotel plus two nearby villas. The hotel only settled on its name in May 1866 when the first advertisements were due to appear in the national newspapers and “Imperial” was a popular name for Victorian seaside hotels. The Imperial opened in November 1866 with Mr Thomas Webb, formerly of the Royal Hotel, as proprietor and Mr J W White as his manager.
Among the hotel’s many selling points were stables, an “experienced Chef” and ensuite bedrooms, as well as proximity to the ‘Baths, the Club and Beacon Hill’. Fortunately the hotel was an immediate success. In 1870, within four years of opening, a new wing, with 40 extra bedrooms, a table d’hote restaurant, and a smoking room, was under construction to the north of the original villa.
That same year Queen Sophie of the Netherlands came to stay. The following year her good friend Napoleon III, recently
dethroned as Emperor of the French, came to recuperate in the company of his son, the Prince Imperial. Word soon spread that this was a suitable place for European royalty. The Esterházy Prince Nikolaus III was a guest at the Imperial, as was Prince John of Liechtenstein, the second-longest reigning monarch in Europe after Louis XIV of France. Benjamin Disraeli, Queen Victoria’s favourite prime minister was a frequent visitor.
In 1878 the Prince of Wales came to visit Dean Stanley, the leading theologian of his day, who was staying at the hotel. Prince
Albert Victor and Prince George (later George V) who were being schooled nearby at Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth joined their father for tea at the Imperial. The royal party was rowed ashore from their yacht to steps that led up directly to the hotel. Subsequently Mr Webb applied to have these renamed the Prince of Wales’ Steps, and so they remain to this day.
Twentieth century innovation
Having made an impressive start, the Imperial strove continuously to remain ahead of its rivals. In 1898 electric lighting was installed in the smoking and billiard rooms of the Jubilee Wing. In 1912 a brand-new motor garage was built so that the Imperial could become one of the headquarters of the Royal Automobile Club in Torquay. This was one of the many initiatives of Mr C. W. Hore who was general manager 1910-39. Mr Hore also opened a bungalow hotel in the grounds for guests who wanted privacy and informality. A sun lounge and ballroom (now the Palm Court Lounge) were added in 1935, and in 1938 the hotel gave its first live broadcast using a five-piece band brought in from the Welsh resort of Rhyl. Such “palm court” roadcasts put the Imperial in the same league as the Waldorf and Savoy hotels in London.
After World War II the wealthy British developed a taste for holidaying abroad and the seaside was no longer considered so essential for an aristocrat’s good health. In 1950 Michael Chapman (manager 1939-1965) went to America and came back with a number of ideas for changing the way the hotel operated and how it looked. A startling innovation was the Marine Restaurant (now the Regatta Restaurant) which, with its 12-foot picture windows leaning outwards at an alarming 80 degrees, opened in June 1952 and made the Imperial a talking point again. The modernisation process had begun.
Modernisation
In 1956 a sundeck lounge was added and in 1961 the dining room was not just extended but bedrooms built underneath it, another remarkable innovation. One of the issues that increasingly concerned Michael Chapman was the fact that all the hotel’s stages of development were distinctly visible; the original Italianate villa of 1866, the Jubilee Wing of 1871, the Sun Lounge of 1938, the Marine Restaurant of 1952 and other smaller additions too, each recognisable of its time.So a daring scheme was initiated to encase the whole hotel with stucco and white panelling and give it uniformity.
Between 1965 and 1969 the exterior of the Imperial was completely transformed, while its various interiors remained of their time. In 1969 the now very modern looking Imperial Hotel was sold by Torquay Hotel Company to the Trust House group, which shortly afterwards became Trust House Forte. After a number of other owners, the Imperial became a member of The Hotel Collection in 2014 and was purchased by Andrew Brownsword Hotels in 2016.
Check-in after 3:00pm and check-out before 11:00am.
Yes, check-out at 1:00pm for £40 per room, subject to availability.
Breakfast is served in the restaurant Monday – Friday 7:00am – 10:00am and Saturday & Sunday 7:30am – 10:30am with the option of a cooked-to-order breakfast and continental.
If your reservation doesn’t include breakfast it can be added for £15 per person.
The hotel has a private car park on-site charged at £10 per car, per night which does not require advanced booking.
Alternatively we do offer a secure garage charged at £20 per car, per night which has a limited number of spaces available. There’s a height restriction of 2.2 meters.
Unfortunately there is not yet an electric car charging station at the hotel.
Children of all ages are welcome to stay at The Imperial Torquay and infants (aged 0 – 2) stay for free. Children (aged 3 – 16) will be on the same rate (e.g. bed & breakfast) as the adults on their reservation.
Children (aged 3 – 16) are charged:
– £20 per child, per night for a room only and room & breakfast rate
– £35 per child, per night for a dinner, room & breakfast rate
If you are visiting with children, please include them when booking to ensure the appropriate room is available.
We have designated rooms available for guests who wish to bring their dog; these are on the garden level.
Please call us to make arrangements if you wish to book a room that accommodates you and your dog. There is a £20 per dog, per night charge which includes a dog bed and water bowl.
We have beautiful grounds and local walks for you and your dog to enjoy. Unfortunately, they can’t have full access to public areas, and they won’t be able to join you in our Regatta restaurant, function rooms, or the conservatory areas of Palm Court.
We request that dogs are kept on a lead when in public spaces and that you utilise the dog bins provided when required. We ask that if you leave your dog in your room unattended (only for a little while, please), you advise reception so that any of our team who need to service your room or make deliveries to it are aware. Unfortunately, we don’t have appropriate facilities for giant breeds.
Guide dogs and accredited assistance dogs are welcome throughout our hotel.
152 bedrooms spread over 7 floors.
The bedrooms with private balconies/terraces are; Standard Sea Facing, Deluxe Double, Deluxe King and Deluxe Family. Although our Suite and Master Suites have balconies, these cannot be accessed due to ongoing structural repair work.
Every room comes with free unlimited Wi-Fi, indulgent toiletries, tea & coffee making facilities, safe, iron & ironing board, hairdryer and dressing table/desk.
The facilities include; indoor pool, Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna, gym, massage & beauty treatments, restaurant, bar & lounges, outdoor tennis court and billiards room. A £20 refundable deposit is required to use the billiards room.
Yes, our pools, Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and gym are all included if you’re staying with us. Spa treatments are available at an additional cost and can be booked in advance.
Our outdoor pool is currently closed.
Yes, there is a lift to all floors in the hotel.
Wheelchair access is available to most areas of the hotel via lifts and mobile ramps. Throughout the hotel, there are steps leading to most facilities, and where possible, we are continuing to place ramps.
There are no accessible bedrooms within the hotel, bedroom 44 on the mezzanine floor is used by many wheelchair users, which is accessed by the lift. The width of the bedroom door is 30”.
Booking provider (e.g. booking.com or Expedia)
Please see the cancellation policy with your booking provider for full terms & conditions. Cancellations or changes must be placed through your booking provider.
Bookings on our website (www.theimperialtorquay.co.uk)
Depending on which rate you booked, changes or cancellations can be made online using your online confirmation number (found in your confirmation email) and email address.
Bookings directly with us (e.g. phone or email)
Depending on which rate you booked, changes or cancellations can be made by contacting the hotel on 01803 294 301 or emailing info@theimperialtorquay.co.uk, quoting your confirmation number (found in your confirmation email).
If you’ve booked on our website or directly with us:
Standard Rates: fully flexible with free cancellation up to 4 pm the day before arrival. After this, the first night’s stay will be charged. No deposit needed, simply provide a credit/debit card to secure your reservation with a pre-authorisation taken on check-in.
Advance Purchase Rates: pre-payment to secure our best rates at the time of booking. Payment is non-refundable, but you can move your booking to a new date up to 2 pm the day before. You’ll only be charged the price difference —if there is one. Excludes special event dates.
The Imperial Torquay
Park Hill Road
Torquay
Devon
TQ1 2DG
info@theimperialtorquay.co.uk
01803 294 301
Proprietors: Andrew & Christina Brownsword
Regional General Manager: Giles Stonehouse
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© 2026 Andrew Brownsword Hotels. All Rights Reserved
Andrew Brownsword Hotels
4 Queen Square,
Bath BA1 2HA
+44 (0) 1225 320470
info@brownswordhotels.co.uk
