3 days ago
We stayed at a popular Pembrokeshire hotel's newly renovated resort
There's no place like Tenby in a heatwave and with the sun shining and the mercury rising, that is exactly where we are heading to spend a night at the newly-renovated Imperial Hotel.
The clifftop Imperial is a stunning listed building that has been a hotel for 120 years, opening in 1905.
It closed as owners Shearings Hotels went into administration during lockdown, but bounced back strongly in the summer of 2021 as part of the Coast & Country Hotel Collection.
(Image: Western Telegraph)
Last year it was sold to Crest Hotels and since then has undergone an extensive renovation, reopening in April.
(Image: Western Telegraph) The hotel now offers 52 refurbished bedrooms and the newly renovated Essence restaurant.
(Image: Western Telegraph) The kids and I arrive on a sunny afternoon and head through the be-foliaged entrance way to reception where we are given a warm welcome.
Our room is situated on the third floor at the front of the hotel and when we open the door all three of us gasp. The room is well-appointed, beautifully furnished and facing out to sea.
(Image: Western Telegraph) Sweeping open the net curtains reveals an uninterrupted sea view over to Caldey Island and miles and miles of beautiful blue sea- it is stunning and truly good for the soul.
The room is equipped with some big brand appliances, Smeg mini fridge with welcoming soft drinks inside, Smeg kettle and Dyson hairdryer.
(Image: Western Telegraph) A sumptuously comfy double bed and sofa bed await.
The ensuite is equipped in gleaming white with double sinks, bath and a shower, all spotless.
(Image: Western Telegraph) Tenby-inspired art adorns the walls and we really like the beach-themed carpet.
The room is probably better suited for a couple with a child rather than an adult and two kids. It is set up for two people in terms of cups and glasses and we draw straws over who will share the double!
(Image: Western Telegraph) On the terrace below, the Tenby Rocks party is in full swing, a Saturday afternoon shenanigan featuring a DJ blasting out Ibiza classics, with cocktails on the terrace.
When I pop back down to reception, the floorboards are reverberating under my feet and the older couple checking in look a bit concerned.
The music dies down just after six and the girls in their miniskirts and bikini tops and boys in bucket hats head elsewhere.
(Image: Western Telegraph) Once the terrace is restored to tranquillity, it is a truly lovely place to be. Nestled into the ruins of the old town walls with sweeping views over South Beach and out to sea, it's the perfect place for a drink in the sun.
(Image: Western Telegraph) After settling in, we head to South Beach, a mere few minutes' walk away, and spend a delicious time in the sea.
Back at the hotel, we scrub up for dinner in the hotel's Essence restaurant where we have a sea view table - it is a bit like being on a boat with nothing but the sea beyond us.
(Image: Western Telegraph) For our starters we order the Tenby Bay Basket to share, two mini baskets of deep-fried deliciousness with a small salad and garlic and thermidor dips. There are cries of 'I'm obsessed' and 'can we have this every week' as we tuck into the baskets of lobster tail, crayfish, tiger prawns , mussels , shrimp and cockles.
For my main, I order the herb-crusted sea trout with confit potatoes, samphire and a white wine and laverbread sauce.
There are no herbs, but the sea trout (or sewin) is very nicely cooked, just on the verge of rare without being slimy. The salty samphire sets it off nicely but the laverbread in the sauce makes the whole dish a little too salty. I swipe the tween's uneaten salad and the pea shoots balance out the saltiness.
(Image: Western Telegraph) The tween has an Imperial chicken burger with extra bacon and proper chips. He particularly likes the dressing and wolfs the lot down saying it's 'an orchestra of flavour in my mouth'.
The teen orders pulled crab and lobster pappardelle, ribbons of pasta in a crab and lobster bisque topped with a lobster tail. She is a bit perplexed as to the absence of cherry tomatoes as they are on the menu, but enjoys the pasta and the succulent lobster flesh.
(Image: Western Telegraph) We chose our puddings and wait for someone to take our order and wait …. and wait. The restaurant staff are also taking drinks out to a very busy terrace.
Eventually I catch the barman's eye and he sends the manager over. We order a chocolate brownie bomb and a Cointreau and orange crème brûlée, only to be told the kitchen has closed.
The dessert disaster is somewhat saved by two bowls of ice cream and an affogato. I would have liked to have tried that crème brûlée though.
After dinner, we head out through Tenby's bustling evening streets and catch live music at a venue or two before making our way back. We are grateful for the air conditioning in the room and are lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves as the Buck moon reflects in the sea.
(Image: Western Telegraph)
The next morning, we are in the sea before breakfast, the tide is high but there is a scrap of sand at the beach by the Paragon with only a couple of people on it. The sand is golden, the water clear and I have that real 'on holiday' feeling. It's bliss.
(Image: Western Telegraph) Back at the hotel and we find out that check out isn't at ten, as written on the guest info, but at eleven. What a relief! This gives us time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast.
At Essence there is a buffet with cereal, yoghurt and fruit, pastries and toast as well as a hot menu to order from.
(Image: Western Telegraph) After a delicious bowl of yogurt, raspberries and granola (why had I never thought of adding seeds and walnuts to mine at home? Yummy!), we order a full Welsh, scrambled eggs and salmon and eggs royale.
(Image: Western Telegraph) All are perfectly-proportioned, not too big to overwhelm but big enough to set us up for the day.
(Image: Western Telegraph) The Welsh breakfast is well presented and not at all greasy, there is no laverbread with it - which is a shame as I was looking forward to it - and the poached eggs, though looking gorgeous, were a bit overcooked. However, those are my only niggles and the salmon and eggs in both their breakfast manifestations were very well received.
(Image: Western Telegraph) Once packed, the staff kindly say that we can leave our bags at the hotel and we divide a few more jolly hours between the beach and the terrace before heading home.
So what of the Imperial? Well, it still needs a couple of tweaks in the kitchen and restaurant, but it's in a cracking spot with unparalleled views, it is child and dog-friendly, the staff are lovely and the rooms gorgeous.
I'm still a bit unsure about the incongruity of the Ibiza party on the terrace, but it is only on a Saturday afternoon and finishes early enough.
Maybe next time I will have to ditch the mummy dungarees, put on a mini skirt, order a cocktail and join in!
(Image: Kayak PR)
To stay at the Imperial Hotel, Tenby, visit linked above.
