My greatest childhood memories are of visiting Blackpool during the school holidays. I loved everything about the seaside; the sea, sand, slot machines, ice cream, the three famous piers, and of course the rides.
Fast forward over 30 years and I still love to be beside the seaside. I don’t get to Blackpool as often as I’d like, in fact the last time I visited was over five years ago! This is simply because I live on the opposite side of the country, so I tend to visit the East Coast of Yorkshire more regularly rather than the North West.
This visit was a reminder that I still have a huge fondness for Blackpool, and I love everything that this seaside resort has to offer. Luckily for me and my family it was the hottest week of the year, and the sun shone from morning until night. The weather was definitely on our side this trip, we sunbathed, enjoyed the beach, strolled along the promenade, and spent hours in the piers and on the slot machines.
The Imperial Hotel Blackpool
We stayed at The Imperial Hotel Blackpool, which is a majestic Grade II listed Victorian building located on the seafront promenade. The hotel was built in 1867 and still keeps many of the original features. As soon as you enter the hotel through the revolving doors you instantly get a sense of nostalgia.
The beautifully decorated reception desk in dark mahogany wood is a stunning feature that is the heart of the lobby. The lounge is vast and open with a quaint coffee kiosk, plenty of comfy seating and the lift which leads to all floors. Plus, there are two corridors on the ground floor each with events spaces, conference facilities, private lounge, and meeting rooms.
Conference Facilities & No.10 Bar
These rooms are beautifully presented, all with unique names of the era. They include Churchill Room, Louis Room, Derby Room, Lancastrian Suite, Princess Room, Ascot Room, Imperial Rooms. Each room is available to hire for meetings, weddings, events, conferences and more.
Also, on the ground floor is No.10 Bar which serves drinks and bar snacks daily. There’s the main restaurant Palm Court, which serves afternoon tea, dinner and breakfast. And, there’s a place to hang out for the younger generation, with arcade games, pool table, and a specific kid’s corner.
The Royal Suite
We checked in to The Royal Suite, and what a magnificent room, or should I say rooms! It comprised a huge living and dining room with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the newly renovated fountain and entrance. With views across the promenade, beach, and sea. In addition, the main king-sized bedroom offered lots of space, storage, TV, dressing table and views over the sea. A second bedroom with twin beds, storage, and its own entrance door. A large bathroom with huge stained-glass windows, ‘his & hers’ sinks, bath, and stand-alone shower unit. Finally, we had a private corridor that linked all the rooms together.
We couldn’t have asked for anything better. The coffee machine in the living room was an excellent addition, the beds were extremely comfortable, and the shower was powerful.
Previous Guests – Beside The Seaside
The Royal Suite is a magnificent space, and has had a number of famous residents over the years.
Firstly, the photos of previous guests on the wall outside The Royal Suite included the Beatles back in the height of their stardom. Plus, Bob Dylan, and Margaret Thatcher whilst she was Prime Minister. Secondly, every post-war Prime Minister has stayed in this suite. These include the likes of Sir Harold Macmillan, Sir Edward Heath, Sir Harold Wilson, James Callaghan, Sir John Major, Alec Douglas Hume, Tony Blair and Anthony Eden. I wonder if they enjoyed The Royal Suite as much as we did?
Palm Court Restaurant – Beside The Seaside
Our dinner was served in Palm Court, again we were overlooking the sea, and there was a choice of menu. We opted for a set 3-course menu, which was very good. Our starters included leek & potato soup, ham hock, and kids prawn cocktail. Main courses were breast of chicken and peppercorn sauce, supreme of salmon with Greenland prawn, and kids cheese burger. Desserts were Imperial Mess, and Lemon Meringue. Moreover, the stand out dishes included the kids prawn cocktail, supreme of salmon, the peppercorn sauce, and the Imperial Mess. Each dish was well thought out, beautifully presented, and extremely tasty.
During the evening we spent an hour in No.10 Bar and noticed that the glass ceiling was stunningly ornate. The bar itself was like something from a James Bond movie! I can only imagine how flamboyant and luxurious it must have been back in the Victorian era. We even managed to catch the end of an evening show, and plenty of dancing took place.
Each evening throughout the season there are a number of regular entertainers offering music, singing, comedy and much more. Additionally, these evenings are free to attend if you’re a guest of the hotel, and are well worth checking out.
In Conclusion
All-in-all our stay at The Imperial Hotel Blackpool was wonderful, filled with Victorian architecture, delicious food, and the biggest hotel suite we have ever stayed in. Every member of staff we talked to were accommodating and happy to chat. We learned from one of the team who had worked at the hotel for over 15 years, about the newly renovated exterior of the hotel and how much work went into cleaning the front façade of the building.
Furthermore, we even found about the hidden Turkish Baths and Russian Baths. Within the basement complex of the hotel is where these unique baths are located. Back in 1901 they opened as an extension to the hotel, offering a plunge pool and facilities for bathing. Seawater was directly taken from the Irish Sea and pumped into these baths as steam. Plus, all surrounding rooms were decorated with beautiful ornate tiles from Leeds adorned with images of fish. These rooms aren’t open for viewing today due to ongoing extensive renovations throughout the hotel, but what a wonderful piece of history.
Thank you to the entire team at The Imperial Hotel Blackpool for such a lovely 2-night stay.
Hotel Information
The Imperial Hotel, North Promenade, Blackpool, FY1 2HB
www.imperialhotelblackpool.co.uk
Tel: 01253 623971
180 Bedrooms
11 Rooms and Suites for events, meetings and conferences
The Royal Suite Rates start from £158.67 per night
We stayed 26-28 May, our room rate was priced at £171.50 per night
Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside – Words by Rachel McAlley @LadyRach
