Hotel Imperial — Hotel in okres Karlovy Vary

I am, sorry I should say that my work is, currently paying almost €200 per night for this "5-star" hotel - maybe it's out of 10 in Czechia, I don't know.

For a start, the room is extremely old fashioned with old carpets. There is no air conditioning either, which was the first thing I noticed last week when it was 30C+. There is a shower and bath tub in one. However, the bath tub is betty narrow and the shower curtain is very close and often sticking to you whilst showering. The shower head only has on location to be fixed and that's just above the bath, at knee height. There is the usual nonsense of two single beds that move apart, so basically you've only got a single bed to sleep on - never have I seen this in a real 5-star hotel. There is also no option to keep the same towels instead of having new ones every day.

The breakfast is extremely average with firm tasteless fruit, scrambled eggs with puddles of an unknown liquid in it, stale bread and a mix of what seems to be the leftovers from the previous evenings buffet. The service is sometimes really good, sometimes none existent. If you really must stay here, do not have the option of dinner included as the buffet is really very low quality, with either under or overcooked meat and cold vegetables. I had the buffet only once and I would never risk it again. The whole time I was sat eating, not once was I asked if I wanted a drink (only water available self service). The restaurant also closes at 20:00, which in my opinion is very early, especially for business travellers and there is no room service.

The amenities are very nice, or should I say they look nice, as on Sunday morning the only thing available was the swimming pool, with the sauna not in operation until 1500 and the Jacuzzi not until 1300 maybe. The only thing I want on a Sunday morning is a nice sauna and a Jacuzzi.

I was also refused entry from the night club as they call it, but really it's just an old fashioned stereotypical hotel bar with chesey disco lights and an eclectic music selection. The reason for being refused, was that I was wearing denim shorts and a polo shirt - apparently shorts are not allowed, even when it's over 20C at night. The bouncer showed me a sticker on the door that states a casual dress code - maybe this is just a bad translation as for me denim shorts ate casual. On the night that I did go there (I refused to go there after being rejected for wearing shorts), the cocktails had little to no alcohol and didn't taste great, the beer was also not very cold. And there was even some guy hanging out of a tracksuit, looking like some kind of teenage hanging about the street drinking - how I looked less presentable in denim shorts and polo shirt, I'll never know.

I also tried the coffee bar and was entirely unimpressed with the coffee and the service, as we waited 5 minutes to be acknowledged (this is how much we really wanted a coffee) and at least 5 minutes to get served our coffee - there were two other tables who already had their drinks and two (very inefficient) servers.

On the whole I've not had a great experience with this hotel and I definitely wouldn't stay here again, especially not for such inflated prices. Everything looks great, but scratch the surface and you'll be left wondering how this is a...

We came across Hotel Imperial several years ago after looking for a place to help us with our significant chronic pain issues. We came in from Germany. On arrival we were overwhelmed by the beauty and calm of the location. We booked for 8 days with the medical intensive in order to get the best possible effect.

Room: We booked a cityview superior room and were thrilled by the accommodation. Unlike a normal hotel room at a regular hotel where the rooms would be small, this room was huge with a walk-in closet and lots of space to feel at home for over a week. The colors were rich, the bed was comfortable, and the bedding was great.

Food: We had full board and only ate in the main dining room (so no review of specialty dining options provided). There was a large selection of different meats, such as some of the best duck I have ever had, and many kinds of sides as well as desserts. I wish they had that citrus merengue with coconut dessert more often since it is amazing. Over the week I never had the desire to go elsewhere to eat because this was so good, and I am usually one to always look for variation.

Treatments: This is where the perfect visit actually gets better, if that is at all possible. The basement, where treatments are done, is clinical and extremely clean. The range of treatments are customized by a licensed physician for each individual patient, with my treatment plan differing significantly from the plan for my wife. We met with a doctor, a nurse, got lab work, and met with a nutritionist. Very comprehensive. Some of the treatments logically made sense to me, but there were some that were quite interesting and extremely effective. CO2 injections are oddly a favorite. The staff is extremely professional. Not much chit-chat, but here in the spa there is value in quiet.

Water: The drinking cures are hard to keep up with if you have to leave the hotel for your particularly prescribed springhead. It is very hard to finish morning treatments in time to go down to town for water and get back for lunch prior to afternoon treatments. For this I ended up cheating on my lunch drinking and drank straight from the springhead inside the hotel.

Pool Area: The pool is well-maintained but I wish there was more control offered for the hot tubs. Never know when they might start blowing water, but they are a nice place to relax after a long day of relaxing. The sauna area is small and clean but might need modernizing.

Grounds: This is where you can imagine what life was like in the good old days. I would say that it is very French inspired with the beautiful manicured sections to provide maximum privacy while walking. The view never gets old.

Overall: I am someone who almost never goes back to the same place twice, seeking adventure. Hotel Imperial is totally different and we not only went back a second time from Germany for an additional 8 day stay, but we are returning again for a third visit. What makes the third visit the real selling point of this review is that we are coming for over double the amount of time (2.5 weeks) and are literally flying from Hawaii on the other side...

Might look like a castle, but don't expect to be treated like kings and queens. The grounds of the hotel are beautiful, the hotel is located on top of the hill overlooking the city and has its own funicular and provides free transport via two buses. From the outside, it really looks like a dreamy place. Now, going in, there is no one to greet you at the doors or help you with your luggage. That didn't bother us at all, however, you'd expect the service from such a majestic-looking place.

Checking in took about 15 minutes in awkward silence. The receptionist wasn't friendly and didn't take time to explain the basic services, e.g. breakfast time, wifi, spa opening times, etc. She was also unable to point us to the nearest restaurant.

The rooms are nice, the bathroom is a little outdated but spacious, and the view is picturesque. My boyfriend had ordered a welcome package including fruits, champagne, chocolates, and flowers as we were celebrating a special occasion, however, upon arrival, we were only greeted to a plate of fruits. When asked about it, they said they didn't know what had happened. No apology or solution was given. They accused my boyfriend of not ordering the welcome package and when provided with the receipts, they quickly reverted and said that they'd seen a different conversation. As if he'd made it up.

The service was really poor, unwelcoming, and cold. We were made to feel as if we were disturbing whenever we asked for anything. For example, when asked for an iron and ironing board, the receptionist said to arrange that with our floor housekeeper. When asked how to find her, she scribbled a phone number to call. When we've asked the housekeeper, she said because they are a 5star hotel, they cannot lend us the iron, but we will have to pay for the ironing service. Strange, but fair enough. She then told us to call the reception to arrange the service when we were just told to speak directly to housekeeping. If you want the same-day ironing service, expect to be charged double.

This so-called 5star hotel had very limited food options and the restaurant closes at 8.30 pm. Breakfast was okay, quite limited, comparable to a Holiday Inn breakfast buffet. No room service.

The wellness and spa area resemble a public pool. It even had warning signs and written rules, exactly like in a public pool! Not what we'd expected from a luxurious spa experience. The massage was okay, but again, nothing luxurious. You are whisked away to what looks like a doctor's office. We also wanted to get some beauty procedures done, but couldn't find anyone to speak to. The beauty centre and the hair saloon were closed.

Overall, the stay was okay. The hotel is living off its name and legacy and seems like they stopped trying, which is a shame. If you're looking for a luxurious experience, stay away and look at Grandhotel...