Imperiale Palace Hotel

I visited this Italian area many times. I experienced the Hotel Excelsior ( prior to its destruction by fire ), the Splendido, the Miramare and for 3 times the Imperiale. I kept coming back to the Imperiale because of several distinctive characteristics. It’s wonderful 19th century building, its private access to the sea and nice pool area, its restaurant and the view from it, the old grandeur of its public areas, the classic elegant furniture. Many 5 star hotels in Europe succumbed to the idea of replacing everything that remembers XIX century grandeur with modern designs. The result is sometimes kitsch and cheap and in other occasions uneventful. The Imperiale has maintained its nice classic furniture and modernized to actual standards its bathrooms and technical conveniences like AC, WIFI, Gym, beds, etc. The end result is that it is as nice and superb as it always was. Elegant, refined, old world ambience, excellent service and trained staff. Breakfast is served buffet style with all the options expected from a 5 star hotel in a great setting, dinner is excellent and again in a setting with an incredible outside view or indoors under a fantastic artistic ceiling and on romanic marble floors. We booked the Tower Suite. An open plan generous sized kind of Junior Suite with a large entrance hall a huge marble bathroom and a stunning view through its 9 windows. I guess it could have been an open tower loggia of the original Villa before its conversion to a hotel, that was transformed into a room in a very clever and tasteful way. My only suggestion would be to add black-out curtains. The pool is large and has a great sea view. You get to it through a very nice garden. The access to the sea is one floor down from the pool and has a large surface for sunbathing and several stairs to get in and out of the sea. Very private and well kept. A lunch restaurant on the veranda overlooking the sea makes lunch a pleasure. For me, the Imperiale is the best option in the area, much better than the reencarnation of the burned down Excelsior or the competing Miramare, and only comparable to the Splendido ( this one with the handicap of no direct access to the sea ).

Best hotel in Santa Margherita Ligure Amazing this is our favorite hotel. We have stayed at another 5 star location and much prefer the Imperiale. The facilities and rooms and staff are superior!