Classic Double or Twin Room, 1 Double or 2 Twin Beds
from $80
Hotel Imperator
4.0 out of 5.0
68% based on 408 reviews
Recent guest reviews
Yes the rooms are a little tired but they are also very clean, comfortable & in a great location. We had two rooms for 2 nights and had a wonderful stay. The staff were very friendly and helpful. We had our car with us and we just parked it out the front.
Upon entering in thiw establishment where receptionist and Mr. Brian were very good indeed especially the porter being Mr. Brian exceptionally attentive responding and suggesting like a travel bureau. The room was nicely painted, the lift was from another era, the cleanliness of the less frequented common areas not up to standard but there was a fine almost Roman restaurand garden court of some size, very good declamatory service, fine location and acceptable price. We might even return to this Hotel which craves for a boutique refurbishment, at the present state because we are in line with the allegoric charm of being run down retaining though something exceptional.
Hotel is on a very busy one way street & not easy to stop outside. Valet private parking available, otherwise on street parking, which is very restricted. Received friendly welcome & were shown to our room by the receptionist, via an ancient lift. Locks on doors similarly ancient, but once we'd mastered it, had no problems. Room disappointingly small, not what we had expected. Table & chair directly in front of the wardrobe. Lighting in the room poor, with only 1 bedside lamp, making it difficult to read in the evenings. Bed comfy & Wi-Fi good, as was aircon in the room. No aircon in the bar, restaurant or lounge areas. We had a room overlooking the road, which is very noisy from early morning. Hotel's location is good, just a couple of minutes walk to restaurants & bars and shops within 10 minutes. The gourmet restaurant at the hotel was closed 2 out of 3 of the nights we stayed, so didn't try it.
I booked a room via booking.com under a "free cancellation" and "no-prepayment-needed-pay-at-the-property" policy. The "hotel policy" button on booking.com also stated: "no prepayment needed". The room was pricey but I thought it would be for a good cause. Than of course a week before my arrival the hotel froze the full (!!!) sum of my stay on my account. Now, I understand that freezing does not mean charging, however I can't use this funds until they are released. And I think this info should have been made more evident BEFORE I made a booking. And make it clear so that I did not have to look all over the website for this info. In the confirmation email AFTER I've done my booking they wrote that the hotel reserves the right to freeze a certain sum in order to verify that the card is active and alright. But okay it does not state anywhere that they will freeze THE WHOLE sum. Why do they need the whole sum to verify that the card is active? In either way, I kindly asked them to keep holding the money on my account so that I could come in a week time and they could debit the money that they have already frozen. Because I knew that if they release the sum they have frozen it will take my bank 20 days to get the money back to my account. So I still would not be able to use that sum by the time I arrive to the hotel. However hotel notified me that they have already released the money and can not help me. On the one hand it could have been nice of them to release it so quickly. But what is the point? Why not debit the same blocked money? Now I am facing the prospect that I have to pay the full price of my stay while the same amount is blocked on my card. In other words, they tried really hard to make it impossible for me to pay for my stay - cos now this price is double for me. Is it really that necessary to freeze the full price of my stay and call it a "no prepayment needed" option? I am not sure.
I had great difficulty deciding on how to rate this hotel. I could have easily decided on 1 star. The hotel is in a perfect location close to all the main sights and short walk to good restaurants. Staff were friendly and efficient. Breakfast was very nice with an egg chef on hand. It was served in an open courtyard which was very pleasant in the warm summer morning. The lift was a throwback from the 1920s with open cage and manual doors. The keys and locks to the rooms were similarly vintage. The room was a superior room for which I paid extra but was very small and the furniture was old fashioned and jaded. It had a view of the courtyard, possibly the reason for its superior classification. Quite frankly I would never knowingly book a room so depressingly small. The decor didn't help the overall poor impression. However the bed and pillows were very comfortable and I slept well. The bathroom only had shower and was so cramped that the doors to the shower didn't open fully. The public rooms were really smart with elegant and comfortable furniture. I am disabled and the hotel was a challenge with steps up to the lift entrance. Having said the above, I would stay here again because of its location and breakfast, but I would be much more careful about the selection of the room. The price was very reasonable for a 4 star hotel, however the hotel took the room charge twice. They credited the overcharge the following day without prompting but I still lost several euros due to currency changes in that 24 hour period.
We booked and paid for this hotel in February and then in June, two days before we arrived in nimes, we were told they were overbooked and we'd have to stay elsewhere. The day before they has asked if we wanted car parking and taken our booking for it. In normal circumstances that would be ok but this was a romantic anniversary of the first overseas trip we'd made together ... to this hotel many years ago. So going to this hotel was vital .... no other would do. We'd spent a lot of money on the trip and travelled 2000 miles round trip before being told about the overbooking. The worse is that the hotel didn't even contact us .... they left that to the website we booked through. We've never even had an apology from the hotel. It feels like they don't care about past customers trying to return as they get older. I'd question if they care about anyone or if profit is all that matters to them. Perhaps they will comment below and explain their heartless disregard to us.
We were booked in to the Imperator as part of a group of 16 by a well known travel company who we had used before. When we left the UK the weather was 16C. When we arrived at Marseilles airport it had reached 35C. This may seem unimportant to the readers but the very best part of this old, historic establishment was the air conditioning in our room! It ran day and night as the heat soared and made the holiday a success. The charismatic old Otis lift was reliable unless a fellow guest had neglected to close the doors. This resulted on occasions in a 3 floor hike unless the concierge was available to run up the staircase for us. The breakfast was excellent with eggs cooked to order and a full range of alternatives on a buffet basis. The public areas are classically stylish with many photos of Ernest Hemingway who made this hotel famous in books and in person. The bar area is also well stocked but with a mini heatwave going on the public areas were very hot. The dining area opened out onto a garden with trees so shade was possible. I can't really give an opinion on the food because I am limited on what I could find to eat in a Mediterranean Hotel, however some meals were included. As an example of the evening meal offerings I ordered Pollock, which seemed a safe option. The fish was neatly placed on a bed of Fennel. If that constitutes haute cuisine then I am baffled. Overall, the week was enjoyable at this establishment but if you wish to try it out then waste no time as the local rumour is that the Imperator has been bought out and will undergo a full refurbishment in the not too distant future. Then we will probably be looking at a heavy price hike!
Having travelled to Nimes for a special celebration we were let down on our booking by another hotel. We found the Imperator online at very short notice. We received a very lovely welcome, which already gave it a huge headstart! We enjoyed being taken up to our room in the beautiful old lift. The public areas are very impressive. The superior room we booked was of a very good size and peacefully located with French doors opening onto the lovely gardens. Well equipped bathroom, with both bath and shower plus a bidet. The bed was huge and very comfortable. Reliable wifi. The hotel has a great location - central enough to be able to walk everywhere, but secluded enough to be peaceful. It's also on the doorstep of the beautiful Jardins de la Fontaine. The only thing to let it down was that you could hear literally everything from the surrounding rooms. I know that is the nature of such a beautiful old building, but the walls really did seem paper thin! However, that did not put us off, as we felt so comfortable in this hotel that we decided to stay another night. Should we be lucky enough to return to Nimes in the future, we will definitely stay at the Imperator again.
Famous old hotel. From the 30's several famous people stayed here. Breakfast is very good with eggs cooked to order. Classic elevator, just like in the movies. Room key is an adventure with pictures for instructions. Would stay here again anytime
Well it is certainly nowhere near as bad as some reviews have indicated, or perhaps our room did not have some of the issues that others experienced. Sure, it is a little less than perfect in terms of being kept up to date but strangely that's part of the charm. The door locks aren't really that complicated once you use them once or twice, and the little lift is absolutely charming. Great location very close to centre of city and also the gardens but a little quieter position than others especially if your room overlooks the courtyard. Breakfasts were amongst the best we had in France with a huge selection including omelettes to order and even sparkling wine with your orange juice! Would recommend if you don't over pay or if you only use modern chain hotels.
Hotel highlights
- Walking distance to Maison Carree and Temple of Diana
- Free WiFi in rooms and public areas
- Onsite dining
- Business center
Located in Nimes City Centre, Hotel Imperator is within a 5-minute walk of popular attractions such as Maison Carree and Temple of Diana. This 4-star hotel has 60 guestrooms and offers conveniences like a restaurant, free in-room WiFi, and a conference center. Centrally located in Nimes, the hotel is also a short walk from Fountain Gardens and Old Nimes Museum.
Dining
This hotel serves as home to a bar, along with a fine-dining restaurant that specializes in French cuisine. Savor a meal from the privacy of your room with 24-hour room service, or get a pick-me-up at the coffee shop/café. Start each morning with buffet breakfast, available for a fee from 7 AM to 10 AM.
Rooms
Hotel Imperator's 60 rooms are soundproofed and provide balconies or patios, free minibar items, and coffee makers. Flat-screen TVs come with satellite channels, and free WiFi keeps guests connected. Beds are dressed in premium bedding and pillow menus, and bathrooms offer free toiletries and bathrobes. Other amenities include free newspapers, safes, and desks.
Property features
Guests of Hotel Imperator enjoy access to free WiFi in public areas, 9 meeting rooms, and a conference center. Valet parking is offered for EUR 17 per day. Multilingual staff at the front desk are standing by 24/7 to help with dry cleaning/laundry, concierge services, and luggage storage. Additional amenities include a business center, express check-out, and free newspapers.
Reviews from Trip Advisor
68% of guests recommend this hotel
Total of 408 reviews
