CHANGING ROOMS

Seaside hotel unveils first part of multi-million-pound revamp

- ROBERT HARRIES

IT'S one of Wales' best known seaside hotels with amazing coastal views.

And now it has officially unveiled an extensive refurbishment that bosses hope will restore the venue to former glories which saw it become one of the most iconic in Wales for more than 100 years.

The Imperial Hotel in Tenby is now 120 years old, having opened as a hotel in 1905. Situated on the Paragon just around the corner from the Esplanade in the town centre, the hotel's rear is built above the cliff face and directly overlooks South Beach.

The building's history actually dates back further than the start of the 20th century. It originated as a terrace of houses known as Belmont Houses, before being owned by the Earl of Limerick in around 1870.

Transformed into a hotel in 1905, the Imperial has stood proudly in its idyllic spot ever since, with a lounge overlooking the cliffs and the sea below added in the 1920s.

Now, the hotel is undergoing another huge transformation.

Having been put up for sale last year with an asking price of £2.5m, the venue was purchased in May last year by Bristol-based Crest Hotels which owns nine venues in England and Wales, including the Metropole Hotel and Spa in Llandrindod Wells.