73 Church Walks, 73 Church Walks, Llandudno, United Kingdom | (888) 710-7049
Upscale family-run hotel with period features
Two minutes' walk
to Llandudno beachfront
Air-conditioned
rooms with marble bathrooms
Two restaurants
and lounge bar with live music
Two swimming
pools, sauna, steam room, and whirlpool
In-room DVD
players and free access to library of 400-plus movies
Rooftop terrace
with kids' paddling pool
Cooked-to-order
breakfast included in room rate
Free Wi-Fi
throughout
Annex building
lacks elevator
Entry-level rooms are small
An upscale, family-run property, the Empire Hotel is a few minutes' walk from the
western end of Llandudno's beach. Decor is handsome and stately throughout, with
numerous period touches and antique furnishings. The 62 rooms are generally spacious
and well laid out with flat-screen TVs, DVD players (a free film library is on-site), free Wi-Fi, and mini-fridges, but some of the lower-priced rooms
can be small. Spa facilities are particularly impressive, with both indoor and outdoor
pools, a sauna, steam room, and whirlpool, while breakfast and dining options in the two restaurants are also top-notch. Rates
are reasonable for what's offered; St. George's Hotel has better sea views but lacks a swimming pool.
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
Scene
Third-generation family-run hotel with stately upscale ambience
With its
neoclassic architectural touches of Doric columns and Roman-style pediment
blending with a stately Victorian facade, there's more than a little period
grandeur at the Empire Hotel. Inside the air of colonial elegance
continues, with marble-slab flooring, wood paneling, and plenty of gilt and
tasseled trim bathed in light from domed ceiling lamps and a centerpiece
cut-glass chandelier. An eclectic collection of original watercolor and pastel
artworks adorn the walls and combine with real antique furnishings and polished
brass railings to create a stately effect. The building was constructed
in 1854 as Llandudno’s first modern department store, was repurposed as a hotel
in 1904, and extended by the present owners -- the Maddocks -- the third generation of the family that has been running the hotel.
Location
Minutes' walk from Llandudno beachfront promenade and pier
The hotel is
located on a pleasant road sloping down toward the west side of the bay in the town of Llandudno -- the largest seaside town in Wales and one of the most popular
in the U.K. It's a short walk to plenty of restaurants, cafes, and bars, located at the bottom of the Great Orme headland and close to its
cable car and ancient copper mines. (It's about a 15-minute walk or five-minute drive to the headland, and the tramway, which conveys visitors to the visitors center at the top, is a two-minute walk.) The beachfront promenade is about a two- to three-minute walk, while the vintage Victorian Llandudno pier is about a five-minute walk. There
is also plenty to explore by car, including Conwy Castle, about a 15-minute drive, while the majestic Snowdonia National Park, which features some of the country's most spectacular landscape and walking trails, is about a half hour's drive.
Rooms
Italian marble bathrooms and extensive movie library
While 54 of the
hotel's guest rooms are located in the main building and reachable via an
elevator, another eight are in a separate town house next door, and this property does not have an elevator. Room decor is consistent with the stately
grandeur of the rest of the hotel, with antique furnishings, pleated drapes,
and plenty of period touches. All rooms are air-conditioned, and include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee facilities,
mini-fridges, and 32-inch flat-screen TVs with DVD players (there's a free library of
more than 400 movies). All bathrooms are finished in Italian marble and have shower/tub combos, and provide
Gilchrist & Soames toiletries while Superior Rooms have gold-plated bathroom fixtures and include bathrobes.
While most rooms are fairly spacious, The Budget Rear and Budget Side Rooms can feel a bit cramped.
Features
Heated indoor and outdoor swimming pools
The hotel's
impressive Watkins and Co restaurant offers a buffet and cooked-to-order
breakfast each morning, which is always included in the room rate. The
restaurant is also open for dinner and Sunday lunch, with a daily-changing table
d'hote menu. The Poolside Restaurant, overlooking the hotel's indoor swimming pool, provides more informal dining, while a cocktail bar serves drinks accompanied
by live piano music. The indoor pool area also has a sauna, steam room, and hot tub, while a small outdoor heated pool is surrounded by a sundeck with
loungers -- there's even a rooftop garden terrace with a children's paddling
pool. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property.
