Imperial Hotel, Barrow-in-Furness Imperial Hotel, Barrow-in-Furness The Imperial Hotel (formerly "Hotel Imperial") located on Cornwallis Street in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England is a 4-star Grade II listed hotel built in 1875. The iconic five storey building was designed by architect Thomas Bennet and, like many Barrow buildings, constructed of red brick and sandstone. Other notable features of the building are the balcony located directly above the main entrance and the two decorative lamps standing in front of the hotel, which are also Grade II listed. The hotel underwent a £1 million renovation in 2012 by businessman Stuart Bowes, owner of the nearby Majestic Hotel.
Imperial Valley and to the south the international boundary with the U.S. state of California and Baja California. The culture of the area blends those of the United States and Mexico, due to its regional history and geographic location along the international border. The Imperial Valley economy is based on agriculture. Imperial Valley was so named by the Imperial Land Company, in hopes of attracting settlers. Having done that it is now the home of the El Centro metropolitan area and also an economic center of California's government defined "South Border". Locally, the terms "Imperial Valley" and "Imperial County" are used synonymously.