The Empire Hotel

Ekaterina Kuznetsova

Overall, the hotel was nice. The lobby was beautiful, and the staff were very friendly and polite. Everything was good in general. The room was okay, and the view from the window was very nice. The only thing that really upset me was the heating system. During the night it made strange clicking and loud noises, and because of that I couldn’t sleep well and kept waking up. The TV didn’t work, but this was not a big problem for me, since I was in town for work and didn’t have time to watch it anyway. Other than that, everything was pretty good.

Rigoberto

For the price of $716 per night, the place is not worth it. The location is good, but the hotel itself is nothing like what they show in the videos. When you arrive, you’re faced with the reality. The service is good. The hotel bar is closed. The room carpet was dirty. The air conditioning didn’t work, the telephone was missing buttons, and the television was from the 1980s. The wallpaper is very old. The bathroom is so small that only one person fits. The sink faucets were rusty. And worst of all, I had a view that looked out onto the air ducts. That’s why I say that for $716 a night, I do not recommend it. Also the keys get disconnected Avery day so you have to go to the lobby to get it fixed.

Jamie Pitt

The location is fantastic, but the hotel needs updates. The lobby is beautiful, but the wallpaper is damaged in various areas, and the furniture is worn out. There is no security system for the elevators so anyone can access the dark hallways. The room itself was in a rough state. The door didn’t close automatically behind you like hotel doors usually do so it was worrisome to think that someone could come behind you and access your room if you weren’t extra careful. The heating and cooling system was struggling and all of the button controls didn’t work, wallpaper was torn and badly patched, the bathroom door was damaged, and there were multiple nails in the wall with no pictures or decorations. The bed was one of the most uncomfortable things I’ve ever slept on! The bathroom light in the shower didn’t work and would come on randomly and flicker like a strobe light for awhile then stop working, so the lighting in the bathroom was terrible, the sink was also strange; the faucet was so close to the bottom of the sink that you couldn’t fit both hands under the faucet to wash your hands. Staff members were very nice at checkin, but when we requested a late check out with different staff (even just a 15-30-minute extension), they refused. We had to leave our work event early to get out by noon. That is fine since checkout is noon so we worked around it. But then at 11:45, housekeeping began knocking on our door, asking us when we’d be leaving because they had to get rooms ready for the next guests. It was unnecessary to rush us. If the rule is noon and you aren’t going to be flexible, fine, but don’t expect me to accommodate you before the checkout time. This hotel has a lot going for it, including the fantastic restaurant, but I would not stay here again.

Trent & Rachel Wilkins

Location was great. Close walk to just about everything. You’ll need to take a taxi to the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street and 9/11 Memorial. It’s not off Broadway so it was quiet at night. The staff were very friendly and helpful too. We thought the beds were comfortable but oh man the rooms. They need to be updated bad!!! Walls were patched with wall paper and done poorly. Heaters did not work so it was freezing at night. No coffee in the rooms but located right next to Starbucks and another place, which I preferred. One elevator was down the entire time. For the money you’d think it’d be nicer.

Miguel Alcacio

Like many others have mentioned, the location is excellent. Unfortunately, that was the only positive aspect of our stay. The staff came across as short and, at times, rude. I understand New York has a fast-paced culture, but basic courtesy should still be expected in hospitality. The room itself was extremely uncomfortable. The windows were very drafty, allowing a significant amount of cold air in, and at night we could hear everything—street traffic, pedestrians, and general city noise. This is not an exaggeration; it made sleeping difficult every night. When I mentioned this at checkout, intending only to bring it to management’s attention, the front desk attendant shifted into blaming and shaming, suggesting it was my fault for not reporting it earlier. While I acknowledge I could have raised the issue sooner, after walking all day we were exhausted and didn’t want the inconvenience of changing rooms or dealing with maintenance late at night. That response felt dismissive and unprofessional. Additionally, both the room and bathroom were in rough condition, showing noticeable wear that did not align with expectations. This review is being shared not out of frustration alone, but in hopes that management addresses these recurring issues. Unfortunately, based on this experience, I would not recommend this hotel.