The Empire Hotel

Alright, let’s talk about my stay at The Empire Hotel – that little gem nestled between Lincoln Center and Central Park. First off, the food? Chef’s kiss! I’m talking about PJ Clarke’s Restaurant – where flavor parties happen on your taste buds. From truffle-infused bites to melt-in-your-mouth delicacies, they’ve got it dialed in. I practically waltzed out of there humming a foodie anthem.

But hold up – let’s chat about the drinks. Now, I’m all for adventure, but these concoctions? A bit like a jazz fusion band – unexpected notes, some hits, and a few head-scratchers. I mean, who knew you could mix elderflower with jalapeño? But hey, props for creativity. ????

This hotel is the worst. I enjoy living in hotels from time to time and my husband decided to gift this stay here as a part of birthday gift which was part of a GG theme and I must say I’m so disappointed.
The AC didn’t work all night, the drapes in the room were unwashed and disgustingly dirty, the room was tiny and smelled terrible, the bed was rock hard and the bathroom was so awful that I left this morning without even showering there because that’s how dirty and old it looked! The bathroom doors were all chipped and dented from the inside, the sink and tap proximity is so close that you’ll end up dipping your hand in the water from the sink. It’s so not worth the price! There’s no pharmacies close by and none inside the hotel. The place is very dated and disgusting! ????

Very noisy rooms. Old style hotel with no fans in bathroom and very small, bad paint and others (Don't trust pictures, seems they always give you the bad rooms at beginning). Paid around $900 fro two night, worst one in our spring break travel.

The location is lovely with an amazing view. Our room was just facing another building, but the rooftop has some nice sights. Sometimes the AC doesn't work, the beds are hard, some of the wallpaper may be peeled or worn down and the bathrooms are oddly designed with the toilet facing the wall in a weird way that makes it hard to access. The staff are very nice.

Overall, we really enjoyed our stay at the hotel (March 2024). It's in a great location and, we felt, a good value when you factored in a more centrally located hotel NOT in Times Square (which we tried to avoid). You're across the street from Lincoln Center and about 5 minutes from Central Park and a few subway stops. About a two minute walk is Rosetta Bakery with incredible coffee and pastries.
The gentlemen in the lobby were always super kind to us, holding doors, greeting us, etc. Every hotel staff member who I interacted with was friendly and helpful as well. We had a room with two beds and a pullout sofa, so our room may be bigger than others, but we thought it was a great size, especially since we thought it might be super small (as older buildings in cities can be). Nothing extravagant, but we could move around comfortably.
We felt safe in the hotel and my son was able to take advantage of the fitness center. The wifi worked well for us and the room was comfortable, too. Anytime we needed an extra pillow or towel, someone was up to our room quickly.
I saw other reviews about a warm room and we experienced this too. Fortunately it was late March and it wasn't a major issue for us. We did not talk to anyone about this while we were staying there so I'm not sure if there was an issue or if it was just that the hotel turns off the AC during winter months. We were also on the 11th floor, so that could have been part of it. Regardless, it was not a deal breaker.
We will recommend this hotel to other travelers and would definitely stay here again (pictured with my review is the view from our room).