The Empire Hotel

LETICIA LAMORATTA

I recently had the pleasure of staying at this wonderful hotel, and I must say, it exceeded all my expectations. From the moment I arrived, the staff's excellent attention made me feel incredibly welcome. Their dedication to detail ensured that my stay was truly memorable. The location of the hotel is perfect, situated in a prime area that made exploring the city incredibly convenient. The quality of the facilities is top-notch, with everything maintained to the highest standards. One of the standout features is the rooftop bar. It's a fantastic spot to unwind and enjoy a drink while taking in the stunning views. The entire staff , Keenan, Pascuale, Ariel and Kate were incredibly cordial and always attentive, going above and beyond to provide the best service possible. A special mention goes to Keenan, who went out of their way to decorate our room as we were celebrating a birthday. This thoughtful gesture added a personal touch that made our stay even more special. Overall, I highly recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a memorable and enjoyable stay. The combination of excellent service, great location, and high-quality facilities makes it a top choice.

isaiah robles

MAJOR SHOWER INCIDENT - NO CALL BACK FROM MANAGEMENT >>>STAY AWAY FROM THIS HOTEL>>ISSUE: Our recent stay at The Empire Hotel was completely overshadowed by a serious safety issue. On the morning of March 18, 2025, while my spouse was showering, the shower handle completely detached from the water valve, causing scalding hot water to blast onto her. In an attempt to stop the water, I had to plug the valve with the male valve adapter for over 20 minutes while waiting for maintenance to rush up and shut off the water main for our shower in Room 905. This was not just an inconvenience; it was a dangerous and highly stressful situation. Instead of a smooth checkout, we were left scrambling to recover lost time and rush to the airport, barely making our flight. A hotel of this caliber “4 Stars” should have much better maintenance and safety protocols in place. This was an unacceptable experience, and I would not recommend staying here unless they take serious steps to ensure their facilities are properly maintained. TIMES I HAVE MADE ATTEMPTS TO RESOLVE: >>>TIME #1 - 3/18/25 - After the above incident took place, I went to the front desk and requested to speak to the manager about the incident and receiving a refund since I don’t believe the hospitality and amenities advertised for the price I paid were not fully provided. (Minus my spouses scaled skin) I told the front desk that we did not have much time since I was needing to make up for lost time because of the shower incident and need to head to the airport ASAP. I was told that a manager would call me since they already had my contact information from the booking. >>>Conclusion: I never received one phone call from any management or employee from The Empire Hotel on that or any day after. (This was on 3/18/25) TIME #2 - 3/18/25 - I immediately informed my booking agent, Expedia, about the incident that took place and that I was not satisfied at all with The Empire Hotel’s hospitality nor did I believe that received the amenities that I had paid for booking a room with The Empire Hotel. This can be referenced in my screenshot from The Empire Hotel’s quote “The bathroom is a sanctuary in itself…transforming routine showers into a spa-like experience”. Any reasonable person could read the above incident summary and disagree that this sounds like a “spa-like experience”. With this in consideration, I informed Jenish that I would like a refund. Jenish from Expedia informed me that he was able to get ahold of Miss. Geraldine from The Empire Hotel’s reservation department. She informed Jenish that if I mail the hotel, they(The Empire Hotel) would “proceed with my refund”. Jenish also informed me that Expedia would make attempts to get The Empire Hotel to process my refund. >>>Conclusion: 3/18/2025, I immediately emailed reservations@empirehotelnyc.com about the incident and requested a refund. This can be seen in my attached screen shots of the email and conversations regarding Miss. Geraldine. 3/20/2025 - Expedia emailed me stating that after numerous attempts, they are unable to get The Empire Hotel to agree to refund me. 3/25/2025 - Still no email from The Empire Hotel or Miss. Geraldine from their reservation department. >>>This review didn’t include the mini fridge going out during our stay, leading to food we had purchased and stored in the fridge, to go bad. I suppose I’ll pay that expense out of pocket. >>>I’ll be submitting a complaint with Letitia James’s NYC Attorney General office pretty soon to see what they can do about helping me out since The Empire Hotel has not even bothered to communicate anything at all to me regarding this issue. >>Stay durarion: 3/14/25 - 3/18/25 >>Room number: 905 >>>Revisit? Never again

Jay Villeneuve

Let's start with the good. 1) Location. A short walk to SO much. 2) The rooftop restaurant. Excellent food, cocktails and vibe. 3) friendly, helpful staff. Unfortunately, there were a few bad points. 1) There is a lot of wear and some outright rough looking spots. Taped wall paper, water damaged parts of ceiling and walls. 2) Size. We booked a queen room and we are 100% sure it was a full bed. We paid to move up to a king room and the bathroom had some sort of bump out in it that made using the sink next to impossible! 3) The "Fitness Center". They are updating so the machines weren't operational (that's fine), but it's a narrow space where two people couldn't walk past each other. It's great there's a fitness center at all, but don't expect a lot of room! 4) The wifi was also out for our stay. If it worked for location again, we MIGHT stay again (you can do worse), but it probably won't be our first choice.

Kathie Vermillion Coleman

I’m a Gossip Girl fan so this was a no brainer for our stay in NYC. The staff treat you very good. We got there early for check-in & they had a person to take our bags so we could explore the city. Our room was a little warm but when I requested a fan they promptly brought one to our room. We will definitely be staying here again.

Lakwan Hall

Let me start by saying—if you’re looking for a functional hotel that offers the bare minimum, this might work for you. But as someone who was born and raised in NYC and does staycations often, I can confidently say there are many better options out there. Staff The staff were truly lovely—kind, helpful, and accommodating. They consistently greeted us and opened the doors upon arrival and departure, which I appreciated. The Hotel My main issue is the overall condition of the hotel. Aside from the lobby, which is decent, everything else feels like it’s falling apart. The gym is located in the basement and has a good amount of equipment, but the paint and wallpaper are peeling everywhere. Several areas had visible spackle patches where repairs were started but never finished. There was also a sign saying the elliptical and treadmills were out of order—so no cardio machines were available. One night, we went to the rooftop bar around midnight, knowing it closed at 2 a.m. However, they were already 10 minutes from last call when we arrived, and even though we sat at the bar, it took a long time to get served. When we left, we got stuck in the elevator. All the buttons had been pressed, and none worked except the one for the rooftop. The elevator took us through six floors that looked like storage or laundry areas. As a woman, that experience was unsettling—not knowing what was going on or how long we’d be stuck there. Again, I want to stress that the hotel staff themselves were kind and professional throughout our stay. The Room This was my biggest disappointment. The room felt like it was falling apart. The door needed to be replaced, the carpet was poorly installed and had a visible hole, and the sink was clogged and draining slowly. The mini fridge and safe were awkwardly hidden behind a curtain on a rod, and the bathroom was quite small. The room itself was a decent size and seemed relatively clean. To be fair, when we informed the staff about the sink, they did have it fixed by the time we returned later that night. That was appreciated. However, another issue occurred when I tried to shower at 1 a.m.—the water was lukewarm at best. I had to turn it off and wait 10 minutes before it finally started getting warm. Location The location is convenient. You can walk to nearby spots, and the 1, A, and C trains are just a few blocks away. It’s also right next to the ballet and close to a mall. That said, if your plans are primarily in Midtown or Lower Manhattan, I’d recommend staying somewhere else to avoid a longer commute. Safety I felt very safe in the area. It was quiet at night, with few people hanging around after hours. Overall I wouldn’t stay here again. The quality of the rooms and the hotel overall just didn’t meet my expectations—especially for a staycation where the full experience matters to me. But if you’re just looking for a place to sleep and don’t mind the lack of polish, this could work. Personally, I need more than just the basics when taking time for a local getaway.