White Beeches Country Club

Door keys are often iffy at the Empire. This was no exception. The desk staff is often brusque, but today's was slightly better. The rooms are always well-cleaned. The hotel is well-worn, but there have been minor updates in some of the rooms with renewed wallpaper. Heat and a/c is functioning, but the controls are hard to operate. Many of the cleaning staff are very nice, but some are not. The doormen are very severe with non-guest visitors, but very polite to paying guests. Arranging a business meeting in the lobby is risky. Did I mention that the front desk is often quite rude? One of the elevators was out of service. This hotel is all about LOCATION. Lincoln Center is the best! The restaurants, coffee spots, and bars in the neighborhood are all pricey, but the Empire in-house costs are much higher than others in the vicinity. Unlike other NYC hotels in its price range, there is no in-room coffee, lobby coffee, or other amenities. One freebie: a small bottle of water upon check-in. This was once a great hotel. Now, not so much. It is convenient.

One of my favorite hotels I’ve stayed in! The lobby smelled amazing, the staff were friendly and inviting, and we got a complimentary champagne drink once checked in. The room was very clean and had a lot of useful amenities like a mini fridge with waters and bubbly fruit beverages included. My favorite though was the nespresso machine! Perfect for the mornings and they have cute little coffee and espresso mugs you can purchase if you’d like. They also provide a robe and cozy slippers. The view was stunning and the blackout curtains are perfect for the mornings you want to sleep in. The Wilson is the restaurant attached to the hotel and is highly recommend trying them. I would also absolutely recommend this hotel and stay here again!