Empire Hotel

Albania , Durres District
DURRES, Rruga Pavaresi
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100 reviews shown

2/10

Poor

11 Mar 2026

Mary Jean

I have travelled the world and this is one of the worse hotels I have ever stayed in. The room was in such a bad state of disrepair. The Shower was broken, large hole in ceiling around the shower head. Toilet seat chipped and toilet didn’t work properly, paint work around bathroom door was tatty and a huge amount of dust in the corner of the door frames, there are no tea or coffee facilities in the room which was small and dark and a noisy generator outside the window. Also tatty torn carpets in hall around the lifts. We asked the receptionist if we could change and she was most unhelpful and advised there was not a room available.

Family

8/10

Excellent

10 Mar 2026

Amber

It is definitely an older hotel; overall, great option hotel for Lincoln Square. Lots of food options and shops around. The hotel is foodless, no snacks, drinks, nor breakfast. My only upset is that the entire hotel lacks microwaves. I had most of my amazing lasagna from Cafe Friellos stored in the fridge but no way of heating it up. Bummer.

Partner

2/10

Poor

10 Mar 2026

YUANYUAN

The room was not soundproof, the noise was deafening, the furniture was old, and the carpet was dirty.

6/10

Pleasant

09 Mar 2026

Andrea

The location is great! But no ammenities at all! Not even coffee for the morning

10/10

Exceptional

09 Mar 2026

Cassandra

Excellent location, clean hotel and room, super nice staff. Will absolutely stay here again.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

09 Mar 2026

Mette

Excellent location; nice rooms; good service; very nice rooftop bar

10/10

Exceptional

09 Mar 2026

Jennifer

Beautiful hotel near everything

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

08 Mar 2026

Carly

The location was great but the room was very worn (carpet was tearing, closet was difficult to stay closed). Staff very nice

8/10

Excellent

08 Mar 2026

Dora

The parking at the hotel was excellent. The rooms need sprucing up- some paint peeling, crack in ceiling, hole in carpet.

Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

08 Mar 2026

Mavis

I had high expectation for this hotel but was very disappointed, the room and bed is very small and a tiny bathroom, bed is smaller than a queen size. They don’t allow you take picture so if you have any plan you will know what to do. And the parking is very expensive.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Mar 2026

Laura

Great location if you need to be near Lincoln Center- We enjoyed our stay!

Partner

8/10

Excellent

07 Mar 2026

Cambria

Staff and service were great. The location was just what we wanted. The room was too hot. We had to open a window.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Mar 2026

derrick

6/10

Pleasant

07 Mar 2026

Aurika

Hotel is in a great location, nearby to tourist hotspots and great subway links. Although I read that the room would be outdated regarding the interior from other reviews, I did not see this as a problem at all as this is where we would be sleeping and would be preoccupied throughout the day. However, after the first night, my partner and I had a massive reaction on our body and face. Having thought it could be the linen or the condition of the room I requested the reception to send someone up to the room and change the linen whilst they cleaned our room because we were certain it was due to this. As we came back from walking around the city, and taking the reassurance of the front house we came to our room not cleaned and the linen not changed which left me absolutely disappointed. After a long day of walking around, having stepped into the shower to realise our water stopped flowing.

8/10

Excellent

06 Mar 2026

Eliza

Wonderful location. Rooms are a bit tired. Beds are hard. Could use a renovation of the hotel rooms.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

06 Mar 2026

Karen

Excellent location near Lincoln Center, Fordham University Manhattan campus and Central Park. Very comfortable bed. Tiny bathroom, but very good shower with good water pressure. I was lucky and had a nice view from the window overlooking Lincoln Center. I found the staff to be very friendly and accommodating at this independently-owned hotel.

Great prices normally but I paid more during surge pricing because of a popular event at Lincoln Center. Restaurants and shopping are nearby, we went to Target which is only a couple blocks away for groceries and other things.

Friend woke up to someone practicing a musical instrument, but I sleep with earplugs and did not hear anything.

10/10

Exceptional

06 Mar 2026

Najung

Great service

10/10

Exceptional

06 Mar 2026

Sally

Good location. Friendly staff

Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Mar 2026

Salvador

cleanliness 10/10

Self

8/10

Excellent

05 Mar 2026

Mary Lynn

Great location for events at Lincoln Center. Several restaurant choices within walking distance. A subway line close as well.

6/10

Pleasant

05 Mar 2026

Kiley

The property was clean and the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The property itself was quite dated and the beds were very hard. The elevators were a bit scary as well.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Mar 2026

Norma

Loved it! Would stay here again

Friends

8/10

Excellent

04 Mar 2026

Terri

The lobby and hallways and elevators were great! Our room didn't have a thermostat (that I could find anyway) and so I had to manually turn the heater on & off. When it was on, it cracked and pinged pretty loudly, but luckily it was easy enough to keep the room comfy and cool for sleeping at night. Shower looked a little funky on the floor pan. Door of the under-sink cabinet was crooked and the sink wasn't seated properly on top of the cabinet, but all those things were still functional and not deal breakers. The staff were fantastic, especially Pasquale, Maggie and thir supervisors and managers. They caught it when I accidentally double-booked our last night's stay and quickly refunded me the second room. Super professional and no hassle at all. Front desk and door staff were always friendly, courteous and accommodating.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

03 Mar 2026

Sheila

No idea about pets. Perfect location for events at the Lincoln Center

Self

10/10

Exceptional

03 Mar 2026

Alexander James

I had a wonderful stay at this hotel on the Upper West Side! The location truly couldn’t be better — just steps from Central Park and Columbus Circle, and an easy, pleasant walk to Times Square. It was the perfect home base for exploring the city while still enjoying a quieter, more relaxed neighborhood atmosphere.
The staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming, always ready to help with recommendations or directions. The room was clean, comfortable, and thoughtfully appointed, making it easy to unwind after a full day in the city. Overall, an excellent experience in a fantastic location — I would absolutely stay here again!

Partner

8/10

Excellent

03 Mar 2026

Ka Fai

Friendly staff

Friends

6/10

Pleasant

02 Mar 2026

Susanna

Very convenient location; great restaurants in and next to the hotel; lovely rooftop terrace; comfortable beds, ample hot water. We were on the 11th/top floor; the heating system was not working well - we were too hot. Also the hotel systems (elevator, heating) are quite noisy.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Mar 2026

Michael

They gave me a fine room!

10/10

Exceptional

02 Mar 2026

Nathan Edward

Thank you

10/10

Exceptional

02 Mar 2026

Annamarie

Clean room and friendly staff

Family

2/10

Poor

02 Mar 2026

Hazem

Very bad and a lot of

6/10

Pleasant

02 Mar 2026

Christopher

Room was missing soap

6/10

Pleasant

01 Mar 2026

Susan

We were in room 228. We appreciated the room size. We like hard beds, so this bed was comfortable for us. Two pillows were rock hard and the other two were lumpy but somewhat softer.
Our water took forever to heat up in both the shower and the sink. Weird! I mean it took a good over 5 mins to heat up.
On the flip side, the room was insufferably hot when we first arrived. We turned off one of the air conditioners and for 3-1/2 days that heat kept coming out of that unit even though we UNPLUGGED it from the wall and had the stop and cold buttons pressed and turned to cold. The other unit was cool so we had that going. The whole thing was bizarre.

Also, there is NOWHERE in the room that tells you after you turn on the tv that you have to press 4 to get the channels! We asked the front desk and they told us. Also, the tv guide to the channels was inconspicuously found under the glass of the bedside table! I couldn’t believe all these issues. They are all preventable and hope they become addressed.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Mar 2026

Steven

Friendly staff! Stay here often

Self

8/10

Excellent

01 Mar 2026

Robin

Front desk staff was very helpful.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 Mar 2026

Kevin

Good location. Clean room. Courteous staff. Responsive to needs.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

28 Feb 2026

Jeremy

Room itself was in need of some paint and maintenance, but the hotel itself is lovely. Incredible rooftop, and great staff all around.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

28 Feb 2026

Margaret

Staff is incredible! But that is were there luxury ends. From what I am told though this hotel room, the deluxe double \"queen\" was very big for new York. The toilet moved when you sat down though. The rooftop bar is very nice and I'm sure it's even better in the summer. The pillows... I cannot get over how bad the blankets and pillows are. The person I stayed with was surprised by the mini fridge, apparently that is not common in most NY hotel rooms. There is no coffee machine but the Starbucks is literally right there. I'm giving three stars because it was neither great nor terrible. Except the staff, the staff was excellent!

Friends

2/10

Poor

27 Feb 2026

Andrew

Hasn't been updated since 1987. For its location, should be much better, especially for the price.

10/10

Exceptional

27 Feb 2026

Alan

My room was amazing clean, the staff professional and courteous and the hotel toasty warm during the blizzard.

10/10

Exceptional

26 Feb 2026

Carmen

Friendly staff! Some trouble w cold water in the shower in the evening but overall great stay!

Family

8/10

Excellent

26 Feb 2026

esther

Clean, great staff and locale
No microwave and ice machine broken

Business

8/10

Excellent

25 Feb 2026

Michael

Keenan at front desk very helpful

Self

8/10

Excellent

25 Feb 2026

Alma

Amazing location right across from Lincoln Center, and very good price by NYC standards. They're in the process of doing some room upgrades that should add further value.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

25 Feb 2026

Aynsley

Rooms are old and tired. Bathroom needed a lot of work. Flooring in the bathroom was moving and the mirror was rusted. All in all good enough to get a night's rest after taking on the city.

Partner

2/10

Poor

24 Feb 2026

Celeste

Rooms are 100% outdated. The bathtub faucet in my room would not shut off. The water ran continuously. Mgmt could not move me until the next night. The location is decent at Columbus Circle. The lobby makes you believe your room will be modern and updated. Not the case.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

24 Feb 2026

Angela

The staff was amazing! We had to extend our stay because of a blizzard. They are very helpful and accommodating.

8/10

Excellent

24 Feb 2026

Markia

The room was clean and the staff was nice.

2/10

Poor

24 Feb 2026

Derrick

Wouldn’t recommend staying here hotel totally needs a renovation and more amenities. A perfect location in the city totally wasted on this place.

10/10

Exceptional

23 Feb 2026

Rebekah

Staff was he eat! Bellman perfect service.

8/10

Excellent

23 Feb 2026

Lawrence

Location is excellent.

8/10

Excellent

23 Feb 2026

Jonathan

Nice location

Self

2/10

Poor

23 Feb 2026

Shannon

Our thermostat was stuck on 85 degrees and no one was able to assist us at the hotel. We were told there were no rooms for us to move into until halfway through our visit. The experience was absolutely miserable. The hotel then said they would waive the resort fee to make up for the thermostat difficulties however they lied and charged me an additional $91.56 at the end of my stay. The Empire hotel is a total scam.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Feb 2026

Theresa

The room was perfect and the staff was polite, friendly, and helpful. We are sure to return to this wonderful hotel.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

22 Feb 2026

Priscila

Great

6/10

Pleasant

22 Feb 2026

Jessica

Cold water
A little dirty
Missing bellhop
No tv

Friends

2/10

Poor

22 Feb 2026

Jermaine

terrible customer service is slow, key card barely worked, and the thermostat is broken! Terrible room for $350+ a night 👎👎👎👎! Like a motel 6 or Red Roof

10/10

Exceptional

21 Feb 2026

Kenneth

Staff was friendly, even allowed me and my toddler to check in early when we arrived. Room was clean. Shower had very strong water pressure - always a plus! Bathroom door veneer was peeling off, but this seems to be the case in many NYC hotels due to lack of vent fans in NYC bathrooms. Stayed here before and would stay here again.

Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

21 Feb 2026

You-Ta

People were very nice. However, wifi was down for three days, showerhead was drilling, roof top was locked... just a few issues made it annoying...

10/10

Exceptional

20 Feb 2026

David

What a nice hotel discovery for me. I really enjoyed my stay here. Comfortable room. Quiet. Directly across the street from the MET Opera. I usually stay in Times Square- but this hotel got me to explore the West Side, still within walking distance of Times Square to go to Broadway every night. Easy check in- staff is very friendly.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

20 Feb 2026

Dianne

Great hotel. Excellent staff

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2026

Julie

Staff went above and beyond to ensure that our stay was a fabulous experience! Such a great location, both to Lincoln Center and the Columbus Circle train & Central Park. We will be back!

2/10

Poor

19 Feb 2026

Edelweiss

Too hot

8/10

Excellent

19 Feb 2026

Linda

Incredible location, wonderful view from the room, the clever decorating.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Feb 2026

Romy

Friendly staff. Hotel is a bit dated, rooms could use a refresh and room was noisy

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

18 Feb 2026

Nigella

Clean, staff was helpful, polite.

8/10

Excellent

18 Feb 2026

Katherine

Lovely and unique vibe in lobby. Rooms are small and a bit too warm! Could definitely use an interior design update! But perfect location!

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

18 Feb 2026

patricia Carol

Room was very clean and well kept.

10/10

Exceptional

18 Feb 2026

suleima

It was clean it just needs a remodeling

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Feb 2026

Destiny

Yes

8/10

Excellent

17 Feb 2026

Melissa

The staff was amazing. Everything very clean. The thermostat didn’t work and the room stayed at 74° which was hot and sweaty for us. The bathroom is very small. The door opens into the toilet.The paint was pealing off of the back of the bathroom door. The lighting in the room was very dim to get ready and the bathroom vanity was very small.

4/10

Poor

17 Feb 2026

No vent in bath room. The conditioner is too noisy for sleeping. You have to use earplugs to sleep.

Family

4/10

Poor

17 Feb 2026

Janine

There’s a deck cut roach in my shower thus I did not want to use it. Yes, I could’ve cleaned it out, but the principal alone was abominable and check-in was a bad process.

10/10

Exceptional

16 Feb 2026

Jack

Loved the water bottles, room was nice, nice to receive mail there etc. great location and view!

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

16 Feb 2026

Sherry

Clean room, staff were helpful, and location was unmatched!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 Feb 2026

David

Staff was friendly and attentive. The lobby is classic, like walking into a vintage movie. Everything puts out that early century vibe in a good way. Rooms are clean and functional but the vibe, location and amazing staff are why you want to stay here

8/10

Excellent

16 Feb 2026

Amanda

My stay was good. TV remote did not work with TV in room.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2026

Sindia

The room was so clean the room was equipped with everything that you needed for your stay. The staff are so kind and attentive.. I recommend staying here 10 out of 10 and if you love, gossip girl, you get the full gossip girl experience

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2026

Devin

Amazing

2/10

Poor

15 Feb 2026

Crystal

I found out during check-in that my room had been canceled at the day prior due to an issue with payment. Despite showing the hotel manager, all the correspondence showing that I still had a booked room, and a pending charge on my credit card for that room, they still told me there was nothing they could do. They had given my room away. I then had to find another hotel room last minute that cost me 3x the amount of money.

6/10

Pleasant

15 Feb 2026

Christian

Staff was very nice. Room wasn’t great. The bathroom sink had 2 settings. Barely on and spraying everywhere. The shower was impossible to figure out and turn off. The window was broken. Overall the hotel was run down. But it was clean.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

15 Feb 2026

Frank

Room was old and outdated. There was dust by the night stand. The shower tile was cracked. Took 9 minutes to run the water to get hot water. Body wash was empty. Requested a king room and it was a queen bed.

10/10

Exceptional

14 Feb 2026

Jennifer

Great service! Nice location

8/10

Excellent

14 Feb 2026

Norma

Room was clean and staff was great. But the room did feel cold, I don’t blame it as the wind was blowing. I wish the heater would function better

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

14 Feb 2026

Brandon

Very courteous staff BUT no in room coffee or any other beverage except warm bottles of water from the front desk. Heating system weak and NOISY. Shower weak and slow to warm. No provisions made to make powering portable/mobile devices. Everything barebones though I booked an upgraded/more expensive room. Received a view of heating ducts, not Tully Hall/Lincoln Center. OTOH, the elevators did work quite well.

2/10

Poor

14 Feb 2026

Leonard

Never got my $150.00 incidental deposit back to my CC

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

14 Feb 2026

Olexiy

Great location, nice cozy hotel, & Free unlimited water bottles for the entire stay

Business_and_leisure Pet

6/10

Pleasant

14 Feb 2026

Jennifer

Room was very small and you had to shut the door to use the bathroom because the door opened to the middle of the toilet. The internet was out for 90% of the workday on Wednesday and we were forced to leave the hotel to find a WiFi connection. Calls to front desk and housekeeping went unanswered. However, the location of the hotel is perfect for catching the subway or easily finding a restaurant.

Business Friends

10/10

Exceptional

13 Feb 2026

dwayne

Yes

Self

8/10

Excellent

13 Feb 2026

Courtney

Staff was very friendly and attentive. Room was very clean. However the air conditioner/ heater did make odd “knocking” noises on and off. Everything was nice but just seemed a little outdated. Rooftop bar was very nice and was the best part. Wish the downstairs bar was open also.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

11 Feb 2026

Jennifer

Clean room, nice views, great location, wonderful staff!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 Feb 2026

Bethene

The staff was great especially the gentlemen at the door. The room was clean and comfortable. I would definitely stay here again.

8/10

Excellent

09 Feb 2026

Elaine

Room was a good size. Shower was nice. No amenities, which was disappointing. There used to be a Keurig cofee and hot water maker.

Partner

4/10

Poor

09 Feb 2026

Leah

Room was rough - hole in carpet, gum on carpet, dirty baseboards, top of desk thingy was dirty. Pain cracked on radiator. I had to ask at the desk both times I accessed the fitness center - the elevator was turned off and the door was locked and key entry didn't work.

4/10

Poor

08 Feb 2026

Michelle

Upon check-in we were offered a free room upgrade that we accepted. At about 2:30 am we were abruptly awoken to pounding at our door with a forceful attempt to break in. After asking who was there, we were told that it was the night management and that we had no reservation for the assigned room and to please open the door. We did not open the door due to fear of not knowing if it was hotel staff or unknowns attempting to break in. After calling down to reception and be putting on hold due to \"an issue\" we were assured that it was management which prompted us to open the door only to be berated for not doing so sooner. No time during this conversation was there an apology by this person for waking us up in the middle of the night as well as the hotel error at check-in as it appeared that the room upgrade was not processed correctly therefore showing no record of us staying in that room. In fact, night management told us that we should be apologizing to him for not opening the door sooner! This person had no regard to guest etiquette and could have solved the problem much sooner if he did not go on and on of how we were in the wrong (as we did not open the door to strangers). Morning management was much more sympathetic and did credit us for our one-night stay, but what was supposed to be a fun birthday celebration ended up being a sleepless night and a fatigued next day.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Feb 2026

Sylvia

Location is excellent! Love the rooftop bar

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

08 Feb 2026

Latravia

Staff, decor. Size of room.
The only con i has was there was no vending on the hotel nor was there a microwave to reheat meals

Friends_and_family Friends

4/10

Poor

08 Feb 2026

Esther

The room was extremely hot, almost like a sauna. The only solution offered was to open the window, which brought in noise and dirt from New York City. Additionally, the hotel manager behaved disrespectfully and insultingly, and his rudeness made the stay very unpleasant.

Leisure Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

08 Feb 2026

Carlos

Heater unit made a loud clicking noise. Tried to change room and called maintenance, and they said they made the same noise in all rooms as they weee old and needed to be replaced.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Feb 2026

Jin

Clean room, nice staff, great value

Leisure Partner