Empress Hotel

Wonderful hotel! I was having my wedding reception at the Manhattan restaurant inside the hotel and the staff here was amazing! The hotel accommodated the many guests we had traveling into town from the east coast. I was also staying here for my wedding night and Ryan at the front desk was absolutely amazing! He booked us a great room and I could see the ocean from it :) he also let me check in early and arranged a complimentary bottle of wine for my wedding night. That is one GREAT employee you guys have there! Very happy with the service at this hotel!

Excellent hotel! It is my go to la jolla hotel great price, very clean, very prof. Great free breakfast waffles, bagels, meat, cheese, hard boiled eggs, cereal, granola.

Made a quick trip down to SD and the family and I decided to stay at this charming little hotel in downtown La Jolla. Nice, simple, clean rooms. Free continental breakfast. Great location. Pretty straightforward. What made this hotel a 4 star joint was the concierge guy, Ryan. He was one of the most friendly, accommodating, front desk guys that I have ever encountered at a hotel. He gave us the inside scoop to some great beaches (Windansea and Tourmaline) away from the Memorial Day crowds that made me regret not bringing my surfboard and clued us in to a great taco place, Oscars Mexican Seafood (amazing octopus tacos). Thanks Ryan for the great suggestions and insider info!

Great hotel. Newly renovated. Great finishes. Perhaps the best hotel in la jolla. Especially for the price point and considering it is newly renovated. Great staff. Actually excellent. Great location. Easily my go to hotel from now on!

You get a lot of bang for your buck here. It’s close to a lot of attractions/​restaurants/​etc. in La Jolla, and is an easy drive from the freeway if you want to venture beyond La Jolla. Not to mention that you get a complimentary continental breakfast, robes and slippers, a spacious shower (no tub unless you get a jacuzzi room), a tablet in the room (for room service, scheduling cleanings, requesting late check-​out, and any additional toiletries, etc., you may need) and comfy digs. Me gusta.
This is definitely a boutique hotel, in terms of size, amenities, and interactions with staff. The room was average-​sized, if not a bit smaller. But, it was just perfect for the boyfriend and I. Our particular favorite things were: the shower (not claustrophobic feeling), the padded headboard (when pillows just don’t cut it when you’re sitting up in bed), the robes and slippers (our room faced the street, so modesty is a must), and… the turndown chocolates! Granted, the knock on your door at about 7 p.m. can scare the bejeezus out of you if you’re not expecting it — but it’s all good. I mean… chocolate. Who doesn’t like free chocolate just handed to them?
The staff are very friendly and do go out of their way to make your stay an exceptional one. Valet (or, employees at the front desk acting as valets) was always prompt. So was room service (both for our dinner and for requesting extra towels after the shower leaked a lot the first time). After the shower leak (door did not seem to suction well), we needed more towels after mopping up the floor so a request was put in for *bath* towels on the tablet within a 15 – 30 minute timeframe. Not even 10 minutes later, someone showed up at our door and handed us *hand* towels. It made for a good laugh afterwards. Additionally, we ordered dinner from the restaurant downstairs, and asked for it within 30 minutes. It was at our door in less than 15 minutes. We were seriously impressed.
Only minus of this hotel is that when the heat was turned on during a chillier night it smelled smoky, as if it had not been turned on in months. But, given the otherwise stellar stay, this was a minor annoyance.
If we come back to the area, we’ll definitely stay here again!

I booked this hotel through my corporate website. I only stayed on night, on a Saturday and I was upgraded to a king bed room. I like the ocean theme design. Very clean rooms too. The size of the room is comfortable and it is really well located. It’s quiet and the beds are so comfortable! Water, wifi are complementary and that is the way it shoud be, isn’t it? They enlisted me to their fidelity program and I will definitely use it. Very nice and helpful staff.

For the money, not too bad. Front desk people were extremely friendly, nice and bent over backwards to accommodate us and make us feel welcome. Would have easily been 5 stars if not for the hotel smelling of a little smoke from the ventilation system or something.
Nevertheless, we enjoyed our stay and probably would not hesitate it return. Rooms were nice, while not being overly expensive for what you get.
I would certainly recommend checking them out when you are in the area, as their staff is simply fantastic — especially their gentleman Ryan. We really enjoyed our stay and would not think twice about returning.

One of the best hotels I’ve been to in a while. Very nice and comfortable rooms. The customer service here was also spot on. Complimentary breakfast was also amazing, they had a lot of food. The hotel is a couple minute walk from La Jolla Cove, which is also nice. Would stay again if I came back down to San Diego and definitely would recommend.

Visited the Empress Hotel on the weekend of February 20^th and 21^st. Took advantage of valet parking and got checked in at about 12:30pm. Found my room to be very comfortable, nice furnishings and appreciate the charger station at the writing desk for my electronic gear.
* Very much appreciate the availability of wi-​fi connection at the hotel for guest use.
The Empress is in a great location and from there one can walk easily to the many shops, galleries, and restaurants nearby. The beach is a short walk away. (In the evening, my party walked easily to Eddie Vic’s for a fine dinner with an incredible moon lit view of the bay.)
The staff were all very attentive, helpful with directions, most courteous and responsive to concerns. I enjoyed the complimentary breakfast on Sunday morning and partook from the selection of cereal, hard boiled eggs, banana, yogurt cups, and used the waffle maker to have a hot waffle. Coffee and teas were also available.
Didn’t award five stars for this visit due to the following:
1) Phone in room could not reach local businesses in town. Reported to desk for repair.
2) Ice maker on the floor I was staying on was broken.
3) Exercise room is remarkably small and too cramped for use by more than two persons at a time in my opinion.

I definitely recommend this hotel!
Room: Jacuzzi spa suite, awesome. Not much more to say than the Jacuzzi had its own dimming lights. Lol
Comp breakfast: I didn’t personally try it, but my boyfriend loved it! He said it was very presentable and tastey.
Service: [side note: There was a male and female working late shift yesterday and they did not greet us when we left the hotel nor when we entered back from grabbing food. Made us feel weird because we made eye contact.] But Ryan from front desk, absolutely amazing! He helped us out with early check-​in, recommended numerous local eating spots, AND when I called for late check out I asked for 1:00 and he said make it 1:30 just in case. From management point of view, this is exactly the type of employee you would want working for and representing your business. Ryan truly is an asset to the Empress Hotel, we will make sure to stay here next time we are in the area!

What a wonderful Hotel. The staff is wonderful, the rooms are very nicely appointed AND clean! We came for our anniversary and have completely enjoyed ourselves. We will definitely be back!!!

I really liked this hotel and would definitely stay here again if in the area. The location is perfect, with La Jolla Cove and many restaurants and shopping within walking distance. Our room was kept extremely clean and we had turn down service each night. Coffee in the room, a microwave and fridge. The shower had great pressure and something I’d never seen before – the controls are on the opposite side of the showerhead, so you don’t have to stand in the water while you are finding the right temperature. Brilliant!
Seamus at the front desk was a delight. I loved the atmosphere of the hotel restaurant, with kind of a wedding-​style DJ and people dancing. The continental breakfast was adequate and the room in which it is served has a sunny patio I wasn’t expecting.
The only faults I would mention:
The fitness room should just be removed. There are exactly 3 pieces of equipment and the treadmill doesn’t go faster than a walk. However, this forced me to run outside and considering the gorgeous weather and spectacular beauty of the area, it’s what I should’ve done in the first place.
The parking situation is really weird and wasn’t explained to us well. We were told there was no hotel parking and apparently there is, for the same price as a parking garage, I think. Otherwise, all the parking in the area is 1 or 2 hour, which is REALLY inconvenient. We managed okay, with a weekend and a holiday falling on our visit, but would’ve been good to know all our options.
Great value and good experience overall – parking should be included, though.

What a wonderful experience here! Stayed 4 nights for a wedding and was very impressed. The rooms are neat and pretty big. The hotel staff is extremely friendly and helpful.
Complimentary breakfast was a nice surprise and one of the best I’ve had — cereal, granola, several different yogurts, bagels, muffins, hard boiled eggs and even make your own waffles. Juices, milk and coffee also available.
The hotel is in a perfect location, walking distance to everything!

This is a very nice hotel. I was able to check in early which was a plus. The gentleman behind the desk was friendly and efficient. My room was nicely appointed with a king bed and a microwave and mini fridge in the closet. The room was quiet overnight.
There is a free breakfast in the morning. It has various cereals, yogurt, bagels, bread, muffins and make yourself waffles. The man that working in the room blew his nose, then without washing his hands, took some of the waffle off the waffle maker (no gloves). He was then touching the other food items. Gross. If you want some snot with your breakfast you should be ok. I ate elsewhere.
I would stay here again.

We have had a beyond fabulous experience at Empress!
After a building fire at home, we have been on extended stay at Empress Hotel during the remodel. John, Spencer, Sara, Seamus and the whole crew have been exceptionally accommodating and cool to our family (my husband, doggie and kitty).
The Empress policy «Pets welcome, kids on a leash» is perfect for us! Of course, all well behaved pets.
The hotel accommodations are a classy, yet modern remodel of a historic hotel, with all the right upgrades and finishes… even a grand piano in our room!
We highly recommend staying here and will be sure our friends and family stay when they visit

I wandered into here yesterday afternoon since I was early for a meeting across the street. I am getting married over Labor Day weekend and thought I’d do some price checking on the hotel rooms as well as see how big they are.
I was greeted by Seamus, and told him my situation: I need a large room, enough to accommodate 10 – 11 people for getting ready, close to my venue, and in a certain price range. He showed me three different rooms: the Spa Suite, the Superior King, and the Superior Double Queen.
All the rooms were clean, beautiful, and spacious. I really enjoyed the Spa Suite and the Superior King. The couch in the Superior King folded out into a queen size bed which was a huge plus!
Once he was finished with the tour, we went over dates and prices and he recommended that I get in touch with the sales manager Jean.
I contacted Jean today and told her my situation and she helped me work a group deal since I’ll have other wedding guests staying in the same hotel. The process was so easy and I’m so thankful! Wedding planning is stressful enough, and the fact that she was so accommodating, especially on such sort notice– totally impressed me!
I ended up cancelling my original booking at the Estancia La Jolla and made reservations for the Empress instead. I spread the word around to my wedding party and guests and they will be booking here as well.
Thank you again Seamus and Jean for your wonderful hospitality and excellent customer service. I can’t wait to get ready on my big day here!

Wow! It is possible to find a hotel where customer service is still a priority!
We stayed here for our 7^th wedding anniversary. I went strictly by the amazing reviews that I found on trip advisor and Unilocal.And I’m thankful I did!
We arrived on a day when there was a huge rain storm! Needless to say our plans for hiking, until we could check in, were dashed! We arrived at the Empress and Ryan was at the front desk. We explained our situation and he was able to get us an early check in! Yippee! Ryan was personable, friendly, and went above and beyond to ensure that we were pleased!
We were equally impressed by the young man who was the valet! He was working hard in the pouring rain, and made sure that our car got parked before our time expired on the spot where we self-​parked!
Our room was on the 5^th floor. We were amazed at how quiet it was. The room was cozy, done in shades of calming blues, browns & creams. Our bed was so cushy & the pillows were heavenly! The shower was UH-​MAZING, rain shower style but with a stronger pressure! We had a great view from our room (#508).
The location of the Empress was A+! We walked everywhere, all of our meals, to the beach, and shopping! We were close to everything!
It was so relaxing we didn’t want to come home :) But alas our weekend had to come to an end. We will most definitely be back! Thank you Ryan & staff for an awesome anniversary weekend!

Now that I was able to check out the neighborhood, I am added an extra star and yeah, in San Diego, a hotel like this is officially «As good as it gets!» Now don’t go on thinking that just because I said that you walk-​in here and expected to treated like a star. Ever person has a different experience, and I am here on a weekday, so I was able to live and sleep here comfortably even if it were for one night.
Street parking sucks, and I arrived on a Wednesday night. And, with strict parking enforcement, I recommend you take advantage of the hotel’s valet parking. About $ 18, added to your room, and you can valet and leave anytime throughout your stay, but I recommend you walk around the beautiful area before taking a drive.
La Jolla is like the Beverly Hills of San Diego, and I say this because I been to Beverly Hills and I do not compare this experience to TV shows from the ‘90s, reality television, or movies based on prostitutes trying to fit in (in case you didn’t understand that, I am referring to Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman).
Hotel service was helpful. Ask for a La Jolla Map upon arrival so you plan your accordingly. For example, it was recommended that I visit Seal Rock and it was literally a walking distance away, I just followed the map.
The décor is nice. Blues and browns. Spacious, clean, and lots of furniture. Definitely plenty of room to relax and walk around without bumping into furniture. By the way, in the lobby, I almost walked into the mirror. Stupid mirrors make lobbies look spacious!
Oh, and I got a robe. A ROBE. Fancy, huh?
It is currently humid, but the air conditioning breathes and it does it silently, so I slept heavenly.
I woke up early to take advantage of the continental breakfast, which included hard-​boiled eggs. It is your standard continental breakfast, but if you do not know what that it is, I suggest you Google it. This lovely, fancy hotel does not have a fancy breakfast, it does not have a fridge in their rooms, and it does not have a swimming pool. A small gym, yes! I am not complaining. I like it here!
There are plenty of eateries around here, but according to Unilocal they range from $$ to $$$$, so drive out to Garnet Avenue for some affordable treats.
By the way, it helps to have the Unilocal App! I got an opportunity to stay longer so I do not have to rush my stay.
I was really lucky when I booked this hotel. If another deal comes along in the future, I promise you I will stay again.
NOTE: I would recommend booking this place for ComicCon weekend… oh wait, I did the research, they are already booked for 2015. Sorry!

Honestly, when I booked the Empress Hotel, I didn’t have high expectations. However, upon arrival, I was ecstatic that I chose this hotel.
Pros
1. Location — The location for the price was AMAZING. The other hotels that are cheaper are much worse in comparison to the Empress. We were within a block or two of the beach and all of the attractions.
2. Décor — The hotel lobby was quaint, but immaculately decorated. It definitely leaves a great impression.
3. Service — I wish I remembered the desk clerk that helped us, because he was phenomenal. We were checking out that day and had a full schedule, and he was extremely accommodating. He gave us a 4 hour extension for check out, even though the hotel was fully booked for the next day. We only checked out an hour late, but it was still great.
4. Breakfast — Breakfast was on the 2^nd floor, and they have it on the most gorgeous balcony. There were great pastries, yogurt, juice, and cereal. We didn’t really utilize the breakfast, because I decided to take advantage of La Jolla’s great brunches. However, it was great being able to pick up some yogurt.
5. Room — We were the very first room on the first floor, but it was surprising always quiet. We were never bothered by noises. Even though there was construction on the 2^nd floor, we were never bothered by it. We were actually given the handicap room, and I was so glad that we did. It was larger than an usual room and had a standing shower. The standing shower was absolutely amazing after being at the beach all day. It made washing all of the sand off much easier.
Cons
Honestly, I don’t think there were any cons.
Overall, I would recommend the Empress Hotel in a heartbeat to any I knew. We were actually able to get the Empress hotel at a much cheaper rate than all of the other hotels within a .25 mile radius too. I believe we ended up spending $ 125 a night. I would definitely book the Empress Hotel again.

Fun little hotel. Weird vibe walking through hallways because out was a retirement home before hotel.
Love the velvety walls in the lobby.
Great location top walk around la jolla, or down to the beach.
Rooms are getting renovated to look nice, but there were some issues with the construction (e.g. broken shower soap racks, unsealed light fixture above the shower).
Stayed there because it was convenient and cheaper than other hotels in the area. If looking for a cheap leaveto stay in La Jolla, check it out.