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Reviews of Empress Hotel of La Jolla

3 out of 5
Empress Hotel of La Jolla
7766 Fay Ave, La Jolla, CA

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 646 out of 1000 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 248 out of 1000 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 76 out of 1000 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 18 out of 1000 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 12 out of 1000 reviews" "

9.4/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Staff & service

8.0/10

Amenities

9.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

6/10 Okay

Randy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

James

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

La Keisha

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great venue. I will be back.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

6/10 Okay

Saras, Glenview

Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

carmen

Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Stuart, Calgary

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great location and a nice property. Good size rooms and the staff were very nice.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Lorane

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The staff was so personable and professional. The room was clean, the bed so comfortable. They had a charging station for my car which was very convenient. I would recommend staying here.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Mark

Traveled with pets, Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great service, great location great staff!
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kitty

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

6/10 Okay

Theresa

Liked: Staff & service
Our non smoking room smelled like smoky and musty.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Connie, Orono

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The valet guys were awesome - quick, efficient, friendly Breakfast scones !
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Erica L

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great hotel and service!!
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Lucas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The valet was included and nice to have as parking in La Jolla is a premium. We walked to restaurants every night and the ocean is just two short blocks away. The staff was very nice!
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024

6/10 Okay

Joseph

Business traveler, Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I would have given the property 5 stars except for one really important problem. Our room was next to the restaurant kitchen and a party room. It was so loud both nights until about 10:30. It sounded like they were banging pots and pans and throwing furniture. An outside metal gate would constantly clang as the employees went in and out. The lid of the dumpster was constantly banging. You could hear parked cars of the employees coming and going and even alarms going off. The noises of people laughing loudly was certainly not relaxing. I finally called the front desk and they were obviously aware of the problem. I’m guessing it wasn’t their first complaint. The room should not be rented.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Brad

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The Empress was perfect for us. We were easily able to walk our dog from the hotel around town. The hotel staff was helpful and pleasant. The room was comfortable. The breakfast service and guest laundry were great conveniences. The restaurant was excellent.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2024

8/10 Good

John

Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Angelica

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jeffrey

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Conveniently located quaint hotel.
The Empress is a quaint hotel with an old-school restaurant and bar. Within walking distance of downtown and shopping areas and the beach. Valet parking was reasonable with unlimited in and out privileges. The restaurant had live piano with some great jazz standards being played. We enjoyed our stay. Having breakfast included is always a plus, but there are plenty of restaurants to choose from if you want to go out.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jason

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Maria

Traveled with pets, Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I loved staying here for New Years Eve and taking a walk early morning on New Years Day. The entire stay was great and I was very satisfied with the breakfast provided.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Carl

Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

6/10 Okay

Rosana, SAN DIEGO

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Amenities
Hotel is in downtown La Jolla, a walkable area with good dining options, but far enough away from the main streets to avoid the noise. The hotel itself was average, you can tell there were parts that have been renovated, but other spots clearly dated, like the bathrooms. We were greeted by a slouchy, sullen guy in a black hoodie that didn't make a great first impression and at some point one of the housekeepers let herself into our room to look for the phone charger that she thought she left while cleaning...bizarre. The highlight was that it was walkable to Piazza 1909 and Brick and Bell.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

6/10 Okay

Tiffany A

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The service from the front desk and janitorial staff was fantastic. The room itself definitely had its quirks. I had an accessible room with a king bed at (noisy) street level. The mattress was not comfortable and left my lower half aching after just a couple of hours. The toilet, though itself accessible, was positioned oddly, which made using it somewhat difficult. Additionally, a high pitched noise would sound intermittently in the bathroom area, presumably from another room using the water? It happened sporadically at all hours, which was really aggravating. On the plus side again, the continental breakfast was better than average with a clean, well-maintained serving and dining area. I did not try the restaurant (the Manhattan). Overall, got the job done.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Rob, San Diego

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

James

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice spot! Breakfast included. We have stayed here twice and enjoy it each time. Highly recommend. It is walking distance to a lot of places to eat and down to the beach.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Bradley

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent property and location. Terrific staff, clean rooms. My wife and I live in LJ but we still staycation here.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

harry

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great staff. Great location.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

8/10 Good

Ruth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
No parking
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

6/10 Okay

Jeff

Hotel just ok - will be staying elsewhere
The hotel is just ok. We won’t be staying there again - much better hotels in the area. They charge a fee for early check in even if the room is available. Also for a late check out if desired. The free breakfast was terrible - cold eggs and cold potatoes. I was afraid of food poisoning so we ate elsewhere. The room and lobby need updating. Not appealing.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

8/10 Good

mark

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

6/10 Okay

George, Manasquan

Traveled with family
Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Amenities
Centrally located in La Jolla village, the Empress is a good hotel for a long or short stay. It's a few blocks from the ocean and close to several restaurants and bars. The staff is very nice. Towels were replaced daily and trash was emptied. I was surprised that the bed was never made or the carpet vacuumed during our 5 day stay. It's a good thing we're not messy!
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Angela

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Gabrielle

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A fantastic hotel stay
The hotel is well located and is walking distance from many great restaurants and the service was attentive. The included breakfast was delicious also!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Noelle

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Mario

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

6/10 Okay

Richard

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness
The first room I checked into was marked as ready and cleaned. When I walked in, the blankets were on the floor and trash everywhere. It was far from a room that was ready. The second room I switched to, didn't have soap, only shower gel. I just accepted it because it was late and not too big of a deal. However, this just goes to show the lack of attention to their actual jobs. The hotel was also very dated with loud fans that were left on in an empty room either next or below me that reverberated. I was there only to sleep for a couple nights only so didn't take it up with management. Front door staff were very courteous though and appreciated their customer interactions.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

6/10 Okay

Jaime

Traveled with family
Disliked: Staff & service
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Robert

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

6/10 Okay

Bonnie

Traveled with pets, Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Amenities
Bed was comfortable, bathroom average, no balcony or view and no swimming pool or hot tub. Great location to shops. Coffee and microwave awkward placement.Friendly staff.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

Pam

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Michelle

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The room was fantastic! Bed super comfortable! I will always stay here!!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

6/10 Okay

CARLO

Liked: Staff & service
Location
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

2/10 Terrible

linda

Business traveler, Traveled with family
Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities
The staff at the hotel were very nice so I gave 5 stars for the. However, our sheets were not clean and the sink backed up. They comped some parking and resort fees ($125) It was gross and upsetting as we didn’t realize until we got up in the morning after sleeping on them. Totally unacceptable!!I will try and post photos.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Michele

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The property is perfectly located, renovated, and the staff was very friendly and efficient. Parking can be challenging but they have complimentary valet so you can pull up to the front door, have your bags taken if you wish, and they whisk your car away! The building is older and there were some water damage issues, which they thanked me for pointing out and were going to repair.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

4/10 Poor

Sarah

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
The restaurant in the hotel ran loud machines right outside our window at 9am and refused to turn them off when asked. This was a rare opportunity for me to sleep in on vacation and it was ruined by the extreme noise levels. Also, we were told we paid for a hot breakfast at the hotel but it turned out to be only cereal and toast. Further, there is no need to pay for valet as sighted. Plenty of free street parking that’s easier to park in than valeting.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Joel Majors- General Manager on Sep 5, 2023
Dear Sarah,We appreciate your review and take all of our guests comments seriously in an effort to try to learn from our mistakes.The Manhattan Restaurant is owned and operated by private individuals and we were not aware at that time that they were cleaning the carpets so early in the restaurant. Please accept our apology for this.Our expanded continental breakfast has something for everyone. We offer two types of hot eggs, link sausage and sausage patties, cereal, yogurt, fruit, assorted bagels, muffins, a variety of fruit, homemade waffles with coffee and a variety of juices.Street parking is available but patrolled by the city and it is safer to park with us than to receive a parking citation as it has to be monitored closely.We do hope that you try us again and if you have any questions I will be happy to speak with you and make your future reservation.Kind Regards,

10/10 Excellent

Ryan

Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

6/10 Okay

Rudy

Traveled with family
Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Overrated-No Swimming Pool
The hotel needs to be updated, and without a pool is overpriced. The staff were incredibly helpful and responsive to our questions and needs.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Joel Majors- General Manager on Sep 4, 2023
Dear Rudy,We appreciate your comments about our helpful and friendly staff. We continue to upgrade our rooms ever year. In the month of May we upgraded all of our televisions to 52 inch smart televisions for example. We also just started our complimentary expanded complimentary breakfast again with more items than before. Come back and see us again.Kind Regards,

6/10 Okay

Laura

Traveled with family
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great staff. Room was really run down and needs updating. Restaurant downstairs is great and has great food . Great area. Parking expensive . They add on a resort fee and I have nooo idea why. They said it was for the breakfast — that we were never told even existed No pool. Beach is 10 minute walk.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Joel Majors- General Manager on Sep 4, 2023
Hello Laura,We do hope hope you come back and try our expanded complimentary breakfast. There is something for everyone. I am glad that you enjoyed the Manhattan Restaurant. It a great way to wind down an evening with a nice glass of wine or enjoy an nice steak! We hope you come back and see us again soon!Regards,

10/10 Excellent

Carl

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Joel Majors- General Manager on Sep 4, 2023
Hello Carl,Thank you for staying with us! Come back and see us again soon!Regards,