Empire Hotel

About Empire Hotel

Empire Hotel suits travelers who want a base on the Upper West Side, close to Central Park and a short ride from Midtown. Couples can walk to the park before breakfast and reach Midtown theaters in the evening. Families get room to spread out and an easy route to the natural history museum on Central Park West. Business travelers reach Midtown offices quickly, and late arrivals find a 24 hour front desk. Anyone who prefers a quiet residential block over the Theater District crowd will settle in here.

Empire Hotel is a 4-star hotel in Lincoln Square, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The booking supplier's guest score is 3.8 out of 5 from 5221 reviews, which points to a steady, well-used city property rather than a small boutique stay. Expect a straightforward hotel: a desk staffed around the clock, listed wifi and air conditioning, and an address that does much of the work. Rooms are booked through the IMPT app, where prices and availability and current availability appear before you commit.

Rooms and listed facilities

The listed facilities at Empire Hotel cover the practical side of a city stay. Air conditioning, free wifi and internet access appear on the list, along with a fitness center, an outdoor pool and a pool bar, a restaurant and bars, a terrace, and a 24 hour front desk with 24 hour security. Families can ask about family rooms and cots. Business travelers can check on banquet space. Parking and valet parking are listed. Confirm pool hours, parking terms and any facility fee with the property before booking.

Couples often want a quiet room away from lifts and street noise, and that is worth requesting when you book Empire Hotel. Families should confirm how many people a room holds and whether a cot fits. Business travelers can ask about desk space and wifi strength before arrival. Late arrivals are helped by the listed 24 hour front desk, though it is worth telling the property your expected time. Laundry service, luggage storage and a safe are listed.

The setting

Empire Hotel stands at 44 W 63rd St, on the Upper West Side in Lincoln Square, a few blocks from the western edge of Central Park. The block sits among apartment buildings, shops and cultural institutions, with Broadway running nearby. Distances are straight-line: about 0.9 miles (1.5 km) to Times Square, about 1.4 miles (2.2 km) to Grand Central Terminal and about 1.6 miles (2.5 km) to Penn Station. Central Park, measured to Fifth Avenue at 59th Street, is about 0.7 miles (1.1 km) away. On foot the routes run longer.

Location and neighborhood

Lincoln Square takes its name from Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the cluster of halls and theaters between West 62nd and West 66th Streets and Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues. The neighborhood sits on the Upper West Side, with Central Park forming its eastern edge and Columbus Circle marking the southeast corner where Broadway meets Eighth Avenue. Fordham University's Manhattan campus and several music schools stand among the concert halls, which gives the blocks a studious feel by day and a crowded one on performance nights. Broadway cuts diagonally through the grid here, so a short walk feels less regular than the numbered streets suggest.

Most first-time visitors come for the concert halls, but the neighborhood works well as a base for sightseeing. Central Park begins across Central Park West, and the American Museum of Natural History faces the park at 79th Street, a few blocks north. Because Empire Hotel sits between the park and the concert halls, many of the sights below are a walk or a short ride away. Subway stops around Columbus Circle and Lincoln Center connect the area to Midtown and downtown, and service changes are common at weekends, so check the current status with the MTA before you travel. Evenings bring concert and theater crowds, so allow extra time for a table or a taxi line.

Getting there and around

Three airports serve New York City. JFK and Newark Liberty are typically 45–75 minutes from Midtown depending on traffic and connections; Empire Hotel sits around 14 miles (22.5 km) from the airport. LaGuardia is closest by road, and the free Q70 bus links it to the subway. Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station handle regional and long-distance trains; the main station is around 1.4 miles (2.2 km) away, and the middle of the sights listed here is around 0.9 miles (1.5 km). Tap a contactless card or phone to pay on the subway, which runs 24 hours. Check the current fare and any service changes with the MTA.

Nearby sights and food

From Empire Hotel, Central Park is the nearest large sight, free to enter, with its lake, meadows and paths a block or two east. The American Museum of Natural History occupies several blocks along Central Park West at 79th Street; check opening hours and tickets with the museum. The Metropolitan Museum of Art stands on Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, at the start of Museum Mile, and the Museum of Modern Art is south of Columbus Circle. The Intrepid Museum sits at a Hudson River pier, and Broadway theaters cluster around Times Square.

Eating near Lincoln Square covers a wide range. Columbus Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue carry most of it: Italian trattorias, Japanese sushi counters and ramen shops, Thai and Indian kitchens, Middle Eastern grills and a steady supply of pizza slices. Diners and casual cafés serve all day, and deli counters and bakeries handle breakfast and picnic supplies for the park. Around Columbus Circle you find food halls and upper-floor dining rooms with park views. Reservations help on concert nights, when the blocks near Lincoln Center fill quickly; book ahead or eat earlier in the evening.

A day from Empire Hotel

A day from Empire Hotel can start early with a walk into Central Park, entering from Central Park West and following the paths north toward the lake and the meadows while the light is soft. Give the American Museum of Natural History two or three hours before lunch, then eat on Columbus or Amsterdam Avenue. In the afternoon, ride downtown to the Museum of Modern Art, or stay north and take in the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue. Keep the evening for Lincoln Center or a Broadway show; check schedules and tickets ahead, and leave time to walk back along the park edge at dusk.

Distances

Facilities listed by the supplier

As listed by the booking supplier; a facility not listed here may still exist. Confirm anything important with the property.

• 24 Hour Front Desk
• 24-hour security
• Air conditioning
• Alarm clock
• Banquet
• Bars
• Bath
• Bathrobe
• Bathroom
• Bike rental service
• Cleaning
• Coffee
• Concierge
• Crib
• Desk
• Dry cleaning service
• Entertainment activities
• Express check in
• Family rooms
• First aid
• Fitness Center
• Free Wi-Fi
• Garage
• Hairdryer
• Housekeeping
• Internet access
• iPod dock
• Iron and board
• Laundry Service
• Elevators
• Lounge
• Luggage storage
• Night club
• Non smoking rooms
• Outdoor pool
• Parking
• Pets allowed
• Pool bar
• Refrigerator
• Restaurant