The Empress Hotel of La Jolla

, La Jolla, United States
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The Empress Hotel of La Jolla

3 star

Rooms: 73

7766 Fay Avenue - La Jolla - California - 92037 - United States Hotel Website | (888) 369-9900
276 Traveller

Reviews - The Empress Hotel of La Jolla

8/10
Great hotel
Submitted by: Nancy in 07/04/05
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  • From: United States
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The hotel was great, right in the heart of the village. The rooms were clean, the breakfast buffet was fine. Compared to other places that I've stayed in La Jolla, I like this one best.
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Historical Traveller Reviews of The Empress Hotel of La Jolla

Just average

from A TripAdvisor Member
This hotel is not nearly as good as its TripAdvisor ranking suggests. I stayed there for 4 nights in February 2006. Its location, in La Jolla village, is excellent. The room was clean enough, and the staff were courteous. But the hotel itself is not outstanding in any way. Old carpets line the corridors, the elevators, even the baseboards of the rooms. The sheets and towels are thin and of poor quality. The furnishings in the bedroom and bathroom, including the sink, are many years past their prime. Where you might expect to find a neat stack of newspapers in the main lobby, you instead discover a scattering of (free) tourist brochures on the table. Overall, this is a rather drab, run-down hotel.

Hardly average

from ABD119
It's reasonable, nothing more. Reasonably clean, rooms are OK, service could be more attentive. If you need internet - ask for it in reception, as only two floors have WiFi. Location is great- in the middle of charming La Jolla village. The hotel, though, is nothing to come back for.

Very comfortable hotel in good location.

from A TripAdvisor Member
After checking out tripadvisor, I stayed at the Empress Hotel recently in La Jolla, CA. I found the staff to be very friendly, the rooms to be very clean (if a little dated), and the location to be great in the heart of La Jolla with restaurants and bars nearby (Roppongi and Hard Rock Cafe). La Jolla Cove was an easy 5 minute walk away. The free continental breakfast was so-so with selection like a Hampton Inn including different types of toast, orange juice, and various coffees and teas. There was a computer in the business center with free internet access, which was nice. I would definitely stay here again unless I was looking for more nightlife, as La Jolla is pretty quiet in the evenings.

Good hotel - great area

from A TripAdvisor Member
The hotel was good but what really made it great was it was in walking distance of everything in La Jolla

The Suites are awesome

from TroyzWifey
I did not see any postings regarding their suites.

My husband and I have spent many anniversaries in their suites. The living room has a baby grand and in the bedroom is a marble whirlpool tub. The view is just an ocean peek- but we were not there for the view. It is in a great location to walk to the many restaurants and the beach.

OK hotel, but definitely overrated

from TravelFever
This hotel has definitely been overrated on this site. It's in a fantastic location BUT the hotel itself is not very impressive. To be more specific, the service is below average and the rooms are cute, but the bathrooms were not updated when the rooms were (and really do need updating). The bed linens and towels are all very, very poor quality. The cleanliness, though, was high. The breakfast is lousy--we ate yogurt there one morning and never went back. I would recommend the Grande Colonial--we tried to move there, but they were fully booked. Overall, the Empress is not worth the rate they charge (have paid similar rates in South Beach, Miami and NYC for much better quality). When you're in La Jolla, you want to feel just a tad bit of luxury and there was none at the Empress.

Our Favorite Place

from A TripAdvisor Member
The Empress has been our favorite destination in the San Diego area for 6 years. The furnishings are comfortable. The continential breakfast has a nice selection of beads, a few cold cereals, yogurts, and beverages. We always eat outside and enjoy the birds and flowers. The Empress is situated just a few blocks from the beach where you can watch the seals up close and Prospect St. (the main drag) which has countless restaraunts and shops. I have always felt completely confortable walking around in the evening. If you venture down Prospect, La Dolce Vita, an Italian restaraunt, (on the inland side, in the International Shops area) is a must.

The only downside is the valet parking. But once you settle in for the day, you won't need your car again.

Lovely town

from KARENO
I had terrible time trying to locate a hotel in or around San Diego that would suit my family - 2 adults and 2 girls aged 12 and 5. I finally settled on the Empress La Jolla - where three nights cost more than five in Knotts Resort Hotel LA!!

On arrival we found the hotel exceedingly quiet and after checking in and claiming the last bags of free cookies - never did get any more - we went to our third floor room which was spacious with loads of deorative pillows and plenty of room for four.

The bathroom was a little tired and in need of refurbishment but provided more space than average for storage and the bathrobes and Starbucks coffee pouches were a bonus - ONLY HOTEL ON OUR TRIP NOT TO PROVIDE DECAFF THOUGH!!!

Free continental breakfast on the terrace was sufficient and fresh. Seagulls were happy with it too!!

Valet parking was too expensive for us but we were helped to find street parking mindful of local regulations.

Hotel was ideally placed for walks to La Jolla Cove and local shops and eateries.

Check out and Check in were both dealt with in a professional matter. Free Internet access in office on ground floor too - we only found this out from another guest.

May consider staying here again in future if we are ever in town again and would mention it to friends passing that way too.

Loved the Empress

from A TripAdvisor Member
We stayed at the Empress for 4 nights during December '04. After researching for weeks and using Trip Advisor, I decided to contact the Empress. Right from the first phone conversation, I knew this was the right hotel. The manager was nice enough to suggest faxing me over a blueprint of the floor for the layout of the 2 connecting rooms we wanted. It was a private section at the end of the hall with a separate vestibule. They even discounted the rate for the both rooms. After many conversations, I felt like I knew them personally already. The location is fantastic. You walk right into town and down to the water to see the gorgeous cliffs and seals. I read that it was close, but it truly was within a few blocks. La Jolla is one of the most beautiful places. The rooms are very spacious, as well as the bathrooms. We asked for a fridge and it was already there. Certain sections of the rooms were a bit old, such as the bathrooms and showers. It was very clean, just in need of new vanities and tile. The positives definitely outweighed that one negative. The free continental breakfast was great. Fresh hard boiled eggs, cereals, muffins, and the best Starbucks coffee. I had to keep buying it when I got home to remind me of the trip. The breakfast veranda is so lovely to sit out and relax and eat. Beautiful flowers and trees all around. Fresh apples and cookies in the lobby, a wonderful concierge, great location, what more could you ask for!

The right choice for us.

from Cape
After extensive reading of reviews for all hotels in La Jolla we booked The Empress, for Feb 1 - Feb 6, 2005. After staying there we were very satisfied with our choice of hotel. We paid around $150 per night for a deluxe king. The room looked like the photos on the Empress website, we had a high floor and could actually see the ocean from the room. The room was spacious, was cleaned well each day, and was quiet.
This hotel is I think a good balance between paying a lot of money for a more prestigious name/location/building and a more basic budget hotel. The location a block or so back from the main strip (Prospect) is quiet but still extremely easy to reach the shops, restaurants and coastal walks on foot. The hotel was full when we stayed, yet it still felt quiet. The valet parking is easy and the attendants very attentive and quick. The continental breakfast is large, fresh and always stocked well. The breakfast room is small but the patio outside is large. There was always lots of room outside to sit when we were there. If its too cold you can always take breakfast up to your room, we had a table and chairs as well as a sofa.
La Jolla is very accessible by car to the surrounding area, and yet at the end of the day you can park your car and walk round loads of restaurants in the town.
The hotel is a good choice for couples I think.

Top Local Tips for La Jolla

Where to go and where not to Go to: Dolce Vita (italian restaurant), Toshi-san (japanese restaurant), club La jolla (fitness), sadaf (persian restaurant) pilates united (pilates) harry's (breakfast) Don't go to: tapenade (french restaurant) marrakesh (moroccan restaurant) fingertips (nail salon) cabochon (tiles & stones) joses' (mexican)

Dinner at Jack's We ate at Jack's Dining Room. It was good. Cuisine is too busy: they need to remove one ingredient from each dish to improve quality; but overall it was a good experience. Great service. Excellent wine steward with great recommendations. Overall a nice place to eat.

Anthony's Fish Grotto In Downtown San Diego, only about 15-20 minutes from the Empress Hotel... DELICIOUS!!! Never disappoints! AWESOME, fresh seafood.

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Other names for The Empress Hotel of La Jolla

  • empress la jolla
  • empress hotel la jolla
  • Address: 7766 Fay Avenue - La Jolla - California - 92037 - United States
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