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Visited here for dinner. Very popular and busy. We hadn't booked and were lucky to get a table. Great menu and the dining room is beautiful. Lots and lots of history here. A beautiful old building. Food was nicely prepared and a varied menu. Great bar. An enjoyable evening and a nice spot to eat in Queenstown.
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Date of stay: March 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Book a table for evening meals especially if a large group
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Norton hospitality, Guest Services / Front Office at The Empire Hotel
Responded 2 days ago
Hi Moonrock1962, thank you so much for taking the time to write such a fantastic review! We're delighted to hear you enjoyed your dining experience with us. We understand the importance of a beautiful ambiance, so we're thrilled you found the historic building and dining room to be a delight. Thank you again for choosing us, and we hope to welcome you back to Queenstown soon.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bad management and service, no selection of products best view of the stair case is your from the back as you leave the pub. Over all pub has gotten worse for locals and bottle shop is a joke. Management had no cider in pub but have a bottle shop attached.
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Norton hospitality, Guest Services / Front Office at The Empire Hotel
Responded 2 weeks ago
Hi 'A3917UAshanec', thank you for letting us know about your recent cider selection experience. We apologise that you weren't happy with the cider options we had available during your visit. I have confirmed that we did have Mercury stubbies in both the bar and bottle shop however we're currently in the process of transitioning our tap cider to Bulmers, which might explain the limited selection at the moment. We hope you'll give us another try soon! We're always looking to improve our beverage selection, and your feedback is valuable to us.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
First of all I stuffed up when booking via Expedia which said the rooms were air-conditioned. They were not which is clearly mentioned on the hotel website. However, the window in my unit (number 10) did not stay open and no fans or anything else were provided. The worst part of the stay was that not only was there no curtain in the room, there was no curtain rail to hang anything from to act as a curtain. The bar staff (the only staff who seemed to know anything) were flat out and were not interested in dealing with me. I had booked two nights there and both nights were without a curtain. :-( Thankfully I had an eye mask I could use but service (and obviously maintenance) was frankly appalling. $44 for a medium cooked steak (asked or medium rare) was the most expensive pub meal I've had anywhere. (To be fair they had run out of lamb chops which they were selling for $25).…
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:I would stay elsewhere - have heard Strahan has some good accommodation options.
If you have to...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Norton hospitality, Guest Services / Front Office at The Empire Hotel
Responded 11 Feb 2024
Hi BratD, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback about your recent stay at the Empire Hotel. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and frustration you experienced during your visit, particularly regarding the issues with the window, lack of curtains and the price of your meal. All of the above falls short of our expected standards and reflects poorly on our procedures. We apologise that we were unable to resolve these issues during your stay. We appreciate you bringing these issues to our attention. We value your feedback and take it seriously. To ensure we can address your concerns directly, we kindly request that you forward your feedback to marketing@nhgroup.com.au. This will allow us to investigate the specifics of your stay and offer a suitable resolution. Once again, we apologise for the shortcomings you encountered during your visit. We hope that by addressing your concerns directly, we can demonstrate our commitment to improving our services and regaining your trust.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Clean with a fully renovated bathroom. A charming place with a grand entrance. Basic breakfast included. Cant beat the price in the centre of town. Room was small and basic only needed somewhere to place a suitcase.
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Good for a couple of night max.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Norton hospitality, Guest Services / Front Office at The Empire Hotel
Responded 26 Nov 2023
Hi RonandAnneX, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a positive review. We are thrilled to hear that you found our hotel to be clean and charming, with a grand entrance that made for a memorable stay. Our team is dedicated to providing exceptional service and we are glad to see that we were able to meet your expectations. Once again, thank you for choosing to stay with us and we hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back in the future.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
What a majestic place, inside and out. Our room was spacious, the ensuite was recently renovated. Continental breakfast was included in our room rate, lots of bread and cereal selections, juices plus fruit. Dinner was lovely, roast of the day was superb.
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Roast of the day
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Norton hospitality, Guest Services / Front Office at The Empire Hotel
Responded 29 Oct 2023
Hi Christine, thank you for taking the time to leave us such a positive review! We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your recent visit to our hotel and that you found the room to be spacious and of great value. We are pleased to hear that you had the opportunity to dine in for dinner as well as our continental breakfast. We look forward to having to opportunity to welcoming you back in the future.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
A lovely hotel but a few room improvements needed. I stayed in a double room with en-suite for 3 nights during the Unconformity Festival. It is a lovely hotel, the staff are very friendly and it has a great atmosphere. The bed and pillows are extremely comfortable, has a very effective electric blanket and room heater. The room and ensuite are spotlessly clean. The main issue is that the hot water in the shower becomes tepid if the hotel is full and you want a shower after 8 am. Other smaller issues are that the window in my room had frosted glass so you are unable to see out. I am not sure what the reason is as there is a blind to pull down for privacy. It would be handy to have a fly screen also for when the window is opened. The room needs a small fridge which would fit where the small table is located. It would also be good if shampoo and conditioner etc were provided. With these improvements, the cost of room per night would be justified and I would highly recommend hotel. …
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Norton hospitality, Guest Services / Front Office at The Empire Hotel
Responded 29 Oct 2023
Hi Elizabeth, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your stay at our hotel and found our staff to be friendly and accommodating. We're glad that you found the bed and pillows to be extremely comfortable and appreciated the effectiveness of the electric blanket and room heating. We appreciate the feedback about our hot water supply when our hotel is full and apologise for the inconvenience this may have caused. We are constantly looking for ways to enhance the experience for our guests and appreciate your suggestions. Thank you again for your valuable feedback, and we hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back to our hotel in the near future.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I kid, almost entirely… I must admit that we were probably drawn to tour through Queenstown because of its shared namesake with NZ. But it was a nice stop over, with one or two interesting enough attractions for our young family. Sad to see the scaring of the land due to poor environmental management, but a good education. In terms of the hotel, quite comfy and I certainly enjoyed the attached bar and restaurant. Nothing fancy, and in fact they I think have leaned into that, but it works. Our room ensuite was large and quite nice, overlooking the train. I was actually stuck there for 24 hours while a covid test cleared. My sister and her young sons stayed in a more modest room, but again perfectly fine.
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Date of stay: July 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Norton hospitality, Guest Services / Front Office at The Empire Hotel
Responded 25 Jun 2023
Hello, Thank you for sharing your experience of Queenstown and your stay at our hotel. We appreciate your honest feedback and are glad to hear that you found our accommodations comfortable. We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the attached bar and restaurant. Our focus is on providing a cozy and welcoming atmosphere, and we're glad that you found it to be just that. We strive to offer a comfortable stay for all our guests, regardless of the room type, and we're pleased that both your room and your sister's room met your expectations. Once again, we appreciate your feedback and thank you for choosing to stay with us. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you and your family back in the future.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We had dinner at The Empire Hotel. Ordered slow cooked lamb shanks, wow they were amazing. Large serve, tender and so tasty. Highly recommend this place for dinner after a long day exploring the amazing mountains .
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Date of stay: May 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Might likryto book gets busy.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Norton hospitality, Guest Services / Front Office at The Empire Hotel
Responded 4 Jun 2023
Hello, Thank you for sharing your wonderful dining experience at The Empire Hotel! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our slow-cooked lamb shanks. We take pride in preparing generous portions of tender and flavourful dishes, and we're delighted that it exceeded your expectations. We appreciate your kind recommendation, especially after a long day of exploring the beautiful West Coast. We hope to have the pleasure of seeing you again soon for another delicious meal. Thank you again and safe travels!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We have just arrived home after a lovely stay at this wonderful old hotel (built in 1901) in the heart of Queenstown. The staff were welcoming, and friendly, and went out of their way to look after us. We were a party of 2 couples and we stayed in 2 double rooms on the 1st floor, up a beautiful Tasmanian blackwood staircase. The rooms are old and basic but clean and bright, the beds very comfy with 2 pillows each, soft sheets, and electric blankets to keep you warm on a cold winter's night. The bathrooms while not ensuite, are spacious, clean, and plentiful (there were 3 near our rooms)! We ate dinner in the large dining room with its high ceilings and original paintings around the walls. The menu had a great variety of dishes and the food was yummy. The building itself is historic and exudes character and is situated across the road on one side, from the West Coast Railway station, and on the other side, the iconic Paragon Theatre. Amazing value for your money! We will definitely be back. …
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Date of stay: May 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Norton hospitality, Guest Services / Front Office at The Empire Hotel
Responded 7 May 2023
Hello, thank you for taking the time to share your experience at our historic hotel in Queenstown. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us and that our friendly staff went above and beyond to make your visit memorable. We are glad to hear that you found our rooms comfortable and clean, and that you enjoyed the spacious bathrooms and delicious food in our dining room. It is great to know that you appreciated the historic charm and character of our building, which we strive to maintain. We are thrilled that you found our hotel to be amazing value for your money and that you plan to return. We look forward to welcoming you back to our hotel in the future. Thank you for choosing our hotel for your stay and for your kind words. We hope to see you soon. Thanks again.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lovely, top shelf country pub food in a classy historic building but everything else was sub-par unfortunately. The drink offering was dreadful and service whilst having a nice casual country town charm didn't stack up to the building or food offering.
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Date of stay: April 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Norton hospitality, Guest Services / Front Office at The Empire Hotel
Responded 17 Apr 2023
Hello, thank you for your review, and we're glad to hear that you enjoyed our top shelf country pub food and historic building. However, we're disappointed to learn that our drink offering and service didn't meet your expectations. We take all feedback seriously and will take steps to improve our selection of wines and service quality. We appreciate your honest feedback and hope that you'll give us another chance to impress you in the future. Thank you for choosing to dine with us.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
€59 - €81 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
AustraliaTasmaniaQueenstown
NUMBER OF ROOMS
35
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect nightly room rates, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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