I have never left a "terrible" review of any hotel i've stayed in, but this place deserves it. I was at the hotel for maybe two hours and had been in three rooms before i decided to leave and find somewhere else to stay. The Empire Suites is at best a budget hotel, definitely not as advertised and i like others have no idea who it has such good reviews from others. On arrival, i entered the hotel from the ground floor and waited at a small counter that turned out to be a security desk, after waiting over ten minutes the security guard appeared and told me check in was up on level three (no signs or info to point this out). Check in was quick and simple and i headed off to my room, room 1 of 3. The room was at the front of the hotel overlooking the main street. The noise from the street was constant with no way to block it out. Two large windows form one wall and the heat of the day belts through the windows, i turned the air con on which wouldn't have been strong enough to cool a matchbox. I checked the fridge for a cool water, the fridge wasn't working, i used the bathroom and the toilet wouldn't flush properly, i looked around the room more and saw broken floor tiles and a broken bed side table, that was enough for me so it was back to reception to request another room. Room 2 of 3. As soon as i walked on i was smacked in the face by an overwhelming stench of mould, i have never smelt anything like it, that was enough of that. Room 3 of 3. The pick of the bunch, cleaner than the others but still not "clean" with no smell. I was tired and needed a shower so into the bathroom i go, i take my shower and reach for a towel, a dirty grey (once white i presume) towel which made me feel dirtier than i did when i got into the shower in the first place! I had to get out of the hotel and clear my head so i went for a coffee and came back. When i got back to the room i noticed it didn't have a room safe, i spoke to reception staff who shortly after handed me a safe, that's right, they handed me a safe, unsecured to anything and easily carried from here to anywhere. That was enough for me, thankfully i hadn't unpacked. I spoke with reception staff about all of the issues i encountered and informed them i'd be leaving. Thankfully, i found a hidden gem not far away and left as quickly as i could. The one good thing i will say is that the staff i dealt with were lovely and that even though my booking was "non refundable" i did get my money back.

If you go in thinking this is a 4/5 hotel you’re going to be disappointed. I’m not sure how it got so many rave reviews. I’d call this a 2.5 or a 3 out of 5. We’ve been staying in modest hotels throughout SE Asia as we’re traveling a few months. This is definitely the most modest of them all, i would call it a click up from a private room in a hostel.

The rooms are very very basic. They’re pretty clean, except that there are stains everywhere which never feels good. The bed was clean and pretty comfortable. You can hear the muffled sounds of the nightclub at night, if you are very sensitive to noise be aware. Its not terribly loud so i was fine to sleep.

The two big complaints i had was that the rooms have a mildew smell. The first room we were given the smell was so strong we had to ask for a new room. They were very accommodating and even gave us an upgrade. The second room was better but still had a slight smell.

The second complaint is that the breakfast is inedible. Just be aware that it wont be a perk you can really enjoy.

Contrary to other reviewers i found the staff very friendly and very eager to help us. Only good things to say about them!

Location was good, very close to airport and good spots to eat and drink. Easy for tours to pick you up.

If i has gone in believing this was a 3/5 i think i would have enjoyed my stay more - but the expectations set in other reviews didnt meet reality.