LK The Empress

[harddrive]

I stayed at the LK The Empress hotel mid October 2018.  I was there for 10 nights.  These are my impressions:

Location

The hotel is on Beach Road and Soi 12.  An excellent location with a relatively short walk to LK Metro, Walking Street, Sois 7/8 and all of the 13s.  Mall and restaurants are very close by.

Also the Tahitian Queen, one of the few day time agogos is right across Soi 12. The women aren't the youngest but the are open and jamming in the afternoon.

Building

The lobby decor, like most of the LK properties is a bit gaudy / over-the-top.  Never waited long for an elevator.  Everything was clean.  There wasn't much air conditioning in the lobby.

Restaurant

Breakfast was included in the room rate IO had and it was very good.  Eggs / Omelete station with a large buffet of western and asian dishes.  Lots of fresh fruit.

The restaurant converts to a Italian for lunch / dinner but I never tried it.  Reports are it isn't bad.

Room

I stayed in a Superior King room.  It had a balcony but the view was mainly of the hotel across the street.  If I strained and leaned a bit I could get a glimpse of the ocean.  Not a big deal for me as I no longer smoke and I don't find it really that comfortable to lounge much on the balcony.

The room was spacious and like the lobby, the decor was a bit gaudy.  I found the bed very comfortable.

The bathroom was large with a lot of shelf space.  What I really like is the separate bath and shower.  I seldom take an actual bath and I really hate the gymnastics involved with stepping in a out of a bathtub with a date.  I know that someday I am going to take a fall.

There was also a microwave, kettle and a decent sized refrigerator.

Pool

There is a small pool on the second floor.  It doesn't get much sun and there aren't too many loungers.  It wasn't really an issue as it was never really crowded.  

Gym

Very small, not much equipment, but it was quite sufficient for me.

Service

The staff was very friendly and attentive.  Housekeeping was excellent.  I asked for extra towels on my first day and had them without asking for the remainder of my stay.

They stored my large bag and golf clubs for 5 days as I took a short trip to Phnom Penh.

Summary

I would definitely stay here again if the price was right.  Prices vary widely on Agoda from one day to the next but if you keep checking you can usually score a nice room in the $50 to $60 range (before taxes).

Be advised that the guests seem to be an even mix between couples, solo travelers and families.  I never got any bad looks but I never had BFs during the day or took them to breakfast.

[Crash6969]

Thanks for the hotel report. I have a rez in April.
Not a big fan of the gaudy furniture but I hope the location is ideal for the final days of Songkran.

I’ll PM ya about Phnom Penh. That location interests me too.

Crash


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[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

@harddrive - Many thanks for the hotel review...appreciated. I have stayed at LK Empress a few times and really enjoyed it, I like the gaudy style (Versace-esque). Great customer service and nice breakfasts...best location in too.

You got the rooms at a decent price, I usually seethe rates at around 2,500thb. At under 2,000, I would certainly consider staying again.

 

[harddrive]

Prices on Agoda really don't make sense to me sometimes.  One day you will see a room for $60 and the next day it is $150.  I realize everything is related to the hotel releasing inventory to the web site but it is just crazy sometimes.  Also since I generally book early, I really try to get reservations that I can cancel.   For some hotels this will double or triple the rate, other it will have no or little impact. I am already booking hotels for my next trip October - November 2019.

I do like booking with Agoda.  Their support is great and they will help you out if you run into a problem when checking in to the hotel.  Also it nice to have a single site to manage all of the reservations and they do make it easy to cancel.

[whitespider - RIP]

49 minutes ago, harddrive said:

Prices on Agoda really don't make sense to me sometimes.  One day you will see a room for $60 and the next day it is $150.  I realize everything is related to the hotel releasing inventory to the web site but it is just crazy sometimes.  Also since I generally book early, I really try to get reservations that I can cancel.   For some hotels this will double or triple the rate, other it will have no or little impact. I am already booking hotels for my next trip October - November 2019.

I do like booking with Agoda.  Their support is great and they will help you out if you run into a problem when checking in to the hotel.  Also it nice to have a single site to manage all of the reservations and they do make it easy to cancel.

I have explained this many times bro

Agoda sells capacity - the others sell flat rates.

As you correctly say you sometimes see ridiculously low prices and an hour later its gone. i have recounted this story a few times. Couple of years ago we were going to Pattaya for a weekend. i got April Suites for $11. I called my friend who went on about 1 hour later and the same room, same 2 nights was closer to $80

This is why you see some people raving about the low prices and others saying its no cheaper - you have to find the deals and when you see one dont sit around waiting or it will be gone. There is only one way to game it - keep checking back!

[biggles]

We booked a nice hotel In Macau $100 a night, when we arrived it was great, huge bathroom, big lounge etc. Checked their info book and it was listed at  $400 

[Toddler]

I stayed at the Empress last year at a good rate and enjoyed it, similar to the OP’s review. I wanted to stay again this February but couldn’t find any reasonable deals this year. I checked many, many times and the best deal that I could find was all most $100.00 a night for a standard room. I booked at a nearby hotel for less. 

[KiwiScottie]

On 16/01/2019 at 23:17, whitespider said:

I have explained this many times bro

Agoda sells capacity - the others sell flat rates.

As you correctly say you sometimes see ridiculously low prices and an hour later its gone. i have recounted this story a few times. Couple of years ago we were going to Pattaya for a weekend. i got April Suites for $11. I called my friend who went on about 1 hour later and the same room, same 2 nights was closer to $80

This is why you see some people raving about the low prices and others saying its no cheaper - you have to find the deals and when you see one dont sit around waiting or it will be gone. There is only one way to game it - keep checking back!

Another thing ive noticed with Agoda , they may have a great offer at a hotel , but the rooms on offer can be  limited , 

For example they may be selling garden view rooms at a great price , you might think id prefer a pool view room , but unfortunately Agoda are saying the pool view rooms are all sold out , 

Then you go to the hotel website , they are selling the pool view rooms 

[whitespider - RIP]

58 minutes ago, KiwiScottie said:

Another thing ive noticed with Agoda , they may have a great offer at a hotel , but the rooms on offer can be  limited , 

For example they may be selling garden view rooms at a great price , you might think id prefer a pool view room , but unfortunately Agoda are saying the pool view rooms are all sold out , 

Then you go to the hotel website , they are selling the pool view rooms 

True

Once again this comes down to the fact that Agoda sells "capacity" i.e. they are allocated so many rooms/nights etc. This is the very reason WHY they can often offer the flash deals, at a fraction of normal prices. Sometimes its a HUGE benefit to us and sometimes to our detriment - you just have to keep checking back to find the special deals.

One thing we repeatedly read on the forum is "I checked Agoda and it wasnt cheaper" but they failed to understand it may well be a LOT cheaper at other times. if you want to see the flat rate prices use their sister site booking.com

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

On 18/01/2019 at 13:27, whitespider said:

True

Once again this comes down to the fact that Agoda sells "capacity" i.e. they are allocated so many rooms/nights etc. This is the very reason WHY they can often offer the Flash Deals, at a fraction of normal prices. Sometimes its a HUGE benefit to us and sometimes to our detriment - you just have to keep checking back to find the special deals.

One thing we repeatedly read on the forum is "I checked Agoda and it wasnt cheaper" but they failed to understand it may well be a LOT cheaper at other times. if you want to see the flat rate prices use their sister site booking.com

Great advice...the ‘flash deals’ are a mixture, some have no savings at all, yet others give tremendous discounts. As you say, it’s all about keeping checking their website.

[easylite05]

stayed there a few times. staff always care good the room and everything. yes, can stay there why not 

[gothom]

On 16/01/2019 at 20:01, biggles said:

We booked a nice hotel In Macau $100 a night, when we arrived it was great, huge bathroom, big lounge etc. Checked their info book and it was listed at  $400 

Yea you can get 4/5 star in Macau for 100 or less very easily. Some of the best value to be found in Asia. Cross the moat and over in Hong Kong same rooms will be 400-500.

[Bobson VaGene]

Thanks for the in depth review. I too like the gaudy Versace decor.

If cost wasn't so much of an issue, which it's better - Royal Wing/Suite or Lk Empress?

[sadisfied]

We booked a nice hotel In Macau $100 a night, when we arrived it was great, huge bathroom, big lounge etc. Checked their info book and it was listed at  $400 

Which hotel was it?

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[GorGuy RIP]

On 18/01/2019 at 13:27, whitespider said:

... Agoda sells "capacity" ..... if you want to see the flat rate prices use their sister site booking.com

Thanks for the info.

I normally do walk-ins, I probably pay more than I need to.

A friend of mine used to go to a hotel and ask their best price, then use their WiFi to check Agoda - if cheaper, book it from the hotel lobby via Agoda.

As to LK. I find all the LK hotels comfortable with comfortable beds (important for a good sleep for me).

The only down side to LK hotels being the extra joiner fee they charge for more than one joiner. I would normally take 2 joiners to my hotel and I find it not nice to be paying an extra 500 baht to reception in front of my joiners before we even get to the room. 

[EdwardSnowden]

I just checked in and have noticed new signs up at reception, joiners will he charged at 500 baht and must be over 20.

 

has anyone been here lately and can confirm if they are now charging?

[Trevor]

On 18/03/2019 at 08:21, EdwardSnowden said:

I just checked in and have noticed new signs up at reception, joiners will he charged at 500 baht and must be over 20.

 

has anyone been here lately and can confirm if they are now charging?

I’m thinking about The Empress for my trip next month....any update on the joiner fee?

I would guess that this sign refers to a 3rd person in the room.

[EdwardSnowden]

Yeah they don’t charge! 

[Trevor]

14 hours ago, EdwardSnowden said:

Yeah they don’t charge! 

Thanks...glad to hear it!

[jimmy2sheds]

On ‎18‎/‎03‎/‎2019 at 08:21, EdwardSnowden said:

I just checked in and have noticed new signs up at reception, joiners will he charged at 500 baht and must be over 20.

 

has anyone been here lately and can confirm if they are now charging?

joiners are costing more than plumbers and sparkies nowadays FFS. bloody tradesman

[Biennial]

So this is 500 for the 3rd person. Isn't that rather standard for swanky hotels?

[Jagaar]

Appears lots of hotels have joiner fees for a 3rd person.

Thanks for the review

Have noticed Agoda prices vary from day to day, however find more indepth information on the Agoda site then some others.

Probably slightly out of my price range, but would be nice being so close to the beach

[brimmy2003]

I have stayed here 3 times now and found the hotel is in a great location (although a bit more pricey for this reason), 10 mins walk from LK Metro, Soi 6 and Walking Street.

Never had breakfast due to being out until 7am and rising around 2pm.

Rooms are a good size and always spotless. WiFi is pretty poor and constantly dropping.

Last time i stayed (Mar 19) i found on my return home that they charged me the correct amount for the stay but also a few days later an additional change  for around £250 was taken out of my account. Despite me contacting them to explain, i have neither had a reply or refund.

Therefore will not be using this hotel or chain again when i return in Nov.