Empress Palace Hotel

The owner said parking would be free if I left a good review, which felt wrong. The bed smelled sour, and I shouldn't have to pay for an upgrade to get one that doesn't. And despite the title, this isn't a hotel.

The rooms are even prettier in person, and the inside is absolutely gorgeous. Management was a joy to deal with, and they were really helpful with the booking. It's also very pet friendly. The lovely lady who works here has the sweetest bird, Lucky. Maybe you'll be lucky enough to meet him.

We turned down the room and asked for our money back as soon as we saw it, but they refused and gave us only the owner's email. The rooms were tiny, poorly kept and dirty, and the place felt sketchy. The online photos showed the fancy, expensive rooms, not the unadvertised “economic” ones we were shown. It had been hard to find in the first place, with a huge property-for-sale sign blocking the main entrance. At the door, a note said to call or text for help. The woman who came cancelled our booking and insisted on cash or Interac. She also offered a “better room” for an extra 10 CAD. After we paid, she told us to leave through the back door. We contacted the booking service, explained what happened and sent photos of the actual room. My experience here was terrible. If you want to avoid wasting your time and money on a disappointing place to stay, I'd steer clear.

We paid the full price for several nights, but left after the first because the place was so bad. The most frustrating part was how they handled it when we found we had too few beds and the price was much higher than we'd been told. Management just insisted we pay, offered no refund and was completely unhelpful. This isn't a hotel, just a bedroom in someone's house. We didn't get the room we'd booked or the number of beds we'd paid for, and the place was dirty with no amenities. Bathrooms are shared, shoes have to come off, and some rooms apparently have curtains instead of doors. Payment was cash or PayPal only, and we ended up paying hundreds more than the original price. The place was uncomfortable, unclean and felt unsafe. Don't waste your money.