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posted May 19, 2012
I brought my wife and 3 kids to Empire to give them a first hand experience of what I used to enjoy before on my last 2 visits. Our initial xperience was good notwithstanding the rather slow service. On our second night, the duty manager came with security personnel to warn my family to keep the noise level down. It was barely 10 pm on a Saturday night but apparently our next door neighbour had complained! My boys were not making too much noise but I told them to quiten down. The duty manager was condescending and unfriendly which surprised me! Just before midnight another duty manager comes with security again to tell us to keep quiet; my kids had been reading quietly prior that and had just started on a game of UNO; they were not screaming or shouting; again we were reprimanded; at this time my patience was challenged and when I asked why we were being victimised; the duty manager agreed with me but said she had a very difficult time talkIng with my neighbour who threatened not to pay the hotel bill; This is a hotel that is unfriendly to families; maybe good for couples with no kids; DO NOT make the same mistake; go elsewhere if you want to a relaxing and enjoyable holiday with kids!
posted May 15, 2012
The only hotel i stay at each time I am in Brunei and I would not go anywhere else. There is a sense of kitsch about the entire resort with its gold platedness and sky high beams but then again, we are in Brunei, i would not expect anything less. The resort is huge with 2 main wings and 4 (?) other outlying hotel outposts. Depending on what you are looking for or doing (golfing, etc.) you might want to choose the outlying ones. I have always requested to be in the main wings attached to the main lobby due to the proximity to the food and pool. The outlying rooms are withing walking distance but i generally call for a buggy due to my luggage and golf bags. if distances are daunting due to mobility issues, i would suggest the outlying rooms. seems strange but at least you have the option of buggy. the main wings could be a long walk to the lobby. the food options are adequate but are not going to be extensive. i recommend the restaurant at the pool facing the sea... always nice to have a local delights, enjoying the sea breeze with a coconut in hand. service is an issue though. the people are pleasant and friendly but the service culture is still slightly lacking the international standards. the rooms (never tried the suites) are huge but in my personal view, rather simple and dated. it sort of reminds me of the old eastern bloc communist hotels where there is an attempt to be posh but tends to over do it till it becomes gaudy. also, several times, i have complained about a smell on the beds. overall you can't really go wrong with Empire. it is the main hotel where the royal family puts its guests and dignitaries.... it is still by far the best.
posted May 12, 2012
We spent 5 nights at the Empire Hotel and Country Club and it was just not long enough! We had an executive room in the West Wing and enjoyed every minute of it. While our room had not yet been updated it was still very beautiful and the view was lovely.The staff everywhere were friendly and helpful especially our caring staffmemebers in the executive lounge who gave us the most scrumptious breakfasts, high teas and mocktails. The food in all restuarants was exceptional. the tour and reasonable in price for the standard it was.The tours we did on two days were friendly, ladback and natural, in the back of a people mover van and it was a great way to get to know the everyday Brunei. We will be back
posted May 9, 2012
We spent 3 nights in the Empire Hotel & Country club and loved every minute of it. We had a luxury room in the West wing, overlooking the sea. The room was large and comfortable, both for leisure use and business use: a good sized desk, a large flat screen television, 2 club sofas with a table, and a very comfortable bed. We had a large balcony overlooking the lagoon, swimming pools and the sea The bathroom is big, with a separate toilet, large shower and bath. There are 2 washing basins and all the amenities you can think of. The whole bathroom is in marble, and finishing details are gold. At night it was absolutely quiet. I am not a buffet person, but the breakfast and dinner buffet are excellent and well worth their money. There is a whole series of activities on the hotel grounds (cinema, swimming pools, golf, cycling etc.) and the hotel grounds themselves are worth a walk around. We also used the hotel service to book a trip into the rain forest, which was very good. I would never decorate my house in the style of this hotel, but it is great as a luxury splash out.
posted May 2, 2012
This hotel is exceptional - in a good and bad sense. There are billions of Brunei Dollars spent on a building without atmosphere and style but it is simply bombastic. To see it once, to enjoy a night there is an experience I do not want to miss, but I would not want to stay longer. "+" price/value is unbeatable, the rooms are fantastic, the breakfast is okay, friendly staff which was occasionally overstrained, lovely mocktailes "-" it took us 20 minutes to get a confirmed reservation for a spa treatment, the spa/massage area was built in after the opening of the resort and it is squeezed into a part of a cellar, there were hardly guests which is great in principle but creates a strange atmospere (ie 4 tables occupied in a restaurant with more than 50 tables....)
