Empire House Hotel

We enjoyed our stay very much. It’s right on the Ohio River and beautiful. We even rode the ferry right down the road from the hotel. The proprietor was very friendly. It was a quiet place on a quiet street. It’s a lovely small town. The hotel is 200 years old.

Stopped in last minute on the way home from a longer trip. Called late in the evening and luckily one room was available due to a cancelation. Enjoyed sitting on the porch late into the night. Ended up staying a second night because I was enjoying the peace and quiet so much. Comfortable and cozy are the two words that best describe my impression of the hotel. Marsha the proprietor could not have been more cordial and accommodating. The two rooms that I stayed in were spotless and inviting, as were all the common areas of the hotel that I experienced. Keep in mind that this is not a B&B in that no meals are included, however there are some very nice local restaurants within easy walking distance. The room prices represent a great value in my opinion. I highly recommend this hotel and plan to return multiple times!!!!! Thanks Marsha!!!

We have been going to the Empire House for the past ten years. It’s our favorite get away when we have a free weekend. Always a nice time to see Marsha the owner. Love the river views and the walk way along the Ohio River in Rising Sun. We have enjoyed the shuttle to/ from the Casino. Also, on our last visit we took the Ferry across to Rabbit Hatch Kentucky from the casino. The round trip cost was $8.

So I struggled with how many blobs I would award the Empire House Hotel, eventually settling on three which I feel is totally fair. *Ahem* So I found myself stuck in this particular part of Indiana for a week for a conference/comedy competition at Belterra. I booked a handful of nights at Empire House in an effort to save some money. One of the best parts about the Empire House is that the lady who runs it is very nice. She's friendly and thorough and made for a great host. The hotel itself is over 200 years old and has been lovingly restored. The location is cool, too, right on the Ohio river. Parking was easy to find directly outside on the street. My room was spacious with a high ceiling. The bed was comfortable, there was a small refrigerator and a microwave which was convenient and the bathroom was clean and everything worked properly. The property did have a musty smell to it, which is to be expected, and my room had an air freshener in it that was somewhat overpowering. Luckily, the bed was comfortable and I slept well. There wasn't much noise to deal with outside of the weird random creaks and moans that you expect from a 200+ year old place. The WiFi was the big disappointment, though. It was intermittent and the signal was not at all strong, making it impossible to work from my room. The immediate local area, while charming, didn't have much to offer me in the way of an alternative so I had to drive quite a ways to get any work done. If I were merely staying at the Empire House on a leisure trip to stare at the river and walk around town, I may have awarded it four blobs, possibly even five. As it stands, though, it gets three because I had to go several miles out of my way to find serviceable WiFi. It's a cute place, though. Check it out if you're in Rising Sun.

Emphasis on beds with granola bars provided for "breakfast." Spent two nights here. Proprietress was very friendly. Supposed to have queen beds suite but my wife and I had to sleep in separate beds because of their small size. Definitely showing its age.