HotelChatter

All 413 guestrooms got a makeover, forgoing any old-timey use of floral decor for a more neutral palette of whites, tans and beiges.

All accommodations are designed in a modern, refined and comfortable manner, with tasteful accents such as faux-crocodile covered side tables and splashes of tiger and zebra print on cushions and wing-backed chairs, crisp white Frette linens and sumptuous down comforters.

The rooms also got a tech upgrade with 32-inch flat screen TVs (42-inchers in the suites), iPod docking stations, oversized rainfall showerheads i n the bath and our fave, complimentary WiFi.

Aside from the guests-only pooldeck, the Empire Hotel has the Lobby Bar for those who want to take a drink on the ground level. As for the Jeffrey Chodorow restaurant, we are hearing rumblings that it's coming to the Empire although its cuisine and its name are not yet determined.

The hotel has been open under its new look and the reviews are fairly nice, particularly about the decor. We found room rates on the hotel website for $259 a night for a standard queen room on June 1.