Empire House Hotel — Hotel in Rising Sun

I drove up with my wife to Rising Sun, Indiana to visit friends and watch the full eclipse. We made reservations for 3 nights at the Empire House Hotel. The Empire House is an historic hotel, built back in 1816. It is located right down on the water, with an amazing view of the Ohio River. The Empire House, being built in the earlier 19th Century, it is decorated with a Victorian aesthetic. We very much enjoyed the look and fell of it. There are rooms on the first floor and the second. There is a second floor porch that spans the width of the hotel, with many places to sit and watch the river go by. So, you get to the hotel and park on the street opposite the building. You call the hotel, and Marsha the proprietor meets you in the lobby. Marsha is wonderful. She will check you in and give you two keys; one to your room and one to the hotel front door. Our room was upstairs, room #5 (the John James Suite). One note...the staircase going up is one of the steepest I've seen. You have to hold on to the railing. Our room had a Queen bed, two comfy chairs, a bathroom, and a kitchenette. The kitchenette had a mini refrigerator, sink, dishes and cups, and a coffee maker with all of the coffee supplies. The bathroom had a claw foot tub, which was a bit of a challenge for me to get in to. The bathroom amenities showed a bit of age, but we're spotless and in full working order. The bed was fine if you like a softer matress, but my wife and I like it firmer, so we made do. However the best thing was the second floor desk overlooking the river. Sitting there with my wife in the early evening with a cup of tea was priceless. The path along the river is literally 30 paces from the front door of the hotel. All in all we really enjoyed staying at the Empire House Hotel. The location and the view make a soft matress and a few extra seconds getting into the tub seem petty. We have friends in Rising Sun, Indiana and will no doubt be up there again. We will definitely stay at the Empire...

We spend the night on the ground floor in the Dillon Dorrell room This room with a river view on the first floor. The room has a queen size bed, table and chairs and a flat screen TV. It also has an area is set up with a microwave, mini frig, and coffee pot. The bathroom has a claw foot tub with a shower attached. When you stay you also have access to the big second floor balcony with rockers/gliders/chairs to sit in and enjoy the scenic Ohio river. They even had three binoculars on the balcony to see the boats going up and down the Ohio river. The day we were there it rained a bit but we do not get wet on the balcony and relaxed in the cool breeze. The owner/proprietor is awesome! You can walk to the few restaurants in downtown Rising Sun and it is a short walk to the Rising Star Casino. If you are looking for a place to relax, unwind and get away from the hustle and bustle, this is the place to stay. The place...

We had a church group of 20 people who were looking for a place to stay while touring the Ark Encounter in nearby Kentucky. The Empire House Hotel was everything we could have hoped for. The rooms were spacious, clean and comfortable. Instead of settling for a cookie cutter modern motel, we found ourselves in a 205 year old landmark. The suites have fully stocked kitchens; allowing us to have group meals. The upstairs area has a large balcony with a picturesque view of the Ohio River. The proprietor- Marsha, could not have been more helpful or nice. It was very reasonably priced, as well. The town of Rising Sun was also very quaint and charming. We enjoyed taking the ferry across the river to Rabbit Hash, KY where there is a very old General Store and Wine Tasting Room. While the purpose of our trip was to see the Ark Encounter, the experience of staying in the Empire House and Rising Sun certainly added to...