The three-storeyed, rendered brick hotel was erected in 1888 and replaced an earlier Empire (Family) Hotel (1865) which had been bought by Corrigan on 19 June 1871. The construction in the late 1880s reflected the confidence of the period and development that occurred in Fortitude Valley. The Empire was constructed by Smith and Ball Contractors and the first publican was Walter McFarlane. The hotel contained over sixty rooms and nn February 1923, following the death of Nathaniel Corrigan, the hotel and adjoining buildings were sold for about £40,000. The hotel was renovated in 1925 and again in 1937. This latter work involved converting part of the Ann Street section to the “Empire Apartments”. These apartments were later demolished in the 1960s, reducing the Ann Street frontage from seven bays to three.