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The Franklin
Rating Details »
- Nearest Transit:
-
86th St (4, 5, 6)
- Price Range:
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$$$
5 reviews for The Franklin
My friend and I planned a pretty impromptu trip to NYC and looked for hotel deals on http://hotwire.com. We ended up with The Franklin, and when we saw how nice it was on the website we were thrilled. Until we realized all the rooms only have one bed. We had invited other friends along and were just hoping to all fit in one room. Then we found out the rooms were tiny. After some conversing, it ended up being just me and my friend (we didn't mind sharing a bed) and it worked out perfectly.
I really enjoyed staying at The Franklin. It's a boutique hotel and very charming. Everything is crisp and clean and you feel pretty fancy being there without feeling out of place. The rooms *are* small, but when you're in NYC, how much time do you expect to stay inside? You just need a safe place to sleep and shower and a super plush bed and blanket are a nice bonus :)
The staff was more than accommodating to us and our entire stay was pleasant. You can't beat a free European breakfast. Your food selection is a little limited, but it was delicious and filling nonetheless.
The location is also nice in the upper East Side and just a few blocks away from Central Park. I loved that the Lexington and 86th subway stop was just around the corner. It's on the 4-5-6 line which is accessible to almost every place we went.
I would definitely stay here again, I just have to not lie about the number of people coming so that we all have beds to sleep in :)
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What I like:
The location is great. A few blocks from Central Park, and right around the corner from the 6 train downtown.
The decor is lovely-- cool greens, crisp whites, and dark wood. Big cushy bed. Immaculately clean. Everything looks fresh.
It's small enough that you don't feel like tourist cattle. You might be the only person in the dinky little lobby.
The only drawback: the rooms are tiny. The sink was out in the bedroom because it wouldn't fit in the bathroom. There was no closet, just a rack on the wall. However, if you're by yourself, you can just spread your stuff everywhere.
I would still stay there again, definitely.
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We have stayed at The Franklin twice now, chosing it initially for being one block away from my in-laws, and the next time, because we were charmed by it the first time. I'll be honest--my favorite NYC hotel in the W midtown, but that's too far from the parents (some would argue not far enough, but we'll leave that alone for now). Given how many disgusting, yet pricey and famous, hotels there are in NYC (like Hotel Penn), it is nice to find something low key and good.
Just 49 rooms, The Franklin is low key for sure, and almost homey. And it probably deserves another half star. I wouldn't go so far to call this a boutique hotel, whatever that means, I'll just call it one of a kind. There is breakfast, and wine and cheese, but not a full service restaurant, no room service, no gym, but to me, that is fine. Go jog in the park!
I'll warn that we've only stayed in the deluxe rooms (difference is only size), so it's possible the smaller rooms are not so good. At 225 sq ft, the deluxe are not exactly gigantic, even by NYC standards. Best features: Super awesome down bedding, great mattress, great pillows. I sleep like a fool here. FREE, fast wi-fi everywhere. Pet friendly. Big cedar closet. Aveda bath products. Deluxe rooms have large tubs. Place is very clean and in good condition. Staff is friendly, lovely, personable, helpful, if not 100% on top of the overall management of the place.
Bad features: An inexcusable foot flusher on the toilet. BAD. Who wants to use that in bare feet? *shudder* New bad feature: cig smoke. The place is supposed to be 100% no smoking. First visit, no issues. Second visit, many issues. Our first room was saturated in smoke, old and fresh (we moved the next night, but ewwww that first one). The hallways near the new room often smelled, too. We complained and got an "oh well, we try" response. Word on the street is that the place might be starting to slack off, due to a less savvy new manager who cares just enough less so that people are starting to talk. If the place slacks off more, it's off my preferred list.
In the meanwhile, I'll recommend this place if this is convenient for your visit (it's also insanely close to the 6, another super feature) and you like this cozy, personable hotel style.
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Really charming hotel. Fantastic location. Superb staff.
The staff is the crown jewel of this place. Young and courteous, they really go all out to make sure you are taken care of. Henry at the front desk is especially helpful and knowledgeable about a variety of different places to eat and things to do.
I stayed in the standard room, so for many the size of the room might be quite a shock! I was on the 9th floor and my room was about a 12x12 with a very tiny bathroom. Being from San Francisco this is not a shocker, but I was taken back a little when I first walked in. Standard is fine for one person, but I would never put a couple in there.
After reading the review above, I will probably make the investment for the deluxe room upon my return as it sounds drastically larger.
There are FABULOUS places to eat right in the neighborhood as well as bars and shopping galore. Bella Cucina is on the corner for great Italian and Gobo is just down the way for fresh vegetarian.
The neat things about this hotel are the attentive staff, the beautiful deco style elevator complete with submarine style window and the ultra comfy beds and pillows. Their bath products are Aveda which is a big plus and they are a Green friendly hotel.
I had about 5hrs to kill before my flight and was able to just sit cozily in their lounge sitting room using their wireless internet sipping on wine and cheese.
I will most definitely return to this hotel!
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Just returned from a trip to NYC and stayed for part of the time at The Franklin. We liked the neighborhood - felt safe with fantastic access to the 86th street subway stop for the 4, 5, & 6 trains.
The room is TINY which wasn't a bid deal but got frustrating at times with two people and no closet. The bed was not high enough to accommodate luggage so my bag blocked the bathroom door and with no dresser I had to pull it out every time I needed something.
The bed was wonderful as were the pillows which were greatly appreciated after long days of exploring nyc for the first time.
Also on the plus side the breakfast was wonderful with great cheese meats and bread plus tasty pastries. The espresso machine saved us loads of $$ not having to go to Starbucks! The wine reception was also a fantastic treat making the smaller room a bit more palatable. The doormen were always very helpful and about 1/2 of the front desk staff were attentive and accommodating.
All things considered this was a positive experience.
