voco The Franklin New York an IHG Hotel

I am sensitive to the energy in a hotel. This one has a lovely energy creates by a blend of the people who work there, the historic building, a compact room decorated tastefully with all we needed (we took the larger room) and the location. Great value in New York.

This is my 2nd stay here. The location is excellent and there aren't too many hotels in this area. It is a converted NYC brownstone so yes the rooms are small, yes the elevator is old. But this is NYC and most hotels are older and have smaller rooms. I find the room comfortable and functional. I would not recommend for families but for singles or couples it is perfect. For this location, the price and size of the rooms is to be expected. The employees are outstanding and I feel safe and comfortable here. There is coffee made to order in the lobby and a small marker with snacks and drinks. You are 20 minute walk from Mt. Sinai Hospital, Guggenheim and Central Park. There is a whole foods market 500 feet away and restaurants everywhere. I would absolutely recommend staying here if it meets your needs. (sizes of rooms and amenities are listed on website).

I was booked in at the Franklin for a week in April this year. I had stayed there before and had a room that was just about acceptable in size, but the location suits us and we decided to stay there again. As most Franklin reviews say, the staff are very welcoming and helpful but one must know, this is a hotel with rooms only. There is no catering at all beyond a coffee machine in the entrance. Neither is there a doorman or anyone to assist carrying heavy suitcases up the narrow stairs to the entrance. To say the room we were allocated was small was an understatement. The bed, not that big, was against one wall and only left a narrow passage on the other side with an equally narrow space between the end of the bed and the window in front. No space at all for bedside tables. Instead of a cupboard, there is a small rail about 5 inches long with one end in the wall and the other attached to a partition. No drawers. You must live out of your suitcase but there’s no space to put it. The bathroom is so small it could only accommodate a narrow shower cubicle and a toilet. The wash basin is in the bedroom. There’s nowhere to put your vanity kit in the bathroom or near the wash basin in the bedroom. In another review someone mentions that the rooms are small, but you’d have to pay over $600 a night for more space. Well, my quote for two of the nights was $641.54 plus tax and other charges. If IHG can get a price like that, for a postage-stamp sized room, good luck to them. My wife and I couldn’t spend a week in such a cramped space lacking entirely in facilities. As the hotel was full, we couldn’t switch to a larger room, so we checked out immediately and were charged for 1 night. That’s fair enough, except when I asked to pay or part pay with my IHG points acquired on a previous visit, I was told that in order to use the points, the room must be booked via the rewards web site. So much for being able to use IHG points. They’re obviously not worth the paper they’re written on unless you know the secret of how to make a booking if you wish to use them as payment or part payment. To sum up, the Franklin is in a good position in the upper east side and the staff are great but as for the room we were allocated, it wasn’t fit for anything more than putting your feet up for a few hours and definitely nothing more than that. I won’t be staying there again! It hasn’t done much for my faith in the IHG group either or their loyalty scheme.

We give this hotel 5+ stars for its wonderful staff and outstanding Upper East Side location (near Central Park and so many of NYC’s major art museums). This is not a typical impersonal “chain” hotel. The staff, especially XOshera, could not have been more welcoming. My wife and I felt right at home during our four-night stay in April. We have no complaints about our room, which, although small, was lovely, cozy, and quiet. We are very grateful for the warm hospitality we received and will be back in the Fall.