The staff was wonderful, the location was ideal, and the amenities were excellent. Although the rooms are a bit cramped, everything else about the hotel makes up for it. My stay at the hotel definitely made my first visit to New York a good one.

This was the first time in NYC for both my daughter and myself. We had some concerns before visiting regarding transportation in Manhattan and personal safety in general. I felt confident in the level of quality that the hotel would offer based on other Travel agency reviews, and I did find those reviews to be generally accurate and helpful. It was a very friendly place with a relaxing parlor for breakfast (various pastries, cereals, coffees, juices, cheeses, cold cuts) and the evening wine and cheese offering. The free wireless was nice, as well as the computer with printer in the lobby. We opted to travel exclusively by bus and subway (both methods having stops within a block of the hotel), having purchased 7-day ($25) Metro passes at the newsagents in the airport. We walked to Central Park, only 3 blocks to the west. We would also recommend the Bella Cucina Restaurant, across the street from the hotel. There is a Starbucks (if you must), a Barnes and Noble, a bakery, and a grocer's all within a block. We never felt even remotely unsafe; it was nice to see the welcoming doorman outside the hotel in the late evenings.

The Franklin is a fantastic boutique hotel on the upper east side. Great location with easy access to transportation. The hotel staff was very friendly and helpful. The rooms are small but are beautiful and comfortable. We Loved everything about the hotel. The morning breakfast was ample, and the evening wine and cheese was a nice touch! We will return to this hotel on our next visit to New York. We highly recommend this lovely slice of heaven!

New flash: You CAN'T get a large room in NY. They are all small, unless you want to pay BIG bucks. We loved the hotel, and the staff was very kind/helpful/knowledgeable. It was close to Central Park, but it was a bit more North than we would have liked. Most of the "typical" tourist sites (Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Empire State, Ground Zero, etc) were all a pretty decent subway ride south, which is not a huge deal. Riding cabs all the time would have cost a fortune! Great place though, very cozy.

The Franklin reminded me of a European hotel. The property is located right off the 4-5-6 subway line in a good Upper East Side neighborhood. The first thing to note is that the hotel is really small. The lobby can't be more than 700 square feet and isn't overwhelmingly upscale. My first thought was maybe I made the wrong choice. But the staff was amazingly attentive and friendly. I wasn't able to get to the elevator or out the door without a staff member greeting me and holding the door. They really delivered in the service area. It was 5-star quality service. The rooms are also very small. My room basically fit my king size bed with about two feet to spare on either side. It was well kept and clean, but quite tight. Something to consider with multiple people or if someone is claustrophobic. The hotel has free continental breakfast in the morning and wine and cheese at night. The also offer free wi-fi. I stayed there during a particularly busy week in NY so all hotel prices were very high which is why I rated the value for the money on the lower end. But overall, this was a very comfortable place with great people on staff.