Franklin Guesthouse

The bed was broken from our first night, Dec 28, and made such loud cracking sounds that it woke my wife and our 18-month-old. We reported it several times over the next few days and even showed a video, but nothing changed. We ended up putting the mattress on the floor, which is unacceptable at this price. The night of Dec 31 was just as bad: people upstairs stomped and hit the floor so aggressively that our baby woke again, and I had to go to the front desk in the middle of the night. After we checked out, I emailed the manager twice to ask for a reasonable refund for two nights. I got no reply. When I called, the receptionist said the manager chooses which emails to answer and which to ignore, and probably ignored mine. Between the poor maintenance, noise, and lack of accountability, this was the worst hotel stay of my life, despite being one of the most expensive. I strongly recommend staying somewhere else, especially if you're traveling with a baby.

The room was huge, modern, and luxurious, with a full kitchen, comfy bed, private patio, and a bathroom that felt like a spa. The shower was the best I've ever had, and there was even a sauna open 24 hours. As a New Yorker, I thought it outclassed most apartments I've lived in. The lively neighborhood felt safe, with restaurants and cafes nearby and the G train a block away. Someone was always at the front desk, whatever the hour. The staff, especially Valentina, Melanie, and Carlos, made me feel like family and handled everything kindly and efficiently. I still miss Valentina! I travel all the time and have never written a hotel review before, but this stay was next level. I was genuinely sad to leave. I'm usually loyal to Marriott, but in NYC it's Franklin Guesthouse or nothing for me. If they're full, I'd try their sister property, The Box House Hotel. This is easily the best stay I've found in New York, truly flawless. I almost didn't want to share this gem, but Franklin Guesthouse deserves the praise.

I booked room 6 from Oct. 4th - Oct. 11th, and the noise was awful from the start. I could hear commotion from neighboring rooms, especially the guests directly above, whose footsteps, in shoes and socks, were loud and reverberated through the room. Earplugs did very little. When I switched the HVAC to heat, it sounded like a dumpster crashing down a flight of stairs. There was hair on the towels, countless small fruit flies around the kitchen and room, and even a small cockroach on the bathroom floor. The worst night began around 5pm on Oct 10th, when a party started in the room next door. Pounding music and yelling escalated as the guests drank, and it went on all night. I called the front desk at 9pm, 10pm, and 2am. Staff said they'd asked the guests to quiet down, but nothing was resolved. Drunken arguments and screaming spilled into the hall and onto the balcony, and at one point a woman was crying in the hallway. I took several videos of the noise. I might have slept better in my car. Even during checkout at 3:30am, the noise was still going. I had to wake at 2am for a flight and got no sleep. Staff threw up their hands and left guests to deal with it themselves. I heard several other people try and fail to get anyone to stop the noise. This was inexcusable and bafflingly negligent. The guests should have been fined and removed. As a frequent business traveler to NY, I'll tell my associates, partners, and friends to steer clear. I can't see how the cost was justified when I paid to be sleep deprived. Afterward, I emailed the manager Peter and got no response. If this "hotel" had any integrity, they'd review what happened with the guests who stayed during this mayhem and comp at least that night. I won't return. This was an abject failure of an establishment, and it's a marvel they're still in business.

I've stayed at the Franklin guesthouse many times and always liked the facilities and staff. This visit was completely different. At 2:50 PM we said we knew we were a few minutes early and asked if they might be able to check us in. A woman immediately told us to wait because check-in wasn't until 3, without even looking at the computer. She then turned away and kept publicly yelling at a maintenance man while ignoring us at the front desk. For customer service, I'd give this negative stars.