We stayed in the Wolcott in July 2006. We booked through hostelworld.com. The hotel is in a great location and is very reasonably priced. The room was small but clean and serviced daily. The television was huge. There are heaps of cheap places to eat in the area - we ate a the mexican place on 5th avenue a few times - very cheap and excellent food. The breakfast is muffins, tea and coffee and is served until about 11. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The rooms do not have fridges but there are ice buckets in the rooms and an ice machine in the lobby as well as a cash machine and pay phones. There is a tour desk that can help you with bookings and transfer etc. The rooms are air conditioned.

I would recommend the Wolcott and i would definately stay there again.

I wondered if I should give this hotel 3 or 4 stars... to me it deserves exactly the amount of stars it currently has - 3.5.
We stayed for 3 nights in Wolcott. The location is fabulous and actually deserves 5 stars. The room we booked was a double. When we arrived we asked for a room with a view of the Empire State Building - unfortunately there weren't any left. We got a triple instead for the same price. It was quiet and clean, no question about it, but pretty dark (backyard side and in the inner corner of the building). We had to have the lights on all the time. Also, the smell that several other reviewers mentioned, was there. I thought it wouldn't disturb me but it was quite penetrant.
The bathroom was large enough and very clean and the towels were changed daily and were nice and fluffy. Muffins and coffee every morning was a nice touch. The staff was very friendly to us. The elevator that was mentioned by other reviewers was fast enough for us and we never had to wait longer than a minute or 2.
The lobby is beautiful, it ws a pleasure to walk through it every day. As for the corridors that were mentioned in other rewievs - we did't find them dark or creepy at all.
Each room has has internet but you have to use the TV to surf... and it is a pain. We went to a small internet cafe in the same street instead, it is just a few steps away from the hotel.
The hotel is affordable, quiet and clean, and if I had the guarantee of getting a brighter room next time, I'd eventually stay there again.

Two friends and I stayed at the Wolcott for 4 nights during June 2006. I found the hotel using TripAdvisor, and was not disappointed in the least. We had a "Triple Room", which was perfect for the three of us. One small section had a twin bed, dresser, bedside table,safe, and TV. The larger main room had two twin beds, dresser, bedside table, desk, large chair, and another TV. Both sections had an air conditioner. One was pretty noisey, but that was a minor quibble. The bathroom is small - standard tub/shower and toilet, but a small sink, and not much room - another minor quibble. All in all we were all very happy with the room, especially at the price we paid, compared to what other hotels charge for similar accomodations. Clean, excellent maid service, beautiful lobby, free coffee and muffins in the morning.

Maybe the nicest surprise was the concierge service. Two different women helped us obtain tickets to a Broadway Show (orchestra seats, 10th row center!), recommended the best steak house I've ever eaten at (Uncle Jack's), and arranged for shuttle service to the airport.

I'd highly recommend the Wolcott to anyone looking for a *relatively* moderate priced hotel in a great location - 2 blocks from Penn Station/Madison Square Garden, near the Empire State Building. We walked to Times Square with no problem. The neighborhood is safe and centrally located.

The next time I visit New York City I'm heading back to the Wolcott.

I was concerned after reading some bad reviews but the hotel was great. The elevator worked all the time except once and they are still working on the second elevator. The muffins were good and there was quite a selection of different ones. The room was very quiet except for the air conditioner, which may need updating. There wasn't much of a view but who goes to NYC to sit in a hotel room and look at a view! I would stay there again - it was inexpensive, quiet and in a great central location. Unless you want to pay more for a more luxurious bathroom, I would recommend the hotel. We asked for a non-smoking room and there were no problems with getting one.