Look Up: The Midtown Hotel That Set the Standard for Overnight Stays

Of all the Midtown hotels possessing intricate figures carved into the façade, the Wolcott, located just off the corner of 5th Avenue at 4 West 31st Street, has perhaps the largest, most exaggerated features. In the typical Beaux-Arts style that near-universally adorns what are now referred to as the Pre-War buildings, the Wolcott revels in classical ideals to an extreme. It was designed to be as glamorous at the Waldorf-Astoria and kept its rates even with the other luxury establishment for years. (In 1917, each were charging a whopping $5.00 a night for a double with a bath.)