Review: Hotel Chelsea

Why book? The iconic Hotel Chelsea—or as past guests like Andy Warhol have simply called it, the Chelsea—is packed with New York City history. Now, it's reopened with refurbished rooms, a new lobby bar, and the Chelsea spirit still intact. 

Set the scene Hotel Chelsea may not be filled with famous musicians anymore, but the rock-and-roll vibe remains. Long-term residents who have been grandfathered into their apartments in the building still float around, and most guests—usually drawn by the hotel's history—have a knowingness to them, whether they're in their 30s or 60s. 

The backstory Built in the late 1800s, the Queen Anne building-turned-landmark hotel has welcomed guests and long-term residents like Mark Twain and Stanley Kubrick. It has been immortalized in songs, films, and books (see “Third Week in the Chelsea,” by Jefferson Airplane, and Patti Smith’s Just Kids, for starters). The hotel stopped taking reservations in 2011 before changing owners a few times over. The Chelsea finally reopened this year, from the team behind The Ludlow and The Bowery—with some overdue upgrades. Though the century-old El Quijote restaurant in the lobby remains, new food and beverage concepts are exciting: the decadent new Lobby Bar with its chandeliers and a grand piano has a sunny solarium and a cocktail menu that borrows from famous hotels around the world. There's also a private event space, The Bard Room, with more crown moldings and moody lighting. Even bigger changes are set to come in late 2022, when a French-American restaurant will open, alongside a rooftop spa and fitness center. 

The rooms Stepping into the artwork-adorned stairwell of the Chelsea, the hotel feels more like an apartment building than anything else—perhaps because it once multi-tasked as one—and this feeling extends into every guest room. The design isn't too flashy, isn't too rock-and-roll, isn't too homey, yet it has a lick of each of these elements. There's also the ever-present feeling that the walls have stories. Rates from $199 per night.

The 158 guest rooms and suites, freshened up since their rock and roll days, have wood floors with the Hotel Chelsea monogram now inlaid; the sun dapples through ivory eyelet fabric on the windows; and the bathrooms are classically done with light and dark grey marble accentuated by bronze details. Animal-print chairs maintain a bit of spunk in the now bright, airy rooms, as do ornate dark wood bedside tables. Massive closets, their interiors a riot of wallpaper, make it even easier to imagine unpacking and sticking around for a while. If you visited the Chelsea back in the day, you'll recognize the original fireplaces, stained glass windows, and those iconic wrought-iron balconies leaning over West 23rd Street, which remain untouched. 

Food and drink The new Lobby Bar is a fantastic addition to the neighborhood. For both guests and locals to the area, it's a great spot to meet a friend for a drink, without the sterile gloss you sometimes get at a hotel bar. That said, El Quijote, known for Spanish classics, remains the gem of Hotel Chelsea with its famous paella, vermouth-rich cocktails, and ever-present cool crowd (book a reservation ahead of time). 

The neighborhood/area This part of Chelsea has a gritty exterior. I wasn't around in Sid Viscous's days, but it hardly surprises me that the punk rocker chose to hang around here (he also, allegedly, murdered his girlfriend Nancy in this very hotel; like I said, gritty). The neighborhood has soul, though, and while you will see a 24-hour hot dog shop on the corner filled with all types at all hours (I've been one of them), walk one block south and you'll see beautiful brownstones; go a block north and you'll hit a Whole Foods. This stretch of Chelsea isn't just one thing, and it makes for a quintessentially New York stay. 

The service The service is laidback—they make it easy for you to do everything on your own (order delivery from off-property restaurants straight to your room through an app, waltz into the included serve-yourself lobby bar breakfast, etc.).

Accessibility There are elevators up to the rooms and, at the time of writing, all public spaces are on the first floor of the hotel which has ramps leading up from the street. 

Anything left to mention? As someone who lives in New York, staying at the Hotel Chelsea felt special in a way few hotel visits do—like sipping a martini at Bemelman's, or barking out my order for a sandwich at Zabar's, it was a completely satisfying New York City rite of passage.