If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (including tax) available in the next 60 days.
Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (USD378.00), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.
‘Everybody passing through here is somebody, even if they aren’t in the outside world,’ said Patti Smith, one of the Hotel Chelsea’s famed long-term residents. The chaotically cool hideaway helped shape New York’s cultural scene, hosting the likes of Mark Twain, Thomas Wolfe, Dylan, Warhol, Arthur Miller, Kerouac, Kubrick, Hendrix, Iggy Pop, Madonna…and amassing several lifetimes’ worth of stories along the way. Starting as a utopian co-op, it became the countercultural hideout, descended into drug-fuelled madness and rose again to become a hotel swathed in myth and magic that still has many pages to fill. So come, dance on the iconic staircase, put pen to paper and brush to canvas, share yarns with strangers over sangria in El Quijote restaurant, and be guided by the ghosts of the many somebodies who came before you…
160, including 49 suites and some apartment-style stays.
Check–Out
Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm.
Prices
Double rooms from £347.34 ($434), including tax at 14.75 per cent. Please note the hotel charges an additional local city tax of $3.50 per room per night on check-out.
More details
Rates don’t include breakfast (from $35 a guest), but all guests get free passes to Blink Fitness, and those staying in the Pieds-à-Terres get a free unpacking and packing service on request.
Also
The hotel has a number of Accessible King rooms which are all ADA compliant and teletypewriter-outfitted rooms for the deaf. Plus public areas are easy to navigate and elevators run to all floors.
At the hotel
Lobby lounge, rooftop gym, artwork from former guests hung throughout. In rooms: Free high-speed WiFi, TV, Marshall speaker, minibar, tea-making kit, Nespresso machine (on request in the Petite Queen and King rooms), choice of daily newspapers, and custom Red Flower bath products.
Our favourite rooms
The walls practically do talk here, with stories for each room. Arthur Miller hid from paparazzi in 614 during his Marilyn Monroe affair; Janis Joplin and Leonard Cohen had a tryst in 424 (which inspired Chelsea Hotel #2); Dylan Thomas stumbled back to 205 after drinking a fatal 18 whiskies; Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe shacked up in number 1017; the Pyramid apartment housed actress Sarah Bernhardt, Sartre, the first openly gay rock star Jobriath, and a witches coven prior to conversion; Dylan wrote Sara for his new wife in 205; Edie Sedgewick set 424 on fire; writer of kids’ tune Tubby the Tuba, George Kleinsinger, kept a jungle (with exotic animals) on the rooftop – although infamous room 100, where Nancy Spungen was allegedly murdered is long gone. Revamped, they keep an artistic spirit with paint-splattered headboards, leopard print and vintage furnishings. If you plan to go long-term (sorry, art’s no longer taken as payment), book a Pied-à-Terre on the upper floors, with a kitchen and washer-dryer (more than most NYC apartments have). We also like the Superb Balcony and Junior Balcony Suites for their strip of outdoor space; and the high-ceilinged Ateliers, which lend themselves to easel-caressing.
Packing tips
It’s near impossible to gather all of the Hotel Chelsea’s stories into one place, but Sheryl Tippins’ Inside the Dream Palace wrangles the juiciest into a rip-roaring doorstop of a tome that will resonate all the more when you read it there. If you don’t come prepared for naughtiness, minibars contain couples’ and lovers’ kits, and hangover cures. Plus there are area guides and lots of gourmet treats: Mariebelle chocolates, Uncle Jerry’s pretzels, Wölffer cider, Hudson Whiskey… And, who could resist swiping the branded stationery?
Also
Although it’s rumored that the Chelsea’s more iconic artworks covertly left with the former manager, its walls and halls are still crammed with works that once paid for room and board or were simply left for posterity.
Pet‐friendly
Gone are the days when you’d find a monkey or Patagonian lizard on the roof or lions in the elevator, but one dog or cat can stay for free ($50 for each additional pet), but they can’t be left alone or unkenneled and owners must sign a waiver. See more pet-friendly hotels in New York.
Children
The Chelsea is more family-friendly than it used to be (although former manager Stanley Bard did a decent job of babysitting the hippie offspring roaming the halls). The Deluxe Two-bedroom Pied-à-Terre fits a family, and there are adjoining options too.
Sustainability efforts
How does one update a New York icon – especially one so spirited as the Hotel Chelsea – without stripping it of its essence? One would argue that you couldn’t, especially when the conditions that made it such an hub of creativity (cheap or non-existent rents, tolerance of alternative and transient lifestyles, and largely a blind eye to bad behavior) have changed so drastically. The documentary Dreaming Walls details the delicate dance the new owners had to do to be sympathetic to those who still live there and in being respectful of its legacy. But, in its new guise, it’s not become too polished and maintains an elegance the right side of shabby, and will perhaps last longer than it would have in its former crumbling state. The Chelsea of old may be gone, but thanks to the restoration, glimmers of it – the snaking staircase, the Don Quixote murals in El Quijote restaurant, the wooden front desk with its wall of keys – keep its rock-and-roll past to the fore.
Grab a group, and pile into one of El Quijote’s matador-cape-red booths, or book out the private wine room, where the debauchery can continue away from prying eyes.
Dress Code
Literally anything goes in this hotel where guests would often go nude beyond the confines of their room, and designers like Betsey Johnson and Charles James served looks from the punk and eye-popping to bouffy and ball-worthy. Don’t hold back.
Hotel restaurant
Andy Warhol held court there (in fact it was used as a backdrop in the film I Shot Andy Warhol), Bob Dylan skulked about in its booths and backrooms, Janis Joplin caused several scenes there, it was a who’s who of counter culture at the Woodstock pre- and after-parties, and has been beloved for its Don Quixote-themed murals and kitschy glamour since it opened in 1930: El Quijote is an eatery with a coolly chequered past and a bright future. The chefs have brushed up the traditional Spanish menu ensuring that even the humble pan con tomate or anchovies and boquerones are flavor-bomb fresh; the paella’s rice is crispy on the underside and the sofrito spritely; the lobster sherry-slugged; and the croquetas arrive draped in jamón. Be sure to stay for a tall wedge of Basque cheesecake with cara-cara marmalade, and to book a table when reserving your room. Bistro-style Café Chelsea is more casual with largely French plates: honey-drizzled chèvre croquettes, roast chicken in sauce vin jaune, steak frites, and seafood platters. And the Lobby Bar serves up elegant snacks (crisps topped with beer cream and caviar, trout-roe beignets, dirty-martini olives).
Hotel bar
Follow in the unsteady footsteps of the Chelsea’s hard-partiers with hefty jugs of El Quijote’s white or red sangria, or a few potent cocktails: the Hemingway Margarita (rum, guava, grapefruit, and maraschino), Rebujito (amontillado sherry, mezcal, watermelon, basil, and lemon), and Sherry Martini (with added gin and cider) will give the night plenty of fuel. And at Café Chelsea wines and cocktails skew French, with bottles from noted terroirs and a Vesper sprinkled with Provençal herbs, Klein Blue with armagnac, plum and honey, or perhaps a cheeky Bum Vivant, with mezcal, rum, lavender, and coconut. And, yet more imaginative drinks are shaken and stirred in the Lobby Bar.
Last orders
El Quijote opens from 5pm to 11pm, Sunday to Thursday, and till midnight on Friday and Saturday; Café Chelsea is open all day from 7am until 11pm, Sunday to Wednesday, and until midnight from Thursday to Saturday.
Room service
If you’re recovering from a hangover or feeling reclusive – very on-brand – in-room breakfast can be taken from 7am to 11am, lunch and dinner till 11pm.
Once the tallest hotel in New York (at 12 stories), the Hotel Chelsea has grown in stature since, becoming a hot-bed of countercultural artists, musicians, writers and more on West 23rd Street in its namesake neighborhood.
Planes
Newark and LaGuardia are the closest airports to the hotel, just a 30-minute drive away, while JFK is an hour. The hotel can arrange transfers if requested in advance.
Trains
There are three subway stations (two on West 23rd Street, one on 7th Avenue) within a block or two of the hotel, serving lines that’ll take you all over Manhattan and beyond. For routes up and out of state, Penn Station is a 10-minute drive away, Grand Central 15 minutes.
Automobiles
New York is one of the US’s more walkable cities, with reliable public transport and much to see while pavement pounding, so forego the wheels and rely on those iconic yellow taxicabs when needed. If you really want to brave driving, there’s a LAZ Parking lot at 101 West 23rd Street.
Worth getting out of bed for
The Chelsea Hotel’s neighborhood might have cleaned up its act too, but it hasn’t lost its vivacious creative streak. Packed into its borders are some of the galleries that drew in Chelsea denizens in the first place, still going strong – many still showcasing the works of Jasper Johns, Julian Schnabel, Mapplethorpe, Jean Tinguely, Yves Klein and other artists that passed through the hotel. There’s the Whitney, David Zwirner, the Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, Pace Gallery, Dia Chelsea, the Shed at Hudson Yards; experiential works at Artechouse, fashion inspo at the Museum at FIT, Himalayan art from various platforms at the Rubin, outsider art at Ricco/Maresca… You could spend weeks musing over what’s on display between West 14th and West 26th alone. The High Line gives a more alfresco feel to browsing installations and simply admiring the city (or catching the odd concert), or you can see NYC’s greener side at one of the plastic-free picnics held in Madison Square Park (alongside botanical book clubs, concerts and wildlife walks). Or, pick up unique pieces at the Chelsea Flea, Mantiques Modern, Pippin Vintage Jewelry, and Housing Works Thrift Shop; and seek out rare reads à la Patti Smith at 192 Books (on 10th Avenue), Printed Matter and Passageway Books. Yoga sessions are held at Y7 Studio or with added sound healing at Humming Puppy, Chelsea Piers is a sports complex with classes running from pickleball to parkour, and you can get to grips with pole-dancing at Foxy Fitness. Or for more leisurely time-spending, there are outdoor screenings at Pier 63 Hudson River Park, interactive Shakespeare at Sleep No More, dance of all genres at the Joyce Theater, and off-Broadway plays at Urban Stages. Or catch live music and comedy at the City Winery at Pier 57, or Chelsea Music Hall, where you’ll also see the odd drag show.
Local restaurants
Cookshop is a wholesome affair, promoting north-east farms and makers through meals consisting of cantaloupe and nectarines with goat’s cheese, paprika, lime and purslane; pizza topped with zucchini, squash blossoms, ricotta and provolone, lemon, and chile; or a burger packed with swordfish, scallops and shrimp. Jack’s Wife Freda has a cheery striped awning and bucketfuls of flowers around the door, and rather sweetly, it’s named for a love story between the namesake South African-Israeli immigrants. This is comfort cookery through and through, with spaghetti and meatballs, garlicky steak sandwiches, peri-peri chicken and a hunk of South African malva pudding for dessert. While Hao Noodle focuses on traditional Chinese barbecue and dishes; load up on skewers (Sichuan pepper pork belly, eggplant in fish sauce, razor clams in scallion oil), before slurping up dan dan noodles or yellow croaker fish soup. And Pastai specialises in Sicilian-style bowls of fresh pasta.
Local cafés
Citizens of Chelsea brings Australian coffee culture to NYC in a warm, welcoming package; stay for the smashed avo, cheddar-biscuit breakfast sandwich and barbecue brekkie bowl (pulled pork, garlicky smashed potatoes, poached egg, pickled onion, and chipotle hollandaise). Intelligentsia High Line Coffeebar certainly feels very smart, with its leather buttonbacks, stag mounts and vintage typewriters, a fitting setting for thoughtfully sourced brews. Variety Coffee’s beans change with the season to ensure they’re as fresh and flavorful as can be, and Bean & Bean is run by a mother-daughter team with a rich and often rare selection of the world’s beans (all ethically sourced, of course). And, for street food of all varieties (and plenty of sweet treats, coffee and cocktails, plus shops and happenings), hit Chelsea Market.
Local bars
Set on the 35th floor of the Moxy Hotel, the Fleur Room is a glass box with 360-degree views (taking in Lady Liberty and the Empire State Building) and botanical cocktails to sip amid avant-garde bouquets under a disco ball. Bathtub Gin is almost the opposite, a speakeasy-style space tucked away in the Stone Street coffee shop, with a glamorous Twenties feel. And, if that’s the vibe you prefer, La Noxe is hidden inside an NYC Subway station (the 28th Street stop of the 1 line); it has a very long waitlist, but if you do get in, expect herbaceous drinks on huge velvet seats. And Barracuda Lounge is a much beloved gay bar where Star Search, the alleged inspiration for Ru Paul’s Drag Race, is held.
Every hotel featured is visited personally by members of our team, given the Smith seal of approval, and then anonymously reviewed. As soon as our reviewers have returned from this legend of a hotel on West 23rd Street after communing with its many famous ghosts, a full account of their walk-on-the-wild-side break will be with you. In the meantime, to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside the Hotel Chelsea in New York…
The reinvention of the Hotel Chelsea (by the team behind the Ludlow and the Bowery), into a more luxurious iteration of what it was once, has been a controversial one, as New Yorker’s wonder whether this beloved icon will have its rock-and-roll spirit stripped away. But, then again, each new life the Chelsea has embarked on has had its fair share of controversy, even when it was built as New York’s first co-op to satisfy New Yorkers’ spiritual needs in 1884, housing a community that represented the ‘music of humanity’, and at one point sheltering survivors of the Titanic disaster.
Already a draw for artists of all mediums – including Mark Twain, Tennessee Williams and Oscar Wilde – when it declined into a cheaper hotel, word spread among the community, making it the de facto hangout for creatives and the curious alike, throughout the beats, punks and beyond (Madonna was resident in the Eighties and in the Nineties Mariah Carey and Ethan Hawke both moved in briefly to complete projects). There are the famous stories: Arthur Miller carrying on with Marilyn Monroe, Jackson Pollock vomiting in front of Peggy Guggenheim (who later suggested that piece of carpet could be worth a fortune), Warhol getting the police called on him while filming Chelsea Girls as the manager believed they were drug dealing, Janis Joplin confusing Leonard Cohen for Kris Kristofferson in the lift, Edie Sedgewick setting her room aflame, Jack Kerouac and Gore Vidal hooking up and telling the clerk that signed them in to save their names on the register because they’d be famous one day, Walter Kronkite being bitten by composer George Kleinsinger’s monkey, Valerie Solanas hiding behind the lobby’s phone booths before jumping out and urging people to buy her SCUM manifesto.
But, the biggest draw of the Chelsea was in the frisson of not knowing what could happen, you might sunbathe nude on the roof; have drinks with Gypsy Rose Lee, a Romanian count descended from Vlad the Impaler, and Thomas Wolfe on one night; see toucans, turtles, monkeys, and lions roaming freely; be called upon to pose for an artist or fashion designer; find yourself swept up in a public performance on the staircase; partake in witchy rituals; or simply find someone famous to share your room for the night. This urban Victorian Gothic-Queen Anne palace truly had a law unto itself, especially with the very patient manager Stanley Bard in charge, whose art as payment policy helped the hotel to amass a very important collection.
But, as the Chelsea flips a page on a new chapter, you can dress the rooms with an upmarket-thrift-find elegance (think leopard print, tasselled velvets, tooled woodwork and paint-spatter headboards); turn the lobby into the kind of bar that serves cocktails inspired by other famous hotels and snacks topped with caviar; put a spa and gym on the rooftop (both imminent), but you can’t quite scrub it clean of its edgy and endlessly fascinating past. Its spirit lives on, in the ghosts of those who’ve passed through and on, and in the lives it has yet to live.
