On Taylor Swift's 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, one of the many references the 34-year-old singer-songwriter makes to real-world places comes in the eponymous track two: “You’re not Dylan Thomas, I’m not Patti Smith / This ain’t the Chelsea Hotel, we’re modern idiots”. While there was a lot of buzz on the track’s release surrounding who Swift wrote the song about (Matty Healy of the 1975 fame apparently), it was the New York hotel’s name-check that made our ears prick up. But then, whose ears don’t prick up at the mention of this both beloved and beleaguered 12-storey NYC sanctuary for artists, musicians and wordsmiths of all stripes?
Having reopened in 2022 after an 11-year hiatus, the iconic, 1884-built flophouse has NYC hospitality gurus Sean MacPherson, Ira Drukier and Richard Born to thank for its revamp. There are 155 rooms, ranging from snug Studio Queens to luxe Pied-à-Terres. Interiors blend rock ‘n’ roll edge (think tiger-print chairs and Marshall speakers) with a moody Victorian palette of mustard, burgundy and purple.
Having reopened in 2022 after an 11-year hiatus, the iconic, 1884-built flophouse has NYC hospitality gurus Sean MacPherson, Ira Drukier and Richard Born to thank for its revamp. There are 155 rooms, ranging from snug Studio Queens to luxe Pied-à-Terres. Interiors blend rock ‘n’ roll edge (think tiger-print chairs and Marshall speakers) with a moody Victorian palette of mustard, burgundy and purple.
The lobby, left, and the hotel’s iconic sign | Credit: Annie Schlechter
Original features such as the mosaic-tile floors and wrought-iron bannisters remain, evoking the days when Warhol, Dylan, and Joplin roamed the corridors. Many of the former residents’ artworks – once exchanged for board when funds were low – still grace the walls, and a handful of its long-time alumni remain in situ, saved by rent-stabilisation laws, keeping the spirit of Philip Hubert’s socialist-leaning vision very much alive. Modern touches – Manhattans in the Lobby Bar, 400-count sheets with crimson piping and super-professional service – complement the rich history. Tortured poet or otherwise, you only need to walk the halls to feel the ghosts of yesteryear. This is our review of Hotel Chelsea, where, according to Patti Smith, “Everybody passing through here is somebody”.
Original features such as the mosaic-tile floors and wrought-iron bannisters remain, evoking the days when Warhol, Dylan, and Joplin roamed the corridors. Many of the former residents’ artworks – once exchanged for board when funds were low – still grace the walls, and a handful of its long-time alumni remain in situ, saved by rent-stabilisation laws, keeping the spirit of Philip Hubert’s socialist-leaning vision very much alive. Modern touches – Manhattans in the Lobby Bar, 400-count sheets with crimson piping and super-professional service – complement the rich history. Tortured poet or otherwise, you only need to walk the halls to feel the ghosts of yesteryear. This is our review of Hotel Chelsea, where, according to Patti Smith, “Everybody passing through here is somebody”.
Rooms
Sitting at the windows in our 84sq m, eighth-floor Chelsea Grand Loft suite was very much a Lost in Translation moment – you pinch yourself; are those cinematic New York views for real? One of five original artist residences, the space offers a masterclass in old-meets-new charm, characterised by a state-of-the-art king-sized bed, marble bathroom with antique-look brass fixtures, rainfall shower, deep soaking tub and all the amenities you’d expect from a stay with this one’s cultural pedigree.
Room types include former artists’ residences transformed into suites | Credit: Annie Schlechter
What’s for breakfast?
Maybe you were burning the midnight oil; maybe that bed proved impossible to resist. Either way, Café Chelsea awaits. The hotel’s wonderful all-day bistro, it is flatteringly low-lit and decked out in warming shades of whisky and tobacco. Peruse the à la carte menu while nursing a strong coffee. Our order? A porridge made with steel-cut oats, served with coconut, blueberries and brown sugar, and a standout eggs benedict boasting rosemary ham and a rockstar-worthy hollandaise.
The Café Chelsea is open all day, serving a bistro menu from dawk ‘til dusk | Credit: Alden Price
How about lunch and dinner?
You have very good reason to return to Café Chelsea – for French-leaning crowdpleasers including beef tartare, grilled whole artichoke and sole meunière – but equally good reason to plump for El Quijote – for traditional Basque Country cuisine given a Big Apple flavour. Expect tapas favourites like padron peppers and calamari, and hearty mains like paella, grilled spring chicken and lobster cooked in chilli and amontillado sherry.Is there a bar?
Does people-watching get any better than it does in the Hotel Chelsea’s classic, European-style Lobby Bar? Do craft cocktails? Please report back after putting in the field research. We’ll wait.
The Lobby Bar, left, pours classic cocktails | Credit: Annie Schlechter, Eric Medsker
Amenities
The penthouse spa is a high point, both literally and figuratively. More cosy than clinical, its verdant rooftop garden, red brickwork, soft floral furnishings and bold, multitextural colour combinations make unwinding easy. Scrub up in the hammam or indulge in a treatment – hydrotherapy, perhaps, cranial-sacral therapy, or a long soak in healing waters infused with minerals and herbs. Or you can sweat it out in the gym and fitness studio, housed within one of the original artist’s lofts, where you won’t even notice the burn because of those dazzling skyline views.How about their green credentials?
Much thought has gone into sustainability – which is only fitting for a hotel whose legacy is of being a forward-thinking institution that embraces the ecological imperatives of the day. This translates to energy-efficient utilities, the use of planet-friendly materials and all the standard green operational practices.
The penthouse spa lobby, left and one of the treatment rooms | Credit: Annie Schlechter
What about accessibility?
A selection of guest rooms have been adapted with roll-in showers and easy-to-reach shelving and controls and technology to assist the visually and hearing impaired. Communal spaces have been designed for accessibility; bathrooms are reached via lifts.What’s the crowd?
A great melange of the global creative community – artists, advertising and film people, directors, musicians, models – plus locals, especially in Café Chelsea, plus a scattering of tourists of all ages and backgrounds. No suits.Things I should know
The rooftop makes the perfect al fresco hideaway for digital nomads. We headed up there whenever we wanted to do some calls, the sun on our face.Within a short walk I can find……
Most of Manhattan – that’s why everybody wanted a room here. For a change of scenery, the Meatpacking District is only a half-hour’s walk away. Meander around the Whitney Museum of American Art, chichi boutiques, a stretch of the verdant High Line walk, and some of the same restaurants, bars and clubs that the Chelsea Hotel’s most celebrated former residents called their stomping ground back in the day. Later, we’d recommend hoping up to Wolf in midtown’s Nordstrom store for a small plates, Italian-inspired dinner from Seattle chef Ethan Stowell. Homemade bucatini pasta? We’re in.The Lowdown
Doubles cost from £465 a night. hotelchelsea.com
