A Night at the Hotel Chelsea
A day or two before checking in, I saw some rumors on TikTok referring to the hotel as one of the most haunted places in New York City, which makes sense given that it opened in 1884. Some also speculated it’s what a season of American Horror Story “Hotel” was based on. As someone who cried in middle school when a friend’s mom brought out a Ouija Board at a sleepover (and thought Paranormal Activity was a documentary when I first watched it and also cried), this mildly freaked me out. Before booking my stay, I also didn’t know that it was where Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen were when she was infamously stabbed to death in 1978, so that didn’t feel comforting to find out either.
There’s plenty of ghost lore — for example, Magnolia Pictures put out a documentary called Dreaming Walls: Inside The Chelsea Hotel, and there’s a part where a construction worker involved in the redesign revealed how there’s a lot of supernatural presence that he could feel while he was working. This all made me pretty aware of trying to sense out creepy energy when I first got to there, but thankfully my boyfriend came with me, and the room we stayed in didn’t feel haunted at all (though I will say the elevator and corridors felt a little spooky, and I convinced myself I could feel a bit of a lingering erie tension, but that’s coming from an easily scared person and could obviously be placebo).
Currently owned by Sean MacPherson, Ira Drukier & Richard Born — who have worked on The Ludlow, The Jane and The Bowery — the common areas and stairwell are filled with artwork that’s been collected by the property over the last century, with vintage Chinese deco rugs and unique pieces of furniture throughout.
We spent the night in their junior deluxe suite, which is described as “an opulent suite merging old-world elegance with modern convenience with historic interiors equipped with everything one might need, and a little bit more.” It was an indulgent experience that felt more reminiscent of a European holiday than a mere one-night “staycation”. There’s a private balcony, king-size bed, rainfall shower, wireless speaker, flatscreen TV, stained glass windows and a thoughtfully curated mini bar.
However, the star of the show for me was the deep soaking tub. I loved it. I also liked that they had complimentary Marvis travel-sized toothpaste. The attention to detail in the room was impeccable, and it felt special to relax in their signature red monogrammed “The Hotel Chelsea” matching plush robes and slippers (which also match the 400-thread count bed sheets). Every aspect of the room and amibiance exuded a sense of grandeur.
Room service was also incredible. Served on a silver platter, we got the burger and fries with sparkling water and Coke (the fries were the skinny kind). Before taking a bath, we went down to the Lobby Bar for a drink and oysters, which felt more like a living room than a bar, and was surprisingly and refreshingly low-key (which could’ve been because it was a Monday night).
The space is pretty expansive and has a large brass-railed, mirrored bar, marble mosaic floors, chandeliers and solariums for additional garden-like seating, serving small plates and cocktails. They also have El Quijote, a Spanish restaurant that started in 1930, across the hall, with a new French-American bistro coming soon, and a spa and fitness center opening on the roof to look forward to.
