Manhattan history or a Brooklyn balcony. Hotel Chelsea, from about $510 with no fee, for the house where writers and musicians lived and the Chelsea galleries on foot; The William Vale, about half the price before its nightly fee, for a balcony off every room and a summer pool.
The insider oneNew York's bohemian landmark, restored in 2022 with its iron staircase, its residents' art rehung and El Quijote's murals intact.
$$$From about $510 a night
Choose Hotel Chelsea if
The catch
The Petite Chelsea, the entry room, is about 200 sq ft (19 m²), with a queen bed, a limited view and a place on the lower floors.
The all-rounderA Williamsburg tower where every room has a balcony and the rooms at its west end face Midtown Manhattan, with a rooftop bar and a summer pool.
$$From about $260 a night
Choose The William Vale if
The catch
The entry King with Balcony is sold on neighbourhood views. The Manhattan skyline is promised only in categories with Manhattan View in the name and in the penthouse Vale Garden Residence.
| Best for | Hotel Chelsea | The William Vale |
|---|---|---|
| Best design hotels in New York | On the list | On the list |
| Best value hotels in New York | Not on the list | On the list |
| Best central hotels in New York | On the list | Not on the list |
| Best hotels with a view in New York | Not on the list | On the list |
Hotel ChelseaThe William Vale
Hotel Chelsea
The William Vale
The verdict
Manhattan history or a Brooklyn balcony. Hotel Chelsea, from about $510 with no fee, for the house where writers and musicians lived and the Chelsea galleries on foot; The William Vale, about half the price before its nightly fee, for a balcony off every room and a summer pool.
Questions people ask
Manhattan history or a Brooklyn balcony. Hotel Chelsea, from about $510 with no fee, for the house where writers and musicians lived and the Chelsea galleries on foot; The William Vale, about half the price before its nightly fee, for a balcony off every room and a summer pool.
Hotel Chelsea earns its place on the building itself: the staircase, the residents' art and El Quijote's murals and bar are the real thing, restored rather than recreated. Pay for a Premier Chelsea, ask for your side, and accept 23rd Street as part of the address. A Victorian landmark kept characterful on purpose, with residents' art on the walls and up the iron staircase, and a ground floor of bars and restaurants that stays busy late. It is a base for walking Chelsea rather than a hotel to retreat into, with a rooftop spa but no pool.
There is no pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.
Book it for the balcony, the rooftop and a Brooklyn base that still looks at Manhattan, and pay the step up to a Manhattan View room. Accept the subway ride to Midtown and a pool that only opens in summer. A tall, glassy Williamsburg tower where every room has a balcony and the rooftop bar is a neighbourhood fixture, so the hotel is busy and social and priced in the mid-range. Manhattan is in front of you rather than outside the door, and the pool only counts in summer.
It has an outdoor pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.