Which room to book at Hotel Chelsea
The Premier Chelsea. At 500 to 600 sq ft (46 to 56 m²) with a king bed and a sitting area, it is the first category on the ladder sold with a deep soaking tub, and the only one sold as either north or south facing: north over West 23rd Street, or south at the back. Below it the rooms trade floor space for price; above it, the suites add living rooms, kitchens and the old artists' lofts.
The room to book
Premier Chelsea
500 to 600 sq ft (46 to 56 m²)North over West 23rd Street, or south at the back
The first category sold with a deep soaking tub, and the only one sold as either north or south facing. $240 above the entry room for two and a half to three times the floor.
$760 a night
On our shortlists
Every room at a glance
| Room | Size | View | Floor | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petite ChelseaLimited view · Lower floors | 200 sq ft (19 m²) | Limited view | Lower floors | $520 |
| The Chelsea | 300 to 400 sq ft (28 to 37 m²) | $580 | ||
| Accessible King | 450 sq ft (42 m²) | $580 | ||
| Grand Chelsea | 400 to 500 sq ft (37 to 46 m²) | $640 | ||
| Premier ChelseaOur pickNorth over West 23rd Street, or south at the back | 500 to 600 sq ft (46 to 56 m²) | North over West 23rd Street, or south at the back | $760 | |
| Petite SuiteJuliet balcony over 23rd Street | 450 to 550 sq ft (42 to 52 m²) | Juliet balcony over 23rd Street | $820 | |
| Chelsea LoftManhattan skyline · 10th floor | 600 to 700 sq ft (56 to 65 m²) | Manhattan skyline | 10th floor | $880 |
| Chelsea Suite3rd, 8th and 9th floors | 700 to 800 sq ft (65 to 74 m²) | 3rd, 8th and 9th floors | $1,100 | |
| Chelsea Grand LoftUptown Manhattan skyline · 10th floor | 800 to 900 sq ft (74 to 84 m²) | Uptown Manhattan skyline | 10th floor | $1,200 |
| Chelsea Grand Suite3rd, 8th and 9th floors | 850 to 950 sq ft (79 to 88 m²) | 3rd, 8th and 9th floors | $1,300 | |
| Two Bedroom SuiteManhattan skyline · High floors | 1,700 sq ft (158 m²) | Manhattan skyline | High floors | $2,200 |
Every room they sell
Petite Chelsea
The entry studio: a queen bed, a rainfall shower and a limited view. A bed for people who will be out all day.
200 sq ft (19 m²)Limited viewLower floors$520 a night
The Chelsea
At least half as much floor again for $60 more, with a king bed and a sitting area. The sensible step up, sold with a rainfall shower; only some rooms have a tub.
300 to 400 sq ft (28 to 37 m²)$580 a night
Accessible King
The accessible room: wheelchair-accessible doors, an accessible bathroom with a roll-in rainfall shower, and a TV with closed captions.
450 sq ft (42 m²)$580 a night
Grand Chelsea
Another 100 sq ft and the same king bed and sitting area, sold with a rainfall shower: a tub comes only in some rooms, and is not promised.
400 to 500 sq ft (37 to 46 m²)$640 a night
Premier ChelseaOur pick
The first category sold with a deep soaking tub, and the only one sold as either north or south facing. $240 above the entry room for two and a half to three times the floor.
500 to 600 sq ft (46 to 56 m²)North over West 23rd Street, or south at the back$760 a night
Petite Suite
A mini-suite with a separate living room, a soaking tub and a Juliet balcony on the facade, which is also the side that hears the street.
450 to 550 sq ft (42 to 52 m²)Juliet balcony over 23rd Street$820 a night
Chelsea Loft
One of three original artists' studios, with high ceilings, a living area and a soaking tub. No balcony.
600 to 700 sq ft (56 to 65 m²)Manhattan skyline10th floor$880 a night
Chelsea Suite
An apartment: one bedroom, a living room with a dining area, a full kitchen with a Lacanche range and a washer-dryer.
700 to 800 sq ft (65 to 74 m²)3rd, 8th and 9th floors$1,100 a night
Chelsea Grand Loft
One of five larger artists' studios, with a separate living room under high ceilings and a soaking tub. No balcony.
800 to 900 sq ft (74 to 84 m²)Uptown Manhattan skyline10th floor$1,200 a night
Chelsea Grand Suite
The largest one-bedroom, with a dining area and a deep soaking tub. Not every one has a kitchen.
850 to 950 sq ft (79 to 88 m²)3rd, 8th and 9th floors$1,300 a night
Two Bedroom Suite
Two king bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a full kitchen and a washer-dryer. A family apartment.
1,700 sq ft (158 m²)Manhattan skylineHigh floors$2,200 a night
Prices are a guide from our last check, not live rates.
Why this one
The bottom of the ladder is about floor space, and it moves quickly. The Petite Chelsea is about 200 sq ft (19 m²) with a queen bed on a lower floor; The Chelsea, $60 more on the same late-January Tuesday, is 300 to 400 sq ft with a king bed and a sitting area; the Grand Chelsea adds another 100 sq ft for $60 more again. All three have the marble bathroom with antiqued brass and a rainfall shower; some rooms in The Chelsea and the Grand Chelsea add a tub, but none is promised. The Premier Chelsea, at 500 to 600 sq ft (46 to 56 m²), is the first category sold with a deep soaking tub, and the only one the hotel sells with either a northern or a southern exposure: north, over West 23rd Street, or south, at the back. At $760 against $520 it is $240 above the entry room, for two and a half to three times the floor and a bath.
Above it the ladder is about how you want to live in the building. The Petite Suite, $60 more than the Premier Chelsea, adds a separate living room and a Juliet balcony on the street side. The Chelsea Loft and Chelsea Grand Loft, on the 10th floor, are the original artists' studios, three and five of them, with high ceilings and skyline views. The Chelsea Suite and Chelsea Grand Suite, on the 3rd, 8th and 9th floors, are apartments with dining areas, and the Chelsea Suite has a full kitchen and a washer-dryer.
- Ask for
- Say which side you want when you book. The Premier Chelsea is sold with either a northern exposure, over West 23rd Street, or a southern one at the back, which is the side to ask for if street noise would bother you. Room numbers and floors are not guaranteed, so repeat the request at check-in.
- Avoid
- The Petite Chelsea unless you travel light and will be out all day: it is the smallest room, kept to the lower floors with a limited view. Do not pay up to the Grand Chelsea for a bath: it is sold with a rainfall shower, and a tub comes only in some rooms, with no promise of one. And if quiet matters, remember that the Petite Suite's Juliet balcony puts it on the 23rd Street side.
Suites against rooms
Two suites are worth singling out. The Chelsea Loft, $880 on the same January night, is one of three original artists' studios on the 10th floor: 600 to 700 sq ft (56 to 65 m²) with high ceilings, a living area, a soaking tub and skyline views, and it is $120 a night above the Premier Chelsea. It has no balcony, and neither does its bigger sibling, the Chelsea Grand Loft.
The Chelsea Suite, at $1,100, is the one for a week: one bedroom, a living room with a dining area, a full kitchen with a Lacanche range and Made In cookware, and a Bosch washer-dryer, on the 3rd, 8th or 9th floor, some with one and a half bathrooms. Every category from the Chelsea Loft up comes with a Nespresso machine and a complimentary minibar of snacks, soft drinks and water, alcohol excluded.
Questions people ask
Good questions about Hotel Chelsea
Which room should I book at Hotel Chelsea?
The Premier Chelsea. At 500 to 600 sq ft (46 to 56 m²) with a king bed and a sitting area, it is the first category on the ladder sold with a deep soaking tub, and the only one sold as either north or south facing: north over West 23rd Street, or south at the back. Below it the rooms trade floor space for price; above it, the suites add living rooms, kitchens and the old artists' lofts.
Which rooms should I avoid at Hotel Chelsea?
The Petite Chelsea unless you travel light and will be out all day: it is the smallest room, kept to the lower floors with a limited view. Do not pay up to the Grand Chelsea for a bath: it is sold with a rainfall shower, and a tub comes only in some rooms, with no promise of one. And if quiet matters, remember that the Petite Suite's Juliet balcony puts it on the 23rd Street side.
Our verdict
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.