· Open -

It was opened as a hotel in 1905.

· 1st Owner -

George M. Smith

· AKA -

Chelsea Hotel / the Chelsea

· Stars - ****

· Guests -

Mark Twain / Bob Dylan / Alan Ginsberg / Madonna / Leonard Cohen / Janis Joplin / Bette Midler / Pink Floyd / Jimi Hendrix / Jim Morrison / several survivors of the Titanic / Andy Warhol / Sid Vicious & Nancy Spungen / Arthur Miller & Marilyn Monroe / Quentin Crisp / Jack Kerouac / William S. Burroughs / Dylan Thomas / Arthur C. Clarke / Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman / Dee Dee Ramone / Brett Whitely / Sidney Nolan / Jackson Pollock / Bob Marley / Bette Davis / Patti Smith / Keith Richard / Joni Mitchell / Rufus Wainwright / Sam Sheppard / Tennessee Williams / Thomas Wolfe / Grateful Dead / Nico / Tom Waits / Iggy Pop / Jeff Beck / Chick Korea / Alice Cooper / Edith Piaf / Marianne Faithful / Cher / John Cale / Canned Heat / Stanley Kubrick / Jane Fonda 

· History -

The hotel was built between 1883 - 1885 and is known for the famous residents it had and how many people died here.

It started off as apartments but due to impending bankruptcy it was converted into a hotel in 1905.

In 1940 David Bard bought the hotel with the help of investors. He died in 1957 and his son Stanley managed the hotel through its heyday. He turned it into a bohemian refuge  and the interior of the hotel became covered in art. Its hey days were in the 60's and 70's when most anything was tolerated. Leonard Cohen once said "I love hotels to which at 4 am, you can bring along a midget, a bear and four ladies, take them to your room and no one cares about it at all."

In 2007 Stanley was ousted from the board of directors and the hotel hasn't been the same since. He died 10 years later in 2017 at the age of 82.

In 2011 a real estate developer bought the hotel for $80 million. The hotel stopped taking reservations so that it could start renovations. Long time residents remained in the hotel and their abodes have remained untouched as a way of paying homage to the past.

Scaffolding out the front has been a permanent reminder of the never ending renovations being carried out that are turning it into a luxury hotel.

There are about 50 long time residents left living amongst the dust and the rubble. They are concerned they are being forced out and 7 of them have filed a law suit.

The hotel changed ownership another two times before BD Hotels took over in 2016. Renovations started in 2011 and should be finished in 2023 with a new Lobby Bar and Rooftop Bar as a part of the new look. The hotel had a soft opening in 2022.

· Signature -

The lobby looked like an art gallery or museum supporting struggling artists with cheap rent and accepting artwork for rent which was displayed here

Now the lobby has a new bar as well as a very popular one on the roof

· Rooms -

253 rooms from miniature one room holes in the wall to two bedroom apartments with fireplaces and balconies.

Only long time residents were living here as the renovations started in 2011. Suffering daily with the never ending renovations and getting sick from the hazardous dust. 

Will be reopened as a luxury hotel one day. Which happened with a soft opening in 2022. It now has 155 renovated guest rooms and suites.

155 rooms in 13 styles from AUD$526 to $2,355

· Tales -

Dylan Thomas drank himself to death. He downed 18 straight whiskies in a nearby bar the White Horse Tavern in 1953 and lapsed into a coma when he returned to the hotel. Another version of the story has him going back to the bar in the morning for a couple of beers and then returning and falling into a coma. Dying a few days later in hospital.

Arthur Miller wrote 3 plays here.

Arthur C. Clarke wrote 2001 a Space Odyssey.

Bob Dylan wrote songs for his 1966 album Blonde on Blonde.

Leonard Cohen and Janis Joplin had an assignation here in 1968 when they met in the lift. He wrote a song about it called Chelsea Hotel No. 2. He prentended to be Kris Kristofferson.

Jimi Hendrix was mistaken by an old lady for a bellboy. Graciously he complied and carried her bags up for her.

Guests who would gather to drink smoke and do drugs were constantly setting the place on fire.

George Kliensinger would walk his alligator along the hallways.

Jobriath died of aids in his rooftop apartment in 1983.

Author Charles R. Jackson committed suicide in his room in 1968.

One of the most famous incidents happened when Sex Pistol bass player Sid Vicious killed his girlfriend Nancy Spungen in 1978. The manager said he was a lovely quiet young man who never gave him a moments trouble until his girlfriend ended up on the bathroom floor in a pool of blood and a knife in her stomach.

Composer Virgil Thomson died in his suite in 1989.

· Claim to Fame -

When it was built in 1883 it was New York's tallest building

The building is a designated New York City landmark.

Many songs, screenplays, paintings, books, plays, films and stories have been written at and about the Chelsea.

How many famous people stayed here

How many people died here

· Innovations -

It was one of Manhattan's first private apartment cooperatives.

· Feature -

The art work was from being the greatest unofficial artists colony in the USA

Great location close to the major attractions

· View -

West 23rd Street - Manhattan

· Facilities -

Pre 2011

Stairs / Water and Power sometimes

Post 2022

Elevators / Water and Power always, Restaurant, Bars, Fitness Centre, Cafe, Wedding Services, Tea / Coffee maker in each room

· Unique -

Pre 2011

A dentist operates out of room 614 and a hairdresser out of room 303.

A grand iron staircase runs from the lobby to the 12th floor.

Post 2022

Original wrought iron balconies

· Restaurant & Bar -

El Quijote next door is now owned by the hotel. It was owned by the same family from 1930 up until 2017.

· Sights -

Empire State Building / Times Square / Broadway / Central Park / Statue of Liberty / 9/11 Memorial and Museum

· Extra -

See USA in "Countries" and across the USA in "Train Trips"