I do love staying at a new hotel so when I learned Aloft Chelsea was opening in New York City, I was intrigued. On a recent visit to New York City, I decided to check out the hotel which is a short walk from Penn Station to 28th street. I’ve stayed in a few hotels on this street as it has many chains represented in various brands. The Aloft Chelsea is the newest Marriott hotel on the street. The location is good in mid-town for your visit as a base to walk to the area highlights such as The High Line, Macy’s shopping, Empire State Building, Broadway shows and Bryant Park in one direction with Eataly, Milk Bar and Trader Joes’ (travel snacks) in another direction. When in New York City, I prefer to walk when I can and rarely use taxis/ubers anymore. At the end of the street is a McDonalds and the subway entrance is only a block away.
Aloft Chelsea Solo Traveler Visit
I arrived on a Sunday at noon to a small lobby full of people and overflowing luggage around the front desk and outside the luggage storage room. I wasn’t sure if folks were checking in or out and had four folks in front of me. There were two staff at the desk but only one working the computer while the other dealt with luggage. My wait was about 15 minutes and given my gold status I was able to check in early (standard check in is 3pm) and go to my room which worked out great as I had booked a pre-theatre lunch before going to Broadway to see &Juliet. (Note: I indicated my check in time of noon on the app pre-check, prior to arrival – I never know if that helps or not).
The ground floor has a small bar/lounge area (never saw a bartender during my stay so not sure when they are present) and a self-serve and charge area for snacks and drinks. The prices were reasonable. The area also has a Brita water station to fill your water bottle for free.
The elevators require you to put the floor number in and it assigns you to the elevator (no interior buttons). I arrived on the 7th floor and the H shaped floor held only eight rooms. My room was in the corner. Opening the door, I was in the bathroom with the sink on my right along with the shower stall and toilet. On my left was a mirror, refrigerator and coffee area. The partition wall between bathroom and bedroom was open at top and bottom. In the bedroom area there was a rack on the right to hang clothes along with a safe, phone and clock. The bed took up the bulk of the space as expected with the tv on the left side of the wall and the most awkward location for a light in my opinion.
The light by itself on the wall with the switch definitely wins the “what were they thinking” award – I’d much prefer the television in the space as central to the bed location or a nice NYC photo to establish a sense of place. The view from the window was the fire escape stairs and offices. The room darkening shade/blind had a design to it so you weren’t totally bored.
Room Tip – Bring band aids or other to cover the blinking lights as the room is totally dark save the lights from the tv and coffee area which you can cover. You can’t cover up the blinking light from the fire/smoke detector above your head so if you are a light sleeper maybe sleep on the left side of the bed and on your side or wear a sleep mask. It really is the little things that can mar your stay or disrupt your sleep.
The bathroom on the other side of the wall was easy to use the sink and contained towels for one person. The shower stall has clear glass door but the toilet room has a door (important details if you are sharing the room). The toiletries were from Dry Bar.
Aloft Chelsea Hotel Review
I’d stay at the Aloft Chelsea again as it was easy and has a good location. I think the rooms are a nice size for a solo traveler for personal or business travel. Prices vary but right now it is somewhat affordable (for New York City) when compared with the competition on the street and in the category. The staff were nice, elevators quick during my stay and its convenient to all the things I was in New York to see on my visit. The hotel has a gym that I didn’t visit on this trip. Overall, the hotel had everything you need for an affordable overnight in New York City.