GEM Hotel – Chelsea, an Ascend Hotel Collection Member
What We Love
- The work by local artists on display in the lobby
- The unbeatable location—everything from energetic nightlife to NY’s best bagels is around the corner
- The light-strung roof deck with its romantic city views
What To Know
- Free WiFi
- Ask for an inner room to cut down on street noise
- Rooms are petite, even for New York
- The fitness center is small but has several good machines
Amenities
- Bar
- Free WiFi
- Gym
- Handicap Accessible
- Parking On Site
Overview
The Lowdown
The combination of stellar location and reasonable rates make this Chelsea hotel one of the best deals in the city. Whether you’re an art nerd, a party-until-dawn type or a food snob, the neighborhood has a surfeit of cooler-than-cool options. Explore until you’re ready to drop, then head back to a compact and modern room, with white subway tile in the bathrooms and framed black-and-white silhouettes on the walls. The lobby is more colorfully chic, with patterned floor tiles and elongated yellow sofas that make a good place to relax with an espresso or a cocktail from the bar, which has a temptingly long daily happy hour from 4 to 8 pm. With its backlit shelves softly glowing, and blond wood stools lined up at the marble bar, this makes a great spot to pre-game before heading out on the town—or just heading back upstairs for a nap. No judgement.
In the Area
Staying in Chelsea is really spoiling yourself, since you can stuff yourself with delicious treats all day, then dance off the calories all night long. With the occasional cultural highlight in between, of course. The fabulous elevated gardens of the High Line are just an eight-minute walk away; you can snack at the vendors and cafes up here or grab one of the best bagels in New York from Murray’s Bagels, just across the street from the hotel. David Chang’s glorious fusion restaurant, Momofuku Nishi, is right on the other side of 8th Avenue; make time for dinner here. The world-class Whitney Museum of American Art is less than a mile southwest. If you want to go further afield, there’s a subway stop just a block from the hotel, and you can walk to Penn Station when you’re headed out of town.
How to Get There
Reviews
We stayed at the Gem for 5 nights in the beginning of September and absolutely loved it. Room 502 was excellent, it was small but had everything we needed. The location is fantastic as it is close enough to many major tourist attractions, but at the same time the neighborhood has an incredibly local feel to it. The breakfast offering is simple but absolutely delicious, and the staff (especially the Asian staff member) does a fantastic job keeping the items refilled and nice and clean. Joseph and Riley from the Front Desk Team were really nice and helpful. Do not expect the luxury of a Four Seasons, but considering the nightly rate, this is definitely a great hotel. We will be back.
I stayed here for 3 weeks for work, and I can truly say that I've never had a better experience at a hotel. The rooms are small(expected in NYC) but they are nice, and the hotel staff are the friendliest and most helpful I've ever met! Not the "fake" friendliness that you sometimes get(because it's their job to be friendly),; I felt like everyone really cared about me and my stay. Highly recommended!
This boutique hotel was clean and comfortable with compact rooms in a great neighborhood. The hotel staff were friendly especially Riley and Laurent. The manager, Hafeez, was very accommodating. We only wish the room had a mini refrigerator since the hotels complimentary breakfast was geared for early risers. We look forward to our next stay when the roof deck will be completed and ready to enjoy. We would definitely recommend The Gem.