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
Recently stayed here for a long weekend. This is a great location only a couple of blocks from the subway. Nice lobby with very friendly and helpful staff. Room was on the really small side. Wish hotels like this one had a better way to give you water rather than plastic water bottles. Where is the water fountain so I can refill my own water bottle?
We stayed at the Gem, and we're so glad we did! The location was amazing. You couldn't get closer to all the action, and still maintain the quietness anywhere else. The room was very small. Not unlike anything you's find in most of Europe, but they were very well laid out with nice furnishings. The staff were very friendly and there were always people relaxing in the comfortable lobby, having a drink or planning their day.
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.