Chelsea Pines Inn

i’m not quite sure why the chelsea pines inn is so highly rated (currently #2 on tripadvisor). it’s nice enough– well located, decent continental breakfast, friendly staff, amusing movie theme décor, outdoor courtyard– but hardly the 2^nd best hotel in nyc. our room was very small– to get to the other side of the bed i had to shimmy between the bed and the wall (avoiding a collision with the tv). the bathroom/​shower setup is less than ideal due to limited space. there’s no elevator and the stairs are pitched steeply– that grew tiresome quickly. all things considered, i thought the room was a bit overpriced. i rate the chelsea pines at 3.5 stars, but because the staff was so helpful i’ll round up to 4.

To add to the other reviews here, Chelsea Pines deserves all the recognition it can get. This was our first time to New York for the weekend, and we had no idea what we were getting into. The hotel is located a few steps away from the Subway (on a line that connects all the way up to Midtown). Here are some highlights from our stay here:
We arrived late on Friday (around 1:00 A. M) and were welcomed by Sean at the front desk. He was very receptive to all of our questions and pointed us right back out the door to a 24 hour Cuban restaurant a couple blocks away — exactly what we needed!
The next morning we headed downstairs at 11:00 for the complimentary breakfast (which included, bagels croissants, donuts, you name it). There was cheese cut off the block, yogurt, jam, olives, OJ, apple juice, mint/​lime water — everything was delicious. The owner, Jay, came over to say hello and make sure we were alright as we sat in their beautiful, cozy dining area (with a nice courtyard to walk out to). We met Jason — who was super friendly and made us feel extra welcome — his Spiced Pear cider is great, and we were able to find a familiar face and chat when we felt overwhelmed around town!
Later during our stay we met Edwin who pointed us to a Holiday Market at Union Square — we didn’t even know but it was exactly what we wanted to take a break from sightseeing.
I could go on and on, but this is the place to stay in New York for ease of transportation, location, and the best people around to help you experience the City.
Don’t stay anywhere else!

My daughter and I felt like we were saying goodbye to friends when we left the Inn after a 5-​night stay. Everyone was so friendly, helpful and professional. Jason in the breakfast room greeted us by first names each morning in the delightful courtyard setting. The guys at the front desk seemed genuinely interested to know if we had a good day. And, I wished I had more time to talk to Jay — he is so interesting and knowledgeable. He has decorated the Inn with vintage movie posters — we were in the Lee Remick room, which was very clean and spacious, with a large window with a street view. The location couldn’t be better — subway steps away, the High Line, Chelsea Market, West Village a short walk away. The rain on the first two days couldn’t dampen our spirits — we had so much fun and we look forward to our next stay.

Chelsea Pines Inn is the perfect place to stay in New York. Jay and his staff are friendly and helpful, the rooms are nicely done and very well maintained. We stayed in the Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward room, which is really the Paul Newman room — no complaints from us! The location couldn’t be better — we walked to the Whitney Museum, the High Line, Chelsea Market and the West Village, and every place else we wanted to go was easily accessible from the subway station at the end of the block. They serve a wonderful breakfast offering lots of choices and eating in the private, lush garden was delightful.

Great little Inn with terrific customer service. Photos don’t do this place justice. The complimentary breakfast we had on the outside patio was fresh and fantastic! Walking distance to the Highline and the Whitney. A fantastic stay.

If you are ever wanting to stay in the Chelsea area, this Inn is the perfect place to stay. Its only walking distance from the Chelsea Market, right near the Highline, and a block away from the Subway which can take you all over town. When My husband and I went to New York two years ago, it was my very first time in the city. Jay, the owner of the Inn, gave us so many recommendation of things to do in the neighborhood and every one of them was wonderful. The breakfast that is provided in the morning is such a healthy European style spread, and the afternoon guests are delighted with home made apple cider and baked goodies. When we were staying here for a week, we explored the city by foot. The location of Chelsea Pines Inn being so central to the subway made it effortless to stop back in each afternoon and relax on the patio before heading out again to explore. The room we stayed in was tiny but so New York. I wouldn’t have wanted it bigger– and even in its small space, the details of the décor, the towels, the soaps, and the bedding made it feel elevated and luxurious. Our room’s window overlooked the beautiful patio and Charlie, the Inn’s cat, would stop by to say hello on occasion. We were actually snowed in and could not leave on the day we were expected to, and Jay was able to accommodate us and let us stay an additional night. The service was beyond excellent and I truly felt like we had that local new York experience, much to thanks to the staff at Chelsea Pines.
Now when back home in Colorado, when we hear of friends going to visit NY, we always encourage them to book at The Chelsea Pines Inn. If we return to NY again, we will 100% be staying here!

Haven’t seen our room yet… But if the service is any indication we are in for a treat. The staff have been amazingly helpful and friendly. We just finished complimentary breakfast on the patio, got suggestions for site seeing, and have someone helping us book theater tickets!!!
My review is a bit delayed but I wanted to make sure to do one. This was a great place. The location was absolutely the best– kudos to my bestie for finding it. Close to the subway, safe for us 2 girls to go out alone. The staff was very helpful. They offered suggestions, gave us directions, reserved tickets for us, and when our flight home got cancelled due to snow, they offered us another night at a discounted rate! The rooms are cozy and very accommodating.
We will definitely be back… hopefully soon :)

Wow. God is in the details. The rooms are not crazy luxurious but every detail such as towels, soap cleanliness and breakfast are at the highest standards. You also can’t beat the location! You will love it!

Best hotel in NYC. Décor, location and amenities make it great, the staff put it over the top. Best hidden gem. It was easy to check in eventhough delayed by 12 hours, and we have been treated perfectly. And Charlie Chaplin is a love.

My husband and I stayed at the Inn for a week and the staff helped us with tickets, restaurants and transportation. The rooms are small (This is N.Y.) but there is a feeling of comfort since it is more intimate and you have a chance to meet interesting travelers. The breakfast was a wonderful way to start a day of sight seeing, and visiting with our Brooklyn family. The entrance to the subway is within a ½ block of the Inn, which was convenient for those meeting us and for us to navigate New York City. I felt that I could be good friends with some of the staff if I lived in the city and that is saying a lot about how friendly all the men are at the Inn.
Keith and Lois Raffel
California

I can’t say enough good things about the Chelsea Pines Inn. I have traveled the world and stayed in everything from a bare-​bones hostel to 5-​star hotels, and these guys could teach every single one of those places how to do hospitality right.
This place is incredible value and worth every penny. I’ve stayed here twice on business, and was delighted both times. My travel companions booked elsewhere (either uptown or at other hotels in the neighborhood) and got tiny rooms at 3x the price.
The location is perfect: it’s within sight of the A-​C-​E line on 8^th Ave and 14^th– about 100 steps. It’s surrounded by plenty of food options from quick diner and grab and go options, all the way to sit down, multi-​course meals. Chelsea Market is close, which if you want some fabulously fresh food, that’s a great place to stop for lunch. The tech and industry offices are within walking distance, which makes meeting colleagues incredibly easy.
The rooms are flawless, spacious (none of this converted closet shenanigans), and very clean. Towels, concierge items you may have forgotten, etc are all readily available. The AC in the summer is a welcome respite, and the street noise doesn’t seem to make it into the rooms. A big plus for me is the daily breakfast spread. This isn’t some anemic continental breakfast like chain hotels, but a full spread. Sliced meat, fresh fruit, bagels and pastries, tea and coffee, and homemade bread are offered and it’s nice to eat quietly on the patio before running to sightsee or work.
The staff is nothing but helpful and make check in/​out a breeze and are always ready to help with arrangements.
As stated, the only drawback is there is no elevator. Staff will grab your bags for you, but if you have a 5^th floor room, I’m pretty sure after a week’s stay you are allowed to moan and complain about «d@%# New York City walkups» like a local.
This hotel is one of the best I’ve stayed at worldwide and not only do I plan on staying here every time i travel to the city, I recommend it to friends and coworkers.

Loved staying here. The location was amazing and made it extremely easy to get around. We were treated so warmly by the staff and the breakfast was amazing. The only downside is no elevator but the staff were very helpful hauling our luggage up 5 flights of stairs: O Overall, we’ll definitely be back.

Chelsea Pines Inn got it right! A surprise birthday stay-​cation with a wonderful twist! An ode to old Hollywood, we laid our heads in the Lee Remick room. Nicely decorated with movie posters and updated amenities. Jay the owner and staff should hold hospitality classes twice a week. Then there was the outdoor garden! We missed breakfast because I love to sleep in but Jay invited us to have some of his homemade (banana nut) bread! If you’re looking for a place to stay that has it all, look no further than Chelsea Pines Inn.
P. S. Charlie Chaplin paid us a visit right before we left the garden. He too understands hospitality. If you were wondering why they named the cat «Charlie Chaplin». Wait until you see him

Staff was not helpful when a piece of the bad broke. They gave us an attitude. And when we came back to hotel at 11pm in the night (we let them know in the morning) they had still not fixed it

My daughter and I stayed here in April when we were looking at colleges. I love this place-​the building itself, the staff, the breakfast, the location. I loved it so much we just booked it for 4 nights in August. The first time we stayed, we were on the 4^th floor, with a window that actually opened-​which is something you don’t often find in hotels. The bed was comfy, the bathroom larger than expected, and the breakfast was so much better than usual complimentary breakfasts. There is always a pitcher of water and ice tea out as well. This is the place to stay when you want to be near Greenwich Village and the Chelsea Market, not to mention Highline Park.

I adore this B&B — we stayed 4 nights. The property is beautiful, the staff is welcoming and friendly, the décor is divine.
The breakfast is fabulous; SOOOOOO much better than the crappy pre-​made stuff the Marriott or Hilton hotels try to pawn off as breakfast. The food was even Paelo-​friendly! Also, there is fruit, water, ice tea, and cookies available all day, for free, so if you are feeling peckish you can just grab something from the kitchen. LOVE!
I loved the neighborhood and all that it offers, The property is located half a block from the 14^th Street MTA station.
Every morning they publish a little flyer that has suggestions for things to do a nd see, where to eat, etc. Even though I grew up in New York and visit there frequently, this was very helpful, with hyper-​current info.
Let me go back to the staff — they were friendly, helpful, polite, sincere, understanding, and just plain lovely. They were so nice to me, my husband, and my son. They really made a difference, and cheered me up when I was feeling a little blue.
Thank you, Chelsea Pines Inn! Than you Charlie the Cat for letting me pet you when I missed my critters.
My $$ rating is based on NYC rates — it is a different world out there. Really.

I felt a bit misled by all of the 5 star reviews on Unilocal,so wanted to give this an honest 3 star review.
Pros — the staff is super friendly, the hotel is clean, the theme (old hollywood) is cute, location is great.
Cons — I paid ~$ 300/​night for a place that feels more like a youth hostel than a hotel. My room was on the 5^th floor so I had to walk up 4 flights of stairs — not the end of the world, but would have been nice if they had mentioned this during the reservation. The bed was a double bed with a huge warp in it — you can’t sleep in the middle or you’ll roll off to one side. There is old carpeting, a tiny bathroom, and overall felt like a dorm room or hostel. The walls are thin so you can hear the TV in the next room.
Another pet peeve is the cleaning staff rearranged my stuff — they put notes /​books/​etc that were on the bed stand into the top drawer, clothes that were on the floor into the closet, pushed together my things on the desk to fold up the desk. The only reason I noticed this was I remembered a piece of paper that was missing and started looking for it, then noticed the things in the drawer. It’s disconcerting both to feel like someone is going through your stuff, and also to wonder if there are hidden things you’re accidentally leaving behind when you check out.
Again, really really nice owners and overall a fine experience (clean, safe, etc), but I was expecting something much nicer from the 4 – 5 star reviews on Unilocal

New York’s best kept secret! The staff is tremendous in terms of service and cleanliness and they are quite affordable.
Be sure to ask for Restaurant recommendations, they know there stuff!
Not a cat person but that charlie Chaplin is some character.
I make sure my friends stay here when they visit.

Welcome Home!
This is exactly what the cheerful gent at the front desk said to me when I rolled in to the charming Chelsea Pines Inn after a very long travel day from San Francisco. Then he said, «You must be Stacy, we’ve been expecting you,» and a diminutive black and white cat wove between my ankles purring — Charlie Chaplin as I was soon to learn.
From my first moment in the door all the way through my three night stay, Chelsea Pines Inn exceeded my expectations at every turn.
The building itself is a wonderful walk-​up that is well-​located in Chelsea — just off the Subway (A, C, E, L), a short walk from the trendy Meatpacking District and beautiful Highline Park, and about a 15 minute walk to the East Village. There are plenty of restaurants, coffee spots, bars and locally owned shops to satisfy every desire. In fact, when you check in, you not only get a handy list of restaurants (any of which the enthusiastic staff is happy to call and make reservations for you) but also a subway map and a local shopping guide.
But don’t make the mistake of going out for breakfast as the Pines offers the best free breakfast spread I have experienced outside of Europe. From bagels and butterscotch bread (homemade by one of the owners) to cereal and charcuterie, you are certain to get your fill before a busy day of exploring the Big Apple. The best part is that it seems the people who stay at the Pines are equally cool as the staff is, so you enjoy your breakfast with lots of very nice and interesting folks from all over the world, not a gaggle of 50-​something business men from Kansas and the like who still smell like last night’s bender while they piggishly feed their ample bellies.
Each room is dedicated to a different movie star from back in the day — my room was the Kim Novak room, adorned with fantastic old movie posters, some of them from her more obscure films. Delightful! All of the important stuff is in place — clean, nicely appointed, comfortable with recently remodeled bathroom. (Small, but no smaller than any other typical NYC hotel room)
And my personal favorite? Well, when you have your DND on the door the staff actually DOES NOT DISTURB you. No tentative knock on the door from housekeeping just to make sure the DND isn’t a mistake or to check if you want towels or something. I don’t know that I’ve EVER stayed at an American hotel where the staff actually understands the meaning of do not disturb. Again, delightful!
As for the staff — they are simply fabulous. The inn has been run by the same two gentlemen for 26 years and they treat is as their home and you as a guest in their home. Accommodating is a gross understatement when describing the team at the Pines — every person we met went out of their way to help us make the most of our trip to NYC.
Oh, and last but certainly not least, Charlie Chaplin, the Inn Cat. He is a warm, loving ball of fluff who will come right into your room with you to hang out (or sleep over) if you allow him to.
I cannot recommend the Chelsea Pines Inn vigorously enough. Simply put — stay here!

I travel a lot in my work, but have never felt as welcomed as I did coming to Chelsea Pines Inn. A great location to get to know New York, and the friendliest staff. Highly recommended!
The continental breakfast buffet is perfect, including fresh berries and New York bagels. Plus there are free fruit and cookies ²⁴⁄₇.
But what really makes this place a gem is the way the staff give inside tips about the city, and simply the way they treat you.
The only drawback is that there is no elevator, and staying on the fifth floor (as I did) can be a bit hard on your legs.