The Chelsea Room

The location is very convenient to public transportation, also it’s easy to get a cab. The entrance with its long carpet curtains and a bit narrow makes it awkward to enter. I loved the atmosphere in the basement cellar.
Rating is 3 stars b/​c I would come back if I had a bottle/​table

I would have given this place 3 stars if the bouncers weren’t so horrible. I was wearing a tight blazer that was part of my outfit and a coat because it was cold outiside. I checked my coat but kept the blazer. The second security guy wouldn’t let me in because I was still wearing my blazer — he told me I either had to check it in again and talk to the doorman to ask for permission. WTF?
I tap him on the shoulder to ask and this oversized Aryan brute gives me the worst attitude, like I challenged him to a fight or something. He tells to calm down over and over again (even though I’m not even talking at this point) and then starts insulting me, saying things like if I want to bitch at someone I should take it home and bitch to my boyfriend. I literally asked the guy ONE QUESTION. I’m a small, 100 lb girl and this dude acts like I punched him in the face or something. Then he proceeds to look me up and down, pats my blazer down as if I’m secretly carrying a glock and lets me go. If I hadn’t been with such a big party of friends that night, I would’ve given him a piece of my mind and just left.
The inside is alright. The night I went the guys were all short and not good-​looking. This was a Saturday night, too. The drinks are pretty expensive, and they automatically add in a 20% tip which pissed me off a little. If you don’t mind being humiliated to get into a D-​list club, this place is for you.

where is the zero star option??? Very young cheesy crowd. Doorman had that super rude attitude. Got in right away but everyone, including the bartenders had an attitude. Ordered just a basic wine & the bartender said «seriously, you’re in a nightclub».

Watered down bottles and everyone looks either 14 or 40 and dances really weird.

Went for a Disco Party. The music was awful and the drinks overpriced. I loved the atmosphere in the basement cellar though. I think this place has a ton of potential if you added a few different themed nights for different musical tastes. I thought the crowd was energized and maybe it was just me, but I could not wait to get out of there this particular night because between the music and the attitude, my senses were short circuiting.

A friend of ours is a bartender next door at El Quijote. We normally wait on him to close up and them go next door to Chelsea Room. The staff are good people — the security guys are friendly. This is more a lounge/​club with many people doing bottle service. It has become a stand by for us when in the neighborhood on a Saturday night or after eating next door. If you are a smoker there is a designated outdoor area for that purpose. Your share of «trust fund kids» doing the bottle service and a mix of other genre/​ages. Drinks are kind of «pricey» but again that is what separates those with a good paying job, and those without. A selective door policy which is always a good thing. It’s not always what you know, but who you know…
Phillip & Lisa

The Chelsea Room, located under Hotel Chelsea in the newly Renovated Serena space, is still continuing its iconic wild ways by inventing new ones. The nightlife spot has been completely gutted yet still maintains its low ceilings and vintage Victorian feel. Bottle service seems to be a staple over the average bar cocktail with private parties often living it up as if they were in their own world.
My only cons to this place is the doorman. Im sorry but the Chelsea Room is not that special for all the grief they give you to come in. I saw them turn away numerous decently dressed ladies and this place has a free cover LOL. One of the doormen thinks hes a Fashion expert and I saw him deny a couple people based off where they shopped.

1) if you go before 12, they make you wait outside for a while until the line gets really long to make itl ook like theyre mad busy
2) reality? pretty dead inside until much later into the night
3) lots of discrimination at the door against weight. one time i went with a group of friends…1 thin girl, 3 thin but with curves and 1 a little overweight (maybe a size 12?) and the bouncer whispered to one of the guys we were with «there is no way she is getting». he didnt even have the balls to tell her to her face
4) really hot by the dance floor area
5) small dance floor
6) unisex bathroom (with translucent toilet doors) which make for REALLY awkward interactions…
on a good note, music is usually pretty good

It’s really my fault that I didn’t get drunk enough to have fun on my night here. I’ll put more effort next time.
There was unlimited amount of alcohol (though a bit slow for replacements), a decent amount of space to dance, and always a seat for me to rest at my table if I so wanted to. But for some reason the drinks weren’t affecting me, my body didn’t want to dance and the seats… well the seats were comfy. Can’t complain about that.
Very short wait getting in. Ok, we cut. The steps down were pretty steep, made especially dangerous since it was raining that night. There was a little open space for smokers to the immediate right once you get down. The bouncers would yell for them to quiet down every so often.
Once you get in there’s a narrow and short hallway for coatcheck (oh why I bother going out in the winter). Not mandatory, but nice and cheap to stash your stuff away if you don’t want to lose anything. I lost my corset.
Bathroom was relatively clean. Very dark though. Hard to touch up on your makeup. As always there’s a bathroom attendant. Am I the only one that feels very awkward around them? Do you give them their tip before you wash your hand? (Ewwwww!) or after? If ever. Do we really need them? They’re not very useful…

Yeah sure strict dress code, but if ur Caucasian and blonde feel free to wear whatever you want

This place is fun, got in right at midnight.
No long wait, lots of dancing– music was just right!
But drinks are SO pricey– it’s $ 13 for cheap liquor,
Although bathroom attendants get u through the line quicker.
By 2am it was packed, hard to dance, drinks spilled on me.
So Saturday night come early (12), and leave before 3!

For the mean time. ***
The location is very accessible to public transportation and easy to get a cab. The entrance with its long carpet curtains and a bit narrow makes it awkward to enter. The very few table you see upon entering, avoid, thats the worst seat in the house. The décor is not upscale or anything splendid, just modest. The music is great if you like house, they even had moby dj here. Chelsea room is not concerned about looks but who pays the most. Dont smoke inside or else you’ll get kicked out, without a warning, happened at my table to some girls. The bathroom setup is unisex, and the lines tend to be long (guys are not accustomed to). Overall it’s an okay place, but with the door policy, it’s strictness, it’s not aiming to be the best in town. Avoid Fridays & Saturdays.

This place is very inconsistent. My friend promotes here Saturdays, so I used to go a lot. I haven’t been in a while though because it is super small and the crowds are clicky. Same people every weekend and they let in under age people who pay a lot of money. This club def doesn’t give two shits about who is the hottest, they care about who can pay the most. So a group of fugly men will get in before a group of super hot girls waiting in heels. Their system is pretty f… The music is ALWAYS really good though. Lots of hip hop, pop, techno and dance music. Most people dance, but the club is so small and focused on table service that it is hard to find good places to dance unless you have a table to do so. The bathrooms are unisex, one at a time. Eh… it’s ok. Go with a promoter if you just need to dance with your girls or have a friend paying for a table.

Been here a couple times They did a good job of sprucing the space up from to days as Star Lounge. There are sometimes when you have a lot of fun, usually when someone you know is having a party and there are sometimes when the crowd is super random. Music depends on the night as well. The last time I went the bartender was super cute and hooked it up.

Ugh. So, so bad. Honestly I’m shocked this place as high of an average rating as it does. My friend was having a bday, and said that she could get us all on the list here (I tried telling her we’re girls, that wouldnt be a problem anywhere), but she insisted that some might have trouble, so wanted to go somewhere safe. After seeing the 2 photos of this venue, and having lived just 3 blocks away yet never venturing here, I was strongly hesitant, but its not my bday, so not my decision (one of the only 2 pics on Unilocal looks like an after work/​super casual crowd, so i anticipated a lot of sweaters, jeans, etc).
Get here, and first thing we do is coat check. Um, they charged, which I haven’t had to pay for at any clubs/​lounges for a long time now, and given how absolutely awful the crowd was, I already wasn’t too pleased.
We then head to the bar. One of my friends and I order 2 dirties, which were $ 17 (above basically anywhere in the meatpacking or village, as $ 15 is pretty consistently standard), the absolute LEAST dirty martini i’ve ever had. They have a card minimum so we put both my card and my friend gives me cash… then when i go to sign (after seeing how sh*@ty the drink was), I see thats there’s a 20% auto grat. um WTF. this place is filled with middle aged balding B&Ters, literally prob the worst crowd i’ve seen out ANYWHERE in manhattan, and the already overpriced drinks have a 20% auto grat? This isn’t exactly a club, its pretty dive-​y, so my friend asked the bartender WTF. He tried to then tell us that «everywhere» does that… um no buddy, i live in the WV, go out every single weekend, and other than Avenue (which also sucks and i havent been in almost a year), I haven’t seen an auto grat in ages. And even THERE its only if you’re using card (didn’t seem to be the case here, given he told us re the minimum issue).
We then tell the bday girl about this issue, and she says the other bar didnt do that… so we head to the other bar, maybe this was for a private event at that specific bar or something… no, this bartender tells us that 20% autograt is normal «everywhere in NY»…my friend proceeds to tell this bartender that she’s lived in NYC for 11 years, and no, no where does that. He says everywhere «he goes» does. She says no where «we» go does… and yes, that includes cheesy clubs in the meatpacking.
A few minutes later my friend made the mistake of putting her drink down on a table, which was immediately taken away by the busboy. She then goes to the bar to try to get another drink, saying how hers was snatched away — bartender says they’re out of olive juice, so he can’t make another dirty, instead makes her some disgusting olive juice-​less martini.
As we felt bad peacing out of our friends bday, we stayed there with the god awful crowds, and too sober to disregard the night’s activities. Once the drinks were done and my friend was feeling sick, we got out of there.
Stay away, unless you like middle aged/​balding, tacky b&t crowds and beyond overpriced, NASTY drinks with absurd auto grat.

Recently went in on a Saturday, I still really like this place the crowd was kind of awful Saturday night. SO many B&Ts. Everyone WASTED by midnight. Not that great of a time… I would come back tho if I had a bottle/​table and didn’t have to mingle. But yes I still LOVE this place. Been several times since my last review. Still sexy still awesome, still fantastic bartenders.
Maybe this Saturday was a big birthday night? Music was AWESOME so will try it again. =)

had an absolutely awesome time here. right in the landmark chelsea hotel is a great start. the door staff were very cool, didnt seem to be the normal mightier than tho types you see at the top clubs in the city.
once inside the place is great, its def small and cozy but the atmosphere is fantastic. great music the whole time that was loud enough you need to talk close but not too loud that you have to scream and have someone look at you 20 times saying «huh»
drinks were good, even got to see Mateese perform a quick song or two since she happened to be there chilling. Overall great experience. Def dont go here if you arent dressed appropriately as they do like their crowd to look good.

The first time I went here, it was one of the first cold days of winter. I was wearing a long coat and boots. The doorman looked my friend and I up and down and said «sorry ladies I cant do flats». after I saw girl after girl exiting without heels. I was very pissed because my friend who invited me failed to mention this detail. and it was too damn cold anyway to care.
the second time I went, I was wearing flats. but this time the doormen were a lot more accomodating. They did lean over though to check our shoes. I had to jump behind a friend and hide my feet. haha.
that night I saw a model who was in the victorias secret fashion show. there were a LOT of good looking people there. and tall.
the bartenders are both very sweet. and the space is not very large but gets a good crowd. the music is good. But they do have that annoying violin chick preform like every night. and Ive seen her at that other hotel place I cant remember the name of.
there seems to be alot of business type men there. who like to brag. lol and show off.
pros: bathroom lines never seem to be an issue.
cons: door men do like to make you wait outside. even on a slow FREEZING night. I almost got hypothermia.
pro: this creepy man was bothering me at the door, asking if I wanted to get in. as soon as I said leave me alone both doormen stepped in and asked if I knew him. they scolded him for creeping around and bothering ladies and told him to never come back.
the door can be harsh or nice depending on their mood. I say always wear heels in case theyre feeling moody.

Cute little lounge.
Went there for some kind of ‘underground’ disco party, good times.
And another place where they do not serve Corona!!!

Great pregame hot spot!
Went on a Saturday night and the place was bumping! It’s a perfect mix of classy lounge and NYC bar that I love. DJ is right in the middle of everyone, lots of comfy couches and seating, talking room and 2 bars. The people there on this night were really down to earth fellow New Yorkers just looking to let loose.
PROS: Still not very known so it gets a fun local crowd, lots of seating and fun DJ
CONS: hummm. IDK can’t really think of one :)

My expectations weren’t as high as my hopes for this place and last night they roundhouse kicked it out of the ballpark. Soft openings in my experience are usually riddled with slow bartenders, unorganized bouncers, or simply packed to the gills so you can hardly get a look around. The Chelsea Room had none of that and was simply a very good time.
Two bars on either end of the basement space ensured approachable queues for drinks while the dance floor smack in the middle gave it a rambunctious flavor. While there were plenty of booths and banquettes for those teetering on too high heels, most of the crowd was on their feet dancing to the DJ that played everything from Kid Cudi to African Tribal music. And somehow the (hot) bongo drum player as an elevated centerpiece to the scene kept pace with it all.
The Chelsea Hotel is a NYC landmark with a raucous rock and roll history. Creating a club/​lounge out of the basement could easily disappoint diehards but this was plain fun, the old fashioned way. I look forward to watching it evolve and just hope they keep it simple… too many stars before it have crashed and burned in those hallowed halls.

I was there for the opening and I had a great time!
The service was very good, the bouncers were pretty efficient.
I loved the décor and I liked the music a lot, I am not a big fan of going out to nightclubs very often but this is definitely a place I will go back to!
Nice crowd.