The Chelsea

We booked an Ocean King room at the Chelsea in Atlantic City for the weekend. The room had a wide window giving us a beautiful view of the ocean and an up close view of the hotel’s air conditioning units. Dear review reader, if you have reserved this type of room, that is, an Ocean King room promising an ocean view, make damn sure it’s above the 6^th floor! If not, you may get a rude surprise when you awake and sweep back the curtains for some morning glory sunshine only to find yourself staring at the butt crack of a repairman trying to will the a/​c unit back to life. Be forewarned that an event like this never starts the day off well, especially when you are naked.
The Chelsea’s website suggests that it’s a hotel that «…captures long lost glamour and sophistication…». My girlfriend said the room décor was retro and I agreed. But then retro must be the Chelsea’s code for, «We’ll suck your wallet dry in exchange for a room that we don’t bother to upgrade or maintain.» If peeling wallpaper and abused furniture are part of a nouveau retro glamorous sophisticated look, this room was the very definition. One of the nightstands was so glamourous and retro it was missing a back foot and could not be kept upright unless it was shoved flush against the wall to support it. Perhaps the sophisticated shower system is gravity fed from a large wooden tank on the roof, because the shower had as much water pressure as a soaker hose. On our last day, the television did not work, so that was probably retro as well. Or there’s a two night maximum on watching television because any more would be considered unsophisticated.
Be prepared for long elevator waits because the Chelsea’s three elevators get clogged on busy days with guests, staff, luggage carts, maid service carts, room service carts, and laundry bin carts that seemed to accompany every elevator trip we took. Apparently there are no service elevators or the staff chooses not to use them. And really, who wants to use a service elevator anyway? I would imagine it’s sort of boring.
On the positive side of things (there is always a positive side), the staff was very friendly and I enjoyed talking with them. The location is very close to the beach, the Bloody Mary I had at breakfast was good (I really needed it after looking at the room charge) and the bellman/​valet service was efficient. However, the hotel has a sort of glamorously tired, run down feel to it that dampened our stay and spirits. I think we’ll leave retro well enough alone and stay somewhere else if we do another Atlantic City boardwalk trip.

This hotel is run by people who clearly have no idea of ethics.
I booked the hotel through Hotwire, and upgraded the room from one king bed to two full size beds at the hotel. Unfortunately one bed had dirt on the pillows and it was disgusting to sleep on it. I had to call the service. Though the reception promised that they would send someone to my room immediately, but actually no one came to my room to take care of it. So I had to squeeze on the other full size bed with my friend, and it was very uncomfortable for both.
I talked to the guest relationship manager the second day when I checked out, and she said the hotel could not refund/​reimburse me since I booked through Hotwire.
I called Hotwire, and according to Hotwire, the hotel said that THEY OFFERED ME A NEW ROOM AND I DECLINED. I was shocked to hear that; if Chelsea refused to reimburse, it is ok that they tell in my face, instead of making up stories.

The Chelsea is dumb far.
If you want to be where all the casinos, clubs, and restaurants are, you probably shouldn’t stay here. But if you don’t mind the distance, then you should because it generally is the cheapest option. Or at least it was for a Friday/​Saturday night the weekend before Memorial Day weekend.
The rooms/​bathroom are okay. But the carpet looks really dirty. It’s like a game of ‘the floor is lava’ so make sure you bring some flip flops. Their hallways could use some renovation. It’s got a Shining-​esque vibe to it. Just be careful that the twins don’t come out and get you while you’re waiting for the elevator (especially when it’s late and you have to go to the next floor to get ice… yeah. not every floor has an ice machine).
There’s no fitness center but there’s a small pool outdoors. We only got a glance of it since it was cold and rainy, but it looked like it would fit no more than 6 people.
I probably wouldn’t stay at the Chelsea again unless it was crazy cheap.
Tip — if you check in on Unilocal,you get a discount at the diner in the lobby (Teplitzsky’s)

The only reason why this hotel is receiving a one star is because I had to put at least one. On The Chelsea’s website their photos that are presented are beautiful, however, what my sister and I came to find out was the complete opposite! First off, we paid nearly $ 200 a night for the most disgusting room I’ve ever been in! The first room they tried to offer was a double bed which was what requested but was far worse than the one we ended up staying in. The odor when you first walked in was horrible then there was something white ALL over the floor as if the ceiling had fell down and maintenance came and patched it up but without cleaning up after themselves afterwards. After switching rooms they stuck us in a king size bed not even the double that was originally requested because «they had no more double bed rooms.» This room wasn’t too much better, but needless to say we went and bought our own sheet set and stayed. I will be posting photos so that anyone who may feel the need to stay… RUN elsewhere!

Stayed in the annex. Awful smell. Dirt specs on the towels. Air vents looked like they have NEVER been cleaned. Never stay there again.

This is like staying in a low class hotel in AC. I was excited bc it looks trendy but on our way here we had one guy asking us for money and another asking us for a ride. The rooms were okay, but honestly DIRTY. Rugs had all stains. Ceilings cracked, wallpaper dirty, I would never stay here again. The shower I couldn’t even turn on. I thought the shower knob was going to fall off. I hate that Atlantic city has such nice things to do but no where normal to stay over. Never again I am so grossed out!

A few of my friends and i went on a lil vacation for mother’s day. We thought we was going to have a great time. This was the worst hotel I stayed in!!! They made it seem like I was going to have the best time of my life. They didn’t tell me that the hotel had TWO PARTS… I felt like I was a WHORE MOTEL… the motel 6 in south Plainfield look much better. Don’t book your room until you get to the hotel. They don’t have pictures of the ANNX side. I heard that the side I was in used to be the Howard Johnson. IT LOOKED LIKE TRASH. They had old dresses that looked like it belong in the PROJECTS. The bathroom was run DOWN. THIS HOTEL WAS SO FUCKING GHETTO. I WILL NEVER IN MY LIFE BOOK A ROOM AT THIS HOTEL AGAIN.
DON’T BOOK YOUR ROOM UNTIL THEY SHOW YOU WHAT SIDE YOUR GONNA BE ON!!!

I have worked in the travel industry for 29 years and never have dealt with such nasty people as this hotel. I used their website to book a room for next friday and it confirmed a room for the same day i was on the website. Now I am flying from Florida next week, my ticket was booked for a month. Yet the manager insisted on calling me a liar and saying i booked it for last night. She refused to credit the charges and refused to just reschedule the reservation for the correct dates and insisted that their reservation system never made mistakes. If apple and microsoft make mistakes, its amazing that their system can’t.
Now after reading these other reviews I would never want to stay there. Stay far, far away from this hotel. They are out to rip you off and provide absolutely no service and they 100 percent don’t care. At this point I’d rather give my money to Trump and I hate him.
If I could give it zero stars i would.

First impression:
Nice stylish modern lobby. Once we get our room number (202) we weren’t directed where to go so naturally we go to the closest elevators. I got excited because everything looked so nice and clean. We then noticed that the elevator started at floor 5…
Once we got proper directions we walked to a dingy area which was decorated by tacky red flashing lights. The elevator was beat down and slow. The hallways were dark and smelled of marijuana. It was at the same level of a motel 8. Each level had a flashing light with a «relaxing» phrase but that really made it seem more of a whore house. Once we got to our room it was nothing like the pictures. The room was dingy as well and the bathroom was gross. We had a balcony which was in the corner between another hotel.
On top of the hotel having two sides (a disgusting dingy motel like side and what looked to be a much nicer upscale side) I believe it was way over priced for such a dingy ugly room. I would much rather have stayed at a cheap hotel rather than one that claimed to be stylish and luxurious. The best part is that they double charged me!

I was a little excited to go with the Priceline name your own price deal and end up with the Chelsea hotel. The pictures looked nice and the reviews were half and half. Even though it’s close to the end of the boardwalk, the location was still good enough. Or so I thought.
This isn’t my first time in AC and its April so I’m well aware it’s not beach weather but we were all down for a little walk. It wasn’t a weekend for partying anyway so we were just trying to be away from home. Upon getting to the hotel, we realized the self parking is down the block and across the street from the hotel. Make sure you don’t leave anything in your car unless you don’t mind the walk back to get it. Unfortunately, the room wasn’t guaranteed with Priceline and we were placed in the Annex. Don’t know what the Luxe side looked like but this side looked more like a scene from a movie with neon signs on the wall, ice machines only on 2 floors, sad dirty carpets, sheets that make you happy you had a blanket to lay on top of, old grimey tile in the bathroom, and hallways smelling like weed and filtered garbage/​liquor bottles outside of «dorm room» doors. The woman at the front desk was interesting and also had me come back down bc of additional paperwork she forgot to have me sign.
From the minute I walked in, I got right back online bc I wanted to book another hotel and would have been fine with losing out on what I paid. The only thing that got me to two stars was that the location isn’t terrible. Right next to Tropicana. Stayed but def wouldn’t even chance it again to be placed in the Annex.

A few of my friends and I came to stay here for one night for about $ 300. The first thing we noticed when we entered our room is that our mirror was cracked. Another thing we noticed was that the «white» sheets were stained with red lipstick (that’s what we like to believe it is) and some unidentifiable brown stains.
The shower also backed up. There is NO HOT WATER. We all showered in cold water WHILE our feet were swimming in a puddle of our own filth. It took about 20 minutes for the water to drain out after every use. In addition, the only lights in the room are from the lamps on the side of our beds. Otherwise, we were in darkness until the next morning.
ON TOP of everything else, check-​in was a pain. We were told to wait an extra half hour for our room to be prepared. Rooms are supposed to be prepared in advanced. Don’t expect much from here. The quality of this place is like another econo lodge on the Atlantic City strip.

We wanted to stay near the Trop so we walked to the Chelsea to ask for rates. They told us it was $ 200 which seemed reasonable compared to other hotels. They failed to tell us we would not be in the actual Chelsea and are instead in the piss poor area called the Annex.
For $ 200 we were ripped off. The room was relatively clean but the furniture was incredibly warn and falling apart. The hallways were dark and ominous and the bathroom counter was about to crumble. I would not stay here again and was disappointed that a Atlantic City staple like the Chelsea was so poorly run.

I am currently (1÷30÷16) staying at this establishment and wish I never booked! We paid for the «penthouse» and it is a mess. Furniture is visibly stained, tattered and torn. The wallpaper is peeling off the walls, and there is dirt in every corner. Every piece of furniture is nicked, and walls are dirty. The 5^th floor for pool and fine dining… Non existent! It was like a scene from
The Shining! I was so excited to stay here based on the pictures and now regretting it. Luckily Tropicans is within walking distance and we were able to spend some time out of the room there! Save your money, or better yet, add some money and stay at Harrahs or the Borgata. 2 thumbs down to this place!

The Chelsea is the largest hotel in Atlantic City without a casino. I wasn’t in town for the purposes of gambling so I really didn’t miss the temptation.
I stayed in the Annex part of the hotel. It was a nice room with a balcony but I did have a problem with the air conditioning and heating unit. It gave off a terrible rattle and I had to leave the television constantly turned on to drown out the annoying noise. I talked with another hotel guest who had a problem with his Annex room and was moved to the tower. Next time I stay at the Chelsea it would be smart to ignore the cheaper rates at the Annex and stay in the tower.
I took advantage of a Unilocal check-​in deal and saved 50% on my meal at the downstairs restaurant. I ordered the New York Strip steak and found it to be much better than expected considering I wasn’t at a proper steakhouse. It was a real quality piece of meat. I ate at the hotel restaurant several more times during my stay and enjoyed every meal.
I lost both of my paternal grandparents in the last few years. Recently, while going through some old family photographs, I came across a picture of my grandparents visiting The Chelsea while vacationing in Atlantic City. The picture most have been taken shortly after my grandfather returned from WWII. It was quite serendipitous that I came across the photograph shortly before my stay.

This was probably the most disgusting but retro hotel I have ever stayed in .
The idea was nice. But it smelled horrible and my room looked trashy/​trashed. Although I can’t expect too much from the AC since I wasn’t staying in any of the big casino hotels. Location was pretty good though. Right next to the Tropicana ! That was great! And the staff was amazing ! Such great and nice people but the actual room was horrible.

Bed Bugs in my bed. Got bitten in my face 3 times, had to cancel my meeting and go to emergency room.
The supervisor is extremely unprofessional and disrespectful, was denying everything even when we were showing him the photos and pointing to my face.
We were waiting housekeeping for an hour and no one came, but after we left room, they immediately started to investigate without us being there and telling us later that it was all clean.

I am not sure why this place has so many poor reviews. You get what you pay for, especially when it comes to hotels. That said, this hotel was an excellent bang for the buck. I booked via a Priceline deal for an unnamed 3.5 star hotel. It ended up costing $ 102 including taxes for the room, roughly $ 87 before taxes. For $ 100 a night right on the beach in the middle of peak season, July, this price is ridiculously inexpensive to me, especially for a nice establishment. Yes, it has room for improvement, but this place is almost free compared to the other nice hotels near by.
For $ 100/​night (please keep that in mind here is what you get:
— Very clean hotel rooms
— Well kept lobby with great furnishings
— maid service
— use of two pools, though the 5^th floor one seems to be always under repair
— very very slow wifi internet, think dial-​up slow
— friendly receptionists
— standard hotel amenities: room service, soap, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, towels, beach towels, etc.
— comfortable king beds
— tv w/​cable in the room
— hallways that have been updated, but look ugly in my opinion, everything in the hallways leading to the rooms is an ugly brown and the carpet looked to be a bit threadbare. More personal preference than an issue though.
The only reason I am giving them 4 stars instead of 5 is that by default they bill you $ 16 ($ 15 plus tax) for valet, even if you self-​park and the internet is extremely slow.
I self-​parked one block away for $ 5, they will let you park for a full day for $ 5 if you let them know you are staying at the Chelsea. Otherwise, it is $ 5 for up to 8 hours.

This is not a hotel. It’s really just a step above a motel but the review is based on their premise of them being a hotel.
We got a two night Groupon for a king luxe room for Monday through Wednesday.
The good:
*The location is very good. Quick access to the beach.
*We did get checked in about an hour and a half early.
*Free Internet, sort of…
*For the age and wear the room was clean.
*Since it’s not a casino it’s a lot more chill.
The bad:
*There was a big line about 7 people deep when we checked in. There is another counter. Open it and make your guests happy.
*Severely under staffed. This place is sucking air. On the verge of closing it feels like.
*Everything in the hotel was closed. The one restaurant they have is open 7am-​2pm. That’s it. No room service no pool service no bar. Nothing. The fifth floor restaurant had nice bones but it was closed as well. It reminded me of the Overlook Hotel from the Shining.
*Speaking of the pool, the fifth floor pool was closed. The first floor is your other option but there’s no sun down there.
*Their coffee is vile!
The ugly:
*A few before our stay I called them to ask about the pool as this is important to my girl. They told me both were open. When we got there the 5^th floor pool (the one that gets sun) was closed so we were upset. I spoke to the front desk to tell them that I wanted a day pass for lounge chairs for the beach and he started to argue with me. They can’t do that, they have a service contract, it costs them $ 15 so they charge us $ 30. I said I don’t care. I, as a guest, am unhappy after some huffing and puffing from the front desk he writes me a day pass and throws it down on the desk and says «Here».
This is not how to handle that situation in the service industry. You say sorry and make it right. You don’t argue with your guests.
*Severely understaffed means the maid service is slow. Our room wasn’t cleaned until 3pm. I really feel bad for the poor maid staff. I left them a big tip though. They are really trying to keep up.
*Free internet was a joke. I ran a speed test and got .01 download and .02 upload speed. That makes it virtually useless so I used cel service until the last day when the cel service from Verizon was knocked out by an overnight storm. Obviously the storm wasn’t the Chelsea’s fault but I really needed internet service that last day to handle some business so I had to hang out at Tropicana’s Starbucks. Very frustrating.
*When we checked out I asked are there any additional charges? There shouldn’t be since we didn’t do anything at the hotel. They said no and we left. The next day there was a $ 32.10 charge on my card. I called and after speaking with two extremely overworked and stressed out employees, one tells me it must be a third party charge even though it was directly charged by the hotel. The other told me I must have used valet parking which sounds legit except for the fact that I don’t have a damn car! So after 20 minutes on the phone they finally relented and said they’re reverse the charges.
This property has potential but unfortunately they miss terribly. I’m sure it’s partly the economic conditions in AC but it’s no excuse for poor treatment or service.

I bought a one night stay, in queen room through Groupon back in June 2013, and my stay was just fine. My Groupon included a valet parking, and 2 entrees at Teplizky’s, which I didn’t use!!! I have to mention I had zero problems during my checkin, since my room was booked and fully pre-​paid through a third party.
Key points:
— It is NOT a casino; so no clanging slots or smoking smell.
— Located at the far end of the boardwalk.
— Bed was okish.
— Free WiFi!
Three Unilocal

Great location, great price, great view, great room.
We booked the hotel for around 110 $ on New Years day and it was totally dead, so we got our room and check in super quick. The whole staff, especially the valet, we’re very friendly.
The décor if the whole hotel is unique, funky, and young. It is right next to the boardwalk and Tropicana so the location was perfect. We got upgraded to the 12^th floor so we were lucky to have a perfect view of the ocean. The rooms were very clean. The mirror in the bathroom was steam-​proof, so I could still see myself after the shower (it’s the little things!). The bed was super comfy with huge fluffy pillows and comforter.
The Tropicana was right next door when you take a left onto the boardwalk so that was nice to be close to. We were able to play a couple rounds of roulette before checkout at 12.
It your looking for a nice, affordable place to stay, I would recommend the Chelsea.