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Hotel Chelsea vs Hotel Chelsea

By

Jen Carlson

Published May 9, 2007

Modified Mar 7, 2008

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By

Jen Carlson

Published May 9, 2007

Modified Mar 7, 2008

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2007_05_arts_hotelstar.jpgSeems like the Hotel Chelsea residents have long been at battle with the clubs that open in the basement of the building. This used to be the case with Serena (which was owned by Anna Wintour's stepson/Minnie Driver's cousin) and now with Star Lounge (which has opened in its place). The basement lounges seem to draw a posh crowd that's the antithesis of who the Hotel was founded upon: starving (or at the very least, quirky) artists.

The residents that run the Hotel Chelsea blog give a run down on why no one seems to like these basement dwellers.

  1. Décor: The NYT reports that it looks like a “fancy submarine” which is appropriate, situated as it is beneath this notorious Ship of Fool’s. But wouldn’t it be better in the Martime Bldg – over in the Meat Market where it belongs.

  2. Bottle service: What a scam! And apparently they ask you for your credit card at the door and won't let you in until you drop several hundred on a bottle. They should be run out of town for this. Or at least out of the building.

  3. The VIP lounge is called Room 100! In a word: Tacky! (For those of you in the dark on this, Room 100 of the Chelsea Hotel is where Sid killed Nancy.) I’m sure it won’t be long before someone gets knifed in there too – especially with the vibes the management seems to be creating with their door policy.

  4. Stars: Strictly B-list. The best they could come up with was Sienna Miller, Heather Graham, and Josh Harnett. Sienna, of course, had to be there for the opening of her movie “Edie: Factory Girl.” As for Heather, she’s apparently the owner, Charles Ferris’s girlfriend, and so doesn’t really count either. And I’ll bet Josh Harnett was really looking for El Quixote. The real stars, of course, are upstairs in the Hotel!

Well then, no stars for Star! I hope this answers the question for the person who keeps googling: “Star Lounge: Why put a club like this in the basement of the Chelsea Hotel?”

Is Sienna Miller really B-list?! Either way, check out the rest of the reasons explaining why you may not want to be on "the list" for the lounge in the first place. Though trying to recreate the Hotel's glory days may become a tourist magnet, what should be opened as a better option in the basement space?

Tagged

And I

anna wintour

As

Chelsea

chelsea hotel

clubs

factory girl

fashion

heather graham

hotel chelsea

meat market

Minnie Driver

scam

Sienna Miller

stars

travel

Jen Carlson

Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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