The Chelsea - Weekend Getaway from NY in Atlantic City

I should start by saying that the Chelsea tops the list of my favorite hotels. A newly renovated and updated former Holiday Inn located on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ, it boasts gorgeous decor reminiscent of the 20's in America exuding style, class, and luxury. The hotel is PURPLE, yes purple, the color of royalty, and that is exactly how any guest at this hotel feels from arrival to departure.

The Chelsea located on, da ha, Chelsea Avenue, is the only non-gaming hotel on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City allowing for a truly unique experience. The air is (thankfully) smoke free and the carpets, drapes, and furniture are not trying to hide the dirt brought in from the casinos. I can honestly say, that I can go to the Chelsea in Atlantic City and NEVER leave the hotel. They have everything. The rooms, for starters, are divine and follow through completely with the 1920's vibe. As for amenities, the Chelsea has valet parking and bell service, a knowledgeable concierge, not one but TWO restaurants (Chelsea Prime to be reviewed later in the article, and diner style Teplitzky's), a lounge and bar located on The Fifth Floor, a spa complete with steam rooms, sauna, and open all year round salt water outdoor pool (YES!), another pool ON THE ROOF!, retail shop, full service beach (seasonal), bike rental, boardwalk access, and more that I probably don't even know about.

I've stayed at the Chelsea two times, once in the main tower and one in the annex. The rooms in the annex are smaller and more dated (pink 70's bathroom anyone?) and are definitely not as luxurious as the main tower, but the bed (thank goodness) is the same plushy goodness. There is no flat screen TV (but really who goes to AC to watch TV?), there is no counter space in the bathroom (disappointing), and there is no water view (unless you count the pool). All the rooms have a balcony though (which the main tower doesn't have) which is a nice feature if visiting in the warmer months. However, I highly highly recommend staying on the pool side of the annex if you chose to stay there instead of in the main tower because the sounds from the street can be loud. Also, don't take your coat off before getting in the elevator because it is NOT heated and frigid (in the winter, I would think it would be OK in summer). Other than that, the room was perfect for our use and perfect for the price ($80 less than the tower with a special promotion). The option of staying in the annex or the main tower gives everyone the opportunity to experience this great hotel (with a sister hotel in Cape May NJ which I should mention). The only downside, le sigh, is that you cannot get room comps here, as it is not a gaming hotel, which I guess in the scheme of things isn't a downside at all. Keep in mind you will likely never get a free room here, but if you sign up for their mailing list you will always know when they are offering special deals and packages (and trust me, they're worth it).

My most recent visit to the Chelsea was for a one night getaway from NY on a Friday night. The drive took about three hours (with some traffic due to rush hour and road construction). Upon arriving at the hotel, the valet greeted us and helped us with our bags and then whisked the car away while we were gloriously greeted by heat lamps at the entrance to the hotel. The desk attendant informed us of all the great perks of the Chelsea, and then proceeded to sing happy birthday to my travel companion as it was his birthday, and the reason for our getaway. It was a very personal touch. The room was FREEZING when we got in, but I'm sure this was due to energy saving measures and the room heated up in a jiffy after blasting on high at 85 degrees for a couple of hours while we settled in and got ready for our dinner at Chelsea Prime, located on the Fifth Floor of the main tower of the hotel. One of the great things about Chelsea Prime is that you don't have to put on a coat to go to dinner! You just get in the elevator. In the winter, this is a blessing as the chill from the ocean is intense.

The ambiance at Chelsea Prime is breathtaking. The restaurant is black and white with old black and white photographs taken in Atlantic City lining the walls. The decor stayed true to the 20's theme of the hotel and each table had an oil lamp with a shade adorning it. The white leather booths are the table to ask for when making a reservation. You can see the whole restaurant and out the huge windows, which at sunset must be breathtaking.

Chelsea Prime is a traditional steakhouse with a variety of cuts to chose from along with fresh seafood, salads, caviar, and a raw bar. We had the oysters from the raw bar (a combination of east/west) which were perfect, although I would have preferred a little more horseradish. I had a baby greens salad with a dressing that tasted like no other dressing I've ever tasted. It was perfectly sweet and tart and not at all soggy. My companion ordered the from the prix fixe menu and received a chicken and dumpling soup that I swear had gnocchi in it (can we say YUM). My steak, an 8oz fillet (you can also order 10 or 12 oz fillets) was perfectly prepared with a slightly crunchy crust and a very tender inside. No sauce required, just how I like my steak. From the prix fixe (which changes often) the marinated skirt steak was to die for. The marinade was not showy and used the perfect blend of spices to bring out the natural flavors in the meat. The side of mashed potatoes and string beans were also tasty and not over buttered or overcooked. Dessert, oh lord, we had a warm chocolate truffle cake the I swooned for, and I don't like chocolate (supposedly). The plate had "Happy Birthday" written on it in chocolate ganache, and we ate that too, seriously. The Vueve Cliquot "Yellow Label" champagne was a great accompaniment to the whole meal (we love our bubbly) and was on the house with a stay in the hotel (coupon received at check in). Being fans of The Palm, Bobby Vans, and other major steakhouses in NY, Chelsea Prime was a great experience and one that we will repeat on our next visit to AC and stay in the Chelsea. We don't need to go out in the cold to The Palm over in the Tropicana (smoking, cough cough) when we have Chelsea Prime!

After dinner, and a bad decision to walk in the cold over to the Tropicana (a block away) to give some money to the casino (yes, we lost) we decided to go back to the Chelsea and spend the rest of the night there because, well, we love it. We went to the Fifth Floor where they have a lounge and bar which is super fun, and it's unfortunate that not more people coming to AC know about it! There is a coat check if you're coming from another hotel (which you should). There is a DJ playing hot tunes (and oldies!) which are great to dance to. You can order from the bar or get bottle service and you can sit anywhere you want, unlike those stuffy exclusive clubs in NY (which I am sorry to say I've frequented too often). I ordered a raspberry cosmopolitain (signature) which was perfect (it even had some OJ in it, just how I like it) but the margarita came (gasp) without salt and with too much sweet stuff (bleh). Oh well... I recommend a more experienced bartender. But, the best thing about the Fifth Floor lounge is that there is a PURPLE pool table, yes I said purple, and board and card games! So, while it's a "non-gaming" hotel, you can play your own way! We played "Man Bites Dog" a clever card game where you create news headlines and rack up your points until you win. Yes, we know we're dorks. They also had classics like Clue, Monopoly, and Backgammon. Unfortunately, we couldn't find writing utensils to keep our score, but it was still fun to come up with funny headlines. There is a balcony where people go to smoke (cough cough) and probably enjoy the weather when it's nice enough to enjoy. We went to the Fifth Floor New Year's Eve party last year and had so much fun that we probably shouldn't talk about it on the internets... Yes, it was that fun.

The next morning after oversleeping and being awoken by housekeeping (oops!) we ate brunch downstairs at Teplitzky's, a diner style restaurant. my eggs were perfect (over easy) though my bacon was a wee cold (maybe because I was in the bathroom when they brought it to the table) and my English muffin was late. But, the coffee, omgosh the coffee, is SO good, so good, so so good. And it comes in a big mug, not a little tea cup. Delicious.

Leaving the Chelsea is always the worst part, but, we know we'll be back again. I'm already planning our next visit!