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!

Pranna, 230 Fifth, Cain - A Long Night Out

Thursday night is usually a hopping night in NYC, especially the closer it gets to summer. This past Thursday went from fizzle to sizzle over a period of 4 hours.

The first stop for the night was Pranna on 28th Street and Madison Avenue, a restaurant, lounge, and bar with so much space it's easy to get lost. The facade boasts glass walls from floor to ceiling, giving the effect of being on the sidewalk when standing at the first floor bar, which was busy until about 8:30pm due to a fashion industry even that I was attending. Besides the fact that the event was bordering on lame and extremely quick, I decided to stay at Pranna until I figured out how to rearrange the plans for the night, not having planned on Pranna fizzling so quickly. A little exploration work revealed that Pranna is a huge venue with everything from casual bar, to sleek lounge, to nook dining, to grand dining room dining, to balcony lounge, to upstairs bar, to basement night club/bar. The place is huge, so I recommend bringing a compass. There were only a handful of people at Pranna on Thursday, but this could be due to the fact that the weather outside was inclement, and you know how New Yorkers get when it rains. The menu has something for everyone with small plates and entrees specializing in Southeast Asian cuisine and a $12 cocktail menu. While Pranna has nothing too exciting to look at with their muted and clean decor, I would expect that on a hopping Saturday night the best decoration would be the people.

Because Pranna fizzled so quickly, I had a couple of hours to fill before moving on the the final venue for the night. There is not much night life in this area around Madison Square park, but 230 Fifth at 27th Street is not a far walk. Luckily the rain held off until we got there. 230 Fifth is another huge venue boasting a rooftop and inside lounge. There were tents set up on the rooftop due to the rain, and people were gathering around the bars and and using the outside patio furniture. A coat rack filled with red robes was available for people to wear because the weather was chilly, especially on a rooftop 20 stories up! It was too cold for me to stay up on the roof and I was wary to don a robe, so I headed downstairs to the Trumpesque lounge. This is one of the only lounges in NYC that I have been to that has an actual dance floor, like the kind in a catering hall. No one, of course, was dancing on it, but it's there in case you want it. The inside lounge has continuous windows all around so one can enjoy the view, and it really is a gorgeous view. Only the main bar was open on Thursday. I ordered a French martini at $12 and decided that it was a bit watered down for my taste and money, but still flavorful. The people at 230 Fifth were a mix of older people on dates, younger people on dates, and people in groups, pretty much everyone. There also was a large amount of people on vacation from Europe trying to get the best of the NYC rooftop experience. A couple of drinks and a few hours later, we decided to leave 230 Fifth in all it's rooftop glory and move on to the real party.

The final stop of the night was Cain Luxe on 27th between 10th and 11th Streets, which is one of my all time favorite nightclubs in NYC. I wasn't on any promoter list because going to Cain was a spur of the moment decision, but my gorgeous girlfriend and I didn't have any problem getting in without waiting and without paying. Cain is extremely particular on the type of people they let in; people must be good looking, well dressed, and good looking. I also recommend getting table service as this night club as they tend to not let people in without it, especially gentlemen (sorry dudes, this is NYC nighlife after all). All decisions are at the doorman's discretion, so know that just because you're wearing expensive clothes doesn't mean you'll get in. Kindness as always is a better tactic than snobiness.

It was not yet midnight when I arrived so the club was not full yet, but the bar area was packed with people buying drinks and getting revved up for the night. The DJ played a mix of old and new dance/pop favorites, though he needs to work on his mixing skills a little bit. The smallest venue of the night has a recessed level with table service and the "dance floor" is a disaster waiting to happen. Make sure you know where you're stepping those stilettos because there are stairs all around the recessed level with no railing. This is a big oops just waiting to happen. Also, make sure not to poke your eye on the faux elephant tusks surrounding the 4 central pillars. The "dance floor" at Cain is essentially a plywood platform in between two rows of couches in the center of the club. You can hop on and dance until your heart's content, but make sure you get down when it's time for the go-go dancers to work their magic. In no club in NYC have I seen a go-go dancer so up close. Thursday night they did their job at getting the crowd going and making the jaws of men (and women) drop to the floor. When I left at a quarter past two, Cain was still going strong with the drummer keeping up with the DJ's beat, a signature of Cain that is copied at many other NYC hot spots (Pink Elephant, anyone?). If you can get in, Cain is one of the best of the best places in NYC for dancing, drinking, and being among the beautiful people.

Walking out of Cain to 11th Ave. to catch a taxi is an experience all it's own. Party-goers are stumbling and dancing out of the streets various clubs and bars, and promoters are avidly searching for hotties to add to their lists. Come prepared to give your number out to everyone, in fact bring a business card, because ignoring these guys is not an option.