HotelChatter

Parking
We arrived at the Chelsea and valet parked our car (there is no self-parking on-site). It's $15 when you arrive on Friday-Sunday nights, $10 Monday-Thursday - but! They only charge you once even if you stay multiple days. The valet parkers and baggage carriers valet attendants and bellmen were surprisingly kind and upbeat, its nice to see people who like their job.

Check-In
Checking into the room was quick and easy, and we were quickly met by the baggage carrier who escorted us to the room and gave us a tour of it. We were even shown the concierge who is on staff full time.

Room
Walking into the room we could see the nostalgic feel that the Chelsea is trying to achieve. The furniture has an old-fashioned look to it and we could swear some are even original pieces, but it still doesn't feel "old". The HUGE flat screen LCD TV definitely doesn't feel old. The room also had an iPod dock and plenty of electrical outlets for charging all your gadgets.

Then we walked into the bathroom which was enormous - and OMG - Kiehls bathroom amenities! Yea, we felt a little like Paris Hilton. Our room had a two-person shower with a rain showerhead, but we measured and you could easily fit 4 people in there. Heh.

Pool
This is where the Chelsea's party scene happens. They have two pools-- one freshwater and one salt-water, both with a dedicated bar. Even better, the salt-water pool will be open all year round. In the Florida Room, the biggest Jacuzzi we have ever seen is in the shape of a four-leaf clover and can fit up to 15 people. It's also right next to the steam rooms.

We made a short attempt to sun at the pool, but at the Chelsea, the morning is for the Pool, and the afternoon is for the beach as the building acts as a huge sundial over the pool area.

Although, we did get to see a rising rousing rendition of the Backstreet Boys by the lifeguard. Your experience may vary.

Upcoming Stay Alert: Salt-water pool, Jacuzzi, steam room, and spa will not be open until October or November.

Beach and Boardwalk
The Chelsea is just steps from the boardwalk, so if you want to experience the Atlantic City beach during the summer The Chelsea has lounge chairs, umbrellas, towels, and an attendant all waiting for you on the beach - free of charge for guests. You can also reserve cabanas with mahogany floors and super comfy lounge chairs. Food and drinks are provided by Teplitzky's and are brought right to your sand castle.

Since our visit coincided with the reminants of Hurricane Hanna, we didn't get to the beach, but we could clearly see all the attendants battening down the hatches over on the beach.

The Chelsea also offers complimentary bicycles to ride on the boardwalk, as well as "hotel cars" those wicker carts with attendants that push people around the boardwalk.

Bottom Line
Even though the expectations were high for this hotel - we were still impressed. We even asked a number of fellow guests we met around the hotel what they thought - and everyone said the same thing.

We are officially proclaiming that The Chelsea is a true-to-life boutique hotel.

Check back all this week for more articles on our stay including interviews with Curtis Bashaw and the General Manager of Teplitzky's