A Return To Glamour...The Chelsea Hotel

I have been to Atlantic City once, and, although barrels of fun, glamorous it was not. The Chelsea Hotel is ready to change that. Atlantic City, once called the "Queen of Resorts" in the 50s and 60s, had no casinos, slot machines or table games.  It exuded an old Hollywood-type glamor which has been replaced by high rolling gambling addicts, tour buses and chain smokers.   Cape Advisors Inc. and Normandy Real Estate Partners L.L.C. decided it was time to bring the town back to its old standard, and envisioned their new spot, the span of two old hotels on the Boardwalk, doing just that.

The hotel, which snatched some big names (the Beatrice Inn boys, Paul Sevigny and Matt Abramcyk, restaurateur Stephen Starr, etc) to help ensure exclusivity and class will officially be opening on August 1st. And the reviews sound surprisingly....well good, considering this is AC:

"The first non-gaming hotel to grace the Boardwalk since the 1960s, the Chelsea captures imaginations by conjuring the long-lost glamour and sophistication of this seaside resort town as a magical retreat where leisure and luxury come together in a perfect blend of great service, true comfort, and alluring spaces." [Chelsea Hotel]

You'll want to exert most of your effort on the Fifth Floor, the indoor/outdoor nightlife playpen designed and run by Matt and Paul of the Beatrice Inn, consisting of the Game Room (for scotch and billiards), the Living Room and the Terrace, the outdoor rock-and-roll hipster ying to the Beatrice's yang. And even though it has an ocean view, the vista may have trouble competing with the scene.[Urbandaddy]

Definitely had a funky boutique hotel feel.  In a good way though.  I really liked it.  Might change when people are actually there, depending on the crowd – but as a space, and based on what we saw, I liked it.  But you could still tell that it used to be a Holiday Inn. [DBTH]