Wyndham Garden Hotel Chelsea / The GEM Hotel Chelsea Review

Read a couple of reviews and then don't complain about a small room. Yes, they are small. Stayed 4 nights at The GEM. Only difficulty with room size was my wife and I had to dance around each other get ready for the day each AM. That was the only negative. Even then, the positives far exceeded that small issue. Great location 1 block from 23rd St E train. Simple transfer to and fron JFK via subway. Lots of cafes in immediate area for a quick bite/drink. Clean hotel and room. Had one issue with number of clean towels left in room. One call to front desk and resolved within 15 mins. Great hotel staff. Every staff member had a smile and a kind word at all encounters. Nice rooftop lounge area. No rooftop bar, but beer/wine a available in lobby bar at very reasonable prices. Get a drink, go to rooftop, enjoy the views. Rooftop would benefit from a "facelift," but still a really nice oasis. Highly recommend. Rooms are small, but how much more do you need beyond cleanliness, friendly and accomodating staff, and a place to sleep? 4/5 rating only because it's not a high end hotel. It is a great property for NYC recreation visit.

The room was very tiny, but the hotel has a nice design.
They also have a small gym and the basement (very basic though)

We had to stay but after seeing the lobby and trying to have a drink at the bar, we preferred to change hotels

Cozy, quaint and caters to the minimalist. Welcoming lobby. Friendly and accommodating staff. Affordable, but beware, you get what you pay for. Rooms tiny at 125 sq ft. (larger rooms not much bigger). Room was generally clean with some areas overlooked. Smaller queen rooms have tub-less standing showers. Bathroom sink was clogged and shower drain was slow. Queen bed was DEAD. Possibly on the wrong type of frame, it sunk badly in the center resulting in a very uncomfortable rest. Doors and walls are thin and rooms are close, so you will hear neighboring patrons, especially in the tight hallways. The Gem is "100% smoke free", unless you skip the elevator and opt for the stairs that staircase is a chimney.

A fabulous hotel located in a central location in New York. The staff are very nice.

In middle of city, small and couzy hotel. Clean rooms, nice staffs.

Rooms a bis smaller than expected but clean and tidy. Perfect for business travel in Chelsea district

DO NOT BOOK THIS HOTEL! I am so disappointed with the customer service, especially during this difficult time. I have phoned, emailed and been in touch via booking.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter but had no response - we are from the UK and cannot get to New York for our break, so we are now set to lose $1100. We were supposed to be staying at this hotel for our honeymoon on the 26th Sept. If someone from the hotel reads this, please don t fob me off and say you d be happy to help so give you a call - I have tried and you don t answer! Please just reply to one of my numerous attempts to contact you with our options. Thank you.

Small beds but nice hotel. Good wifi. Does not serve breakfast

NYC hotel rooms are notoriously small but a lot of hotels make up for this with custom furniture and specially designed amenities. My room was small and very difficult to navigate with a wardrobe in the corner but not enough space around it to open the doors and a desk with chair arms too tall to push under the desk. The location is great, close to the subway and restaurants with a bodega and wine shop just around the corner. Be sure to check out the rooftop deck and BYOB.

Great position in Chelsea with subway right outside the hotel.
Small, old and noisy rooms.

Pros: Comfortable bed, central point, reception guys, friendly and professional, view of the tip of the empire from the window.
Cons: room too small. You don't even have space for suitcases. Very small bathroom without shower tray. Breakfast to be taken in the hotel lobby with very little choice. In an emergency that's fine, preferably alone.

Nice location. Nice design. Rooms are convenient but quite small.

Good little hotel in the heart of Chelsea district in Manhattan. Rooms are very small, but well maintained.

Stayed at the Gem Hotel one night for work. It has a great location and very reasonable prices. The front desk staff was friendly and welcoming. My room was small and had no frills but it was clean and comfortable. It's an affordable NYC hotel so I wasn't expecting more. The lighting in the bedroom at night leaves something to be desired (bedside lights mounted to the headboard and feel more like flashlights than lamps) and one of my windows didn't work. Otherwise, the room suited my needs just fine. I'd definitely consider the Gem if I were back in the area.

I don t even know where to start. The customer service is terrible. We received a text confirmation from the hotel 24 hours before we were due to check in, only to be told that the hotel has cancelled our reservation on us. They claimed to have sent us an email, but we did not receive one. Joey at the front seat was extremely rude, dismissive, and unhelpful. After telling us they hadn t cancelled our CONFIRMED reservation he did not offer to help us at all by recommending other hotels. He just said that there are lots of hotels in NYC (we had arrived at 9pm after a long drive). Terrible experience. Our experience with Joey the unprofessional manager and the Gem put a damper on our whole stay.

Nice hotel and great staff. No hot water in the room and nothing the staff could do to assist. Not good

The room was nice. Location excellent. Bathroom door was broken and no microwave or fridge. Smaller than expected

My wife and me stay there for 4 nights,
The room size is a little bit small but very clean and comfortable the staff was extremely welcoming and friendly!!

The staff really make the hotel somewhere worth staying
Thanks Jasmine, it was very delightful to meet you every morning

The hotel is well situated with strong proximity to the Penn Station.
The atmosphere is nice, the staff welcoming and really helpful. The hotel also has a bar to have a drink or a coffee and features a terrace with an impressive view on the Empire State Building.
Caveat to a good experience: the rooms are very small (barely the space to open a big suitcase) and the ventilation is extremely noisy when on (you won't be able to sleep with it).

This hotel is very cozy, and very cute! My boyfriend and I stopped here after a date night, and wow. Room was small, but was also very affordable. The room was modern, and the shower had an overhead spout. Bathroom products were from the Bigelow Co. or a dirivative there of, very nice quality -- courtesy desk was very friendly. No fridge or microwave in room, but minor details. Will be going back!

Great, great location. Room size is just enough. Great staff. Best kept secret is the great rooftop!

I think the room facilities is at the most basic level and the rooms aren't super comfy. But at least the reception was always prompt and friendly

Extremely polite and professional reception and service people. The heating system makes noice. I let the manager know and had to change my room three times and was politely accorded what I asked for. Once in the new room I found the mattress under the bed sheets dirty and my request for a change was accommodated. It was Christmas Eve and the lady at the reception was unrelenting about changing the broken alarm clock in my room as well.

As I mentioned, its a great location and the staf just can't do enough for you! The rooms are small but well appointed. And when in NYC, who,wants to spend a lot of time in one's room. Too much to,see and do!

GREAT location, super fair prices, and happy hour bubbles...I'm sold!

Friendly staff, good shower. Ridiculously small room with limited external light.

A true Hidden Gem ! I have stayed in many many places from 4 star hotels to youth hostels, and this hotel is just the right vibe and fit for those creatives who simply need a secure clean place to sleep and shower! Chelsea is bustling with galleries, fashion and opportunities! I will definitely be back! R76

Awesome hotel tucked away unassumingly on a neighborhood street. Rooms are on the small side but well appointed and clean. Lots of great restaurants in short walking distance and the subway isn't too far away.

Small efficient room, good location on a quieter street. Would choose again if I was starting in the area.

Tiny rooms, as expected. But very clean. Very nice front desk staff.

Rooms were clean and service was friendly! Their happy hour was great!

Sure! Your treatment is great. I think that the bedroom is too dark, maybe a lighter carpet would be better.

This place is in a really great area just about one block from the esteemed Chelsea District of New York. The staff are all very friendly and it was amazing to see such a well kept place in New York. This facility was very quiet and had a simple breakfast for eating on the go.

Tiny rooms, very few with views. Depressing atmosphere.

This Hotel is comfortable and very well located if you are looking for a place to stay in the Chelsea area of NY. The rooms are very tiny however so know that going in. You will really have only the basics but if that is enough for you than this is your place.

Great staff, small but comfortable room. Fantastic location.

Employees smoke outside and make it hard for the residents living in the area to smell their smoke

My partner and I stopped by and asked for availability. The door was locked, someone had to come and get us in and the rates were super shady. I would be alert when booking.

The rooms was extremely small and the bathroom wasn't very clean. However, the staff was incredibly nice and it was a very comfortable stay.

Its big advantage: its ideal situation!
The Chelsea area is quiet and pleasant, and above all, filled with great restaurants around!
Note the "The Foragers", a grocery store full of fresh products and all genres, which are especially known for quality.
In short, the hotel is clean enough, the welcome friendly. But without deserving its 4 stars on Booking.

The rooms are quaint and in a contemporary style. They're a bit small but comfortable. Shower area is a good size with nice rainshower style heads. Staff is friendly and they have a nice but bit noisy rooftop deck (hvac vents are loud up there).

Like most hotels in New York, the "luxury" room we got is a little bit bigger than our smallest bedroom at home (in California). We were traveling with a baby and had to play "furniture tetris" to get everything to barely fit in the room.
The hotel staff was SUPER accommodating. They removed the desk (and lamp) in the room so we can fit in a crib.
When we inquired about a small fridge/second ice bucket (to store formula), they offered one of the employee's small fridge that's not being used.
Bottled water is complimentary and they were always happy to offer it.
Because the baby is on a schedule, we would call down and ask the housekeeping staff to clean the room when we're out, and they always accommodated our requests.
The hotel room itself is set-back from the busy streets on 8th, so the rooms are nice & quiet. Perfect for light-sleepers like myself.
There are lots of great little restaurants/bars/shops around the neighborhood, so lots to see & explore.
Will definitely stay here again if we're back in New York.

The pictures made the place look a lot better than it actually was. The room was tiny, and the bath was actually broken (but usable). I would say it was seriously overpriced, but I suspect that everywhere in New York is. The location was quite good as it was within walking distance of some attractions (about 20mins), and had easy access to the metro. It still wasn't worth the money, though.

Overall a nice and clean hotel in a great location - middle of chelsea and in very close proximity to restaurants, meatpacking bars and clubs and main subway stations.
Hotel also has a small Gym in the bottom.

Be prepared for a small room though - the room is pretty much a bed.
In the first night they put me in a room facing the main road and there was a lot of noise. I asked to move and they moved me to a back facing room which was very quiet.

One more problem I had is that the hotel kept on authorizing my credit card for incidentals on a daily basis without telling me. This caused my CC company to cancel my CC twice! admittedly this wasn't only the hotel's fault, but they could have been clear about the charges they are putting on the card.

Tiny rooms, carpet looks like it's been there for 10 years.

very small rosloms, but comfortable. loudest ac I've ever heard.

Very nice everything! Very good attention! The double bed very girl! Little space! We had a problem with a window and they changed our room without any problem!

Nice hotel, too small and very few accommodations. Very old television and with very few channels ....

I was pretty disappointed. There was a hair in my bed when I lifted the covers and they didn't change my room when I called the front desk. The room also only has one tiny window that faces an apartment building so they can see in my room.

Nice hotel with a good location for midtown. Rooms are small, but such is life in New York. Small bar that's better at cocktails than beer, and no restaurant.

Truly a 'gem' in the big city. Quiet, walking distance to my office when I visit. It's in the middle of Chelsea , a quiet and clean area. I like to pretend I live here when I walk to work from here.

Clean room s. Welcome environment in a great location.

Great stay and the staff here was incredibly accommodating to all of our requests. They held our luggage and allowed for late check-out on our last day in the city. Excellent location if you like the Chelsea neighborhood. Walking distance to Chelsea Market, The High Line and many restaurants and shops. Rooms are small, but clean and comfortable. The only downside is there's no fan in the bathroom and no fridge in the room. Despite that, we loved this "gem" of a hotel and will stay here again on a future visit.

Pleasant stay, great staff but very small rooms. I would stay in here in the future. The area is ideal if you want to get a good start to your day. Most of New York's major attractions can be visited with ease from the Gem Hotel. From Time Square, The High Line, Eatly and the Flatiron are all quick jaunts away. Thier is also a decent bar in the lobby that allows you to take drinks to your room and the rooftop patio, where one can see the Empire State Building.

When we arrived the gentleman at the front desk said they overcharged us +$30 per night for continental breakfast which they no longer deliver, but not to worry we would be getting a refund for the undelivered breakfasts when we checked out. The day of check out arrived and this same guy now told us while preparing our portfolio that he would only refund us for 6 breakfasts ($180) even though we paid for and stayed 7 nights ($210). Trying to get him to see the math was difficult because he insisted we would not have received breakfast the night we checked in. We had to illustrate for him that we stayed 7 nights, 8 days and paid 7 times for breakfast which we never received to the tune of $30 X 7 nights = $210. He finally did call his manager and his manager conceded our math was right. Then when I checked my Orbitz account they only refunded us for 6 nights of non-delivered breakfasts. Shabby, cheap and not going back to this hotel.

Great location, pleasant staff, small rooms (but fairly standard for NYC.) Rooftop bar open to guests every evening, close to popular sites, transportation, and shopping.

This place is great when traveling on a tighter budget. the room although quite tiny is nice, clean and well organized. the location is extremely good and the staff are nice and helpful.

Extremely small room, good value when it was around a hundred bucks but other places can be had that are nicer for the same price.

Do you need a big room in NYC? No, you need comfort, style and hospitality. Got a ton of work done here on a whirlwind trip and the rooftop patio was a nice pleasant surprise for when the work was done. Will be back.

Stayed for business since it is located very near to my office.
Very small room but clean and cozy for me (maybe too small for most people). Make sure you check out their rooftop bar and the restaurant downstair (Forager Table).

Cute clean little hotel walking distance to everything! Very nice service, and good prices.

Nice enough for the price, but I've definitely stayed in nicer places in Chelsea. Lobby is "hip", but the halls and rooms seem a bit outdated now. Room is pretty small, even for Manhattan. Lots of noise from the street. And one of my hotel peeves: house keeping knocked on my door even though i had my privacy sign up (on a non-check out day). That's just bad form.

The hotel describes the rooms as cozy, that's a cute way of saying tiny. There isn't room for a chair, just a bed and a skinny stand. If you're not planning on spending much time in the room it may not be a big deal, but even for the time you're in, it's cramped. I was traveling on business and I found the rooms too small. I can't imagine my wife and I in this little space. Oddly, the bathroom is pretty spacious.

This hotel is in a great location in Chelsea. Lots of restaurants nearby and a subway station across the street.

The rooms and the hotel were clean and the staff was friendly. They have a happy hour in the evening and a continental breakfast bar in the morning.

kind, helpful, spartan but not too much has everything you need to spend a few days in nyc at affordable prices and in a great area to learn about the real nyc

Awesome hotel in a great location. Really cool design in the lobby and room, very clean and super helpful staff. Would stay again!

Very nice hotel in Chelsea, close to the High Line and surrounded by lots of nice restaurants and shopping places. OK, rooms are tiny, but clean - and you re not coming to NYC to stay in your hotel room, right ? I liked the fact that my room was quiet enough to keep me away from the traffic noise and honks. Thank you !

For NYC, this is a great hotel in a centralized location. Rooms are cozy, well kept and very nicely decorated in modern decor. The staff was great, especially Marquis, who greeted us upon arrival.
Our room was set back from the street and was quiet. Beds were very comfortable. Rates were reasonable compared to many hotels in NYC that have smaller rooms and less amenities. (I've been in some very tiny, worn out rooms)
I will definitely stay here again.

Friendly staff. Clean and modern. Small, but manageable rooms.

Rooms are alittle small. (I'm 6'8") the overnight front desk woman was amazing. We love her so much we brought her Redbull. Kept my laughing the whole stay.

Quaint and small but friendly staff and clean.
Would return.

Room smelled extremely musty. Air quality was terrible, even with AC going. It smelled as if they had flooding or water issues. I was worried that my clothes might smell musty like the room the following day. Sink and shower didn't drain properly.

I brought my concerns up with reception and they told me to come back and speak with the manager the following day. Given I was only staying there one night, this was not helpful. I would NEVER go back, even if they discounted my stay and/or offered me a free room. It was absolutely terrible.

Things I could handle, but also led to an unpleasant stay: very small rooms, no privacy or sound barrier.

Nice hotel, very friendly staff. Rooms could be better, but not bad for the price at New York city

Nice staff but the hotel is soso. Rooms are very small and a little old. No view at all in our room but quiet. Our rooms was not ready on time. The hotel is well situated. Perfect for visitors and not too far from best bars and clubs district

The aging playboy of hotels, a little threadbare and down at the heels but putting on a brave face. Decent location, friendly if not always helpful staff. All the pluses and minuses of a sensory deprivation tank. Do NOT believe ANY photo of any room in the hotel. The masters of the wide angle lens are at work. I might do it again but I d look far and wide first.

Cool roof top, no liquor at the bar, charge 8$ for a PBR. No restroom for non guests.

Lovely small hotel! Best location, close to nice restaurants. Far from the noise in midtown. Rooms are a little small, but usually are in ny