DON't Let the Bed Bugs Bite...
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 07/21/09
Um ok, so at first glance you may agree that The Chelsea hotel appears to be average, if not above average from the pictures. If that isn't enough incentive to reel you in, the unbeatable price will sure catch your visual senses. Upon arrival, the outside looks in dire need of a severe renovation, however when entering you're pleasantly surprised. The retro Waldorf theme is a sure treat. Even the attentive staff is reassuring and embracingly professional. The downfall was experienced when we realized we were staying in the Annex (which is the motel part of the hotel), and upon entrance were greeted by chartreuse floors, as well as putrid smells, all accompanied by screeching horns from the outside. We had been in the hotel for not even half an hour, when we were also greeted by those microscopic invaders, commonly called bed bugs!!!! We hadn't realized this at first, as we just felt tiny pinches and scratches, but soon we noticed inflammation and bumps all on our body. With this discovery, we angrily marched downstairs to get our rooms changed, when we should've just demanded a refund from the start. They switched us to the room right next to us, which was no better. The itching and biting became more intense as the day wore on. We forcefully marched down to the hotel desk again, and were vocal about our concerns. They clearly knew something was up, due to their expedience with upgrading us to an ocean view room in the separate building they had. Well, third time wasn't a charm in this case, as we actually saw the bed bugs in this bed!!!! We were so disgusted, frustrated, and distraught, that we decided at 1115 PM to leave. On our miserable descent into the lobby, the hotel was filled with tons of underagers which delayed the elevators from arriving normally on our floor. We were infuriated. Much to our delight, as we described to yet another hotel employee our miserable experiences, they immediately came to our side, and granted us a full refund. This is when I realized how unprofessional the place was. At 1130PM on a friday night this place looked more like the Bronx Zoo, than a four star rated hotel. ANd to top it off, I had left behind an expensive shawl, much to my dismay, when I had called to report it missing and knew exactly where it was left, they laughed and told me that it probably was a lost cause.
There is nothing worth staying at this hotel for. Especially after these bed bugs, the place should be shut down!!! I can't believe they are still in business, we cannot be the first patrons to discover this. It's been 3 days since our barely half a day stay, and my boyfriend and I are still feeling itching, and biting. DISGUSTING!!!!!!