Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog

A Real Chelsea Commercial

     We came home Wednesday to find the block in front of the Chelsea lined with movie trucks.  Inside, they’d put down cardboard to protect the marble floor of the lobby.  It was impossible to get an elevator, and upstairs, we found that the movie people had commandeered four floors, including ours.
     Hmmmm, must be a major motion picture, we thought something that requires the hip, Bohemian élan of the Chelsea to give it a little street cred.  A gritty crime drama, perhaps.
     “So what are you guys shooting?” we asked one of the film-crew members who seemed less than fully occupied. 
     “Oh, just a Tylenol PM commercial,” the hipster dude informed us.
      Incredulous, we asked, “Why do you need to shoot in the Chelsea?”
     “No reason, really,” the guy said.  “It’s just people lying in bed.  Could be anywhere.” 
     There would be no reference to the Chelsea. Which is actually probably a good thing since what would a real Chelsea Tylenol PM commercial look like?  Would they cast an actress and show her washing down the pills with whiskey?  Tylenol PM: less painful than throwing yourself down the stairwell. -- Ed Hamilton

Piri Thomas Update

Poet and author Piri Thomas said on Tuesday that there have been no decisions made either way in the 1.2 million dollar struggle between himself and his stepson David Elder.  Thomas would only say, "I don't know what happened to justice."  So far, calls to Elder's attorney have gone unanswered.  According to the calendar posted at the LA Courthouse another hearing is scheduled for 9/10/2007. -- Sherry Mazzocchi

The Signs They Are A-Changin'

A bevy of new signs have sprung up on the facade of the Chelsea Hotel.  Although they seem to be the work of the same culprit they come from many different sources.  We would only suggest that any future banner makers check with their dictionary or spellchecker before executing their work.  Nevertheless it's the thought that counts and the sentiment is near universal in the hotel.  Keep up the good work, outlaw banner makers.

Older Resident Shows Spunk

I suppose by now everyone in the building has heard rumors of the recent incident in which an older lady – we’ll call her Spunky—attacked a staff member with a broom.  Spunky was checking out the vacant room next to hers for signs of paranormal activity – a valid concern around here – when the staff member came in and ordered her out.  Bristling at what she perceived as a tone of disrespect; Spunky moved swiftly to teach him some manners.  Though intending a mere love-tap on his shoulder, the staff member unwisely moved his head in the way at the last moment, causing Spunky to brain him full on the noggin with her broom.

     Dazed, the staff member staggered off and called the cops, and soon they arrived five strong, to restrain the small woman.  Luckily, they decided not to arrest her. 
     The reason I bring this up is that it serves to demonstrate that many of our residents, especially the older ones, have needs that the new management must take special care to address with the sensitivity they deserve.  I think I’m safe in saying that Stanley Bard probably wouldn’t have allowed  the episode to come to that.  One of his main talents was in mediating such disputes as this. 

       In fairness, I must add that Spunky mentioned that the new desk manager (or whatever he his) Glennon was understanding when she talked to him after the fact.  Maybe there is some hope for this place after all.

Psychologist Wanted for Thankless Job

     Stanley gives one of his last interviews in his role of “Goodwill Ambassador” in the prestigious German weekly, Die Zeit.  Since we don’t know German, we had a couple of German filmmakers translate some of it.  Anyway, the tidbits we gleaned is that Stanley studied bookkeeping and psychology, and that he ran the hotel, with a little bit of bookkeeping and a lot of psychology.  Unfortunately, by this point, Stanley probably wishes he had focused more on the bookkeeping.  But it may well prove the psychology that is BD Hotel’s Achilles Heel.
     Also, in response to BDs claims that they don’t want to change anything, but just clean the place up a bit, Stanley says, “Suddenly we’re supposed to be dirty.” 

     One thing that’s not reported in the article is that while Barbara Nolte was conducting her interview with Stanley, David Elder was chasing Stanley through the lobby to monitor what he said, and to make sure that he, Elder, was quoted as well.  Our minds wandered as the filmmakers translated Elder’s typically inane prattle about fisheads, greed, and dog poop.  Strangely, he didn’t say anything about Piri Thomas, and we don’t know anything more, though by now the judge has hopefully ruled in favor of the legendary writer --- and has sent Elder to sleep with the goldfish in the pet shop of his choice.  (Well, they already know about Piri Thomas in Germany anyway.)
     Or maybe he can just go live in one of those big, leaky aquariums developers keep throwing up around the city.   -- Ed Hamilton

Another Friday, Another "Chelsea for Sale" Rumor

Over at The Real Deal, the speculation is that Andre Balazs is interested in buying the Chelsea.  Hmmmm, we hear that Balazs is having trouble finalizing deals he's already involved with.  Back in June when Balazs was over here at the Chelsea he should have been worrying about the lack of sales down at The Beaver House. Maybe Balazs is spreading himself too thin.  Remember, Stanley Bard is the majority owner and the last time I checked he said the hotel is not for sale. It would take a real financial slight of hand to sale a building that you don't own.

Chelsea Hotel co-owner Marlene Krauss says the famously bohemian building is not for sale, but questions remain after developer André Balazs was spotted mingling with new management in the lobby earlier this summer. Some speculate that the hotelier, who restored the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood to rave reviews, might be interested in purchasing the Chelsea. But Krauss has denied rumors of Belezs' involvement. Renovations to the building, built in 1883, could cost as much as $50 million. more [NYO] (Source: The Real Deal)

Last Friday's rumor was at curbed.com.

Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake Remember the Chelsea

     This week's issue of NY Mag asks what led to the suicides of Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake? The couple had been together almost 12 years in what the author, David Amsden describes as "... a radiant, obsessive love, a bond formed in no small part by their almost religious belief in the concept of bohemia." 
     It's true that Duncan valued bohemia.  In August 2006, she wrote on her blog, The Wit of the Staircase, about the destruction of the Gramercy Park hotel and predicted, "I bet somebody does this sort of hatchet job on the Chelsea Hotel next..."  And now her fears, paranoid as they may have seemed at the time, appear on the verge of becoming reality.
     The Chelsea Hotel was an important place for Duncan and Blake, as it is for so many artists and others. On June 16 of this year, Theresa left a comment on Living with Legends, when she learned that Stanley Bard had been ousted:

Terrible news, I have had a bit of anticipatory anxiety about this for years.....
They are turning the Puck Building, where my office was for five years into condos.
Happy Birthday Stanley, you are one of the low gods of New York City.
God bless you Chelsea Hotel, you brought me good luck and big love.

Blake and Duncan loved the Chelsea, and fit right in here, madness and all. Here’s a quote from a happier time in their lives, from an interview in Living with Legends:

I remember before we went to bed we were making out in the window, looking out at the street filling up with snow, it was almost completely quiet and we were overlooking  the electric Chelsea Hotel sign, and how it was lit up and haloed by all this snow, and I remember later the wild noises that the hotel made late that night, like some madman in the basement playing a church organ made with the hotel's old radiator pipes.

Unfortunately, in an otherwise perceptive article about Blake & Duncan’s tragic deaths, author David Amsden quotes the above passage in full without mentioning its source, Living with Legends.He does mention other blogs from which he gleaned material though, fairness dictates that he mention ours as well. I feel safe in saying that, if this interview had been published in the New York Times, Amsden would have cited the source.But I’m sure this is just an unintentional oversight on his part and that maybe he will act to correct it – at least in the online version.

(Photo: editrrix)

The Queen is Dead, Long Live the Queen (of Mean)

Chris Shott's piece in Tuesday's New York Observer was a very disappointing read. There is little new information and some recycled quotes from his earlier piece. Marlene Krauss continues to be in shrill denial mode:the hotel is not for sale; Andre Balazs is not associated with the hotel. And I'm sure Stanley is still the "Good Will Ambassador," whatever the hell that means.
     Actually, there is one revealing piece of info: Marlene says that renovation of the building could run as high as $50 million! Is the building in that bad a shape? What else could she be talking about if not a gut renovation? I'm really asking.
     Anyway, Chris, were' waiting for your indepth expose of Marlene's recent descent into paranoia. Last week, she had rent-a-cops (by some accounts armed) who looked like rejected extras from the Sopranos stationed in the lobby in case Stanley and David rode in from New Jersey to steal paintings off the wall at gun point!
     Or maybe she felt she needed her own Mafia to counter the sinister Bohemian mobsters who left a goldfish head in front of David Elder's door.
     Hey Marlene, I hear the title "Queen of Mean" is up for grabs, now that hotelier Leona Helmsley has departed for warmer climes. -- Ed Hamilton

Chelsea Guest Sent to Pod, the "Replacement" Hotel

Now that BD Hotels is running the Chelsea, what exactly happens when a guest is unhappy?

On August 4, Thomas B. checked into the Chelsea and here’s what he had to say. It's a pricey place for what they offer.  Rooms are big, but rundown, first room they gave me was horrible, after some complain they gave me another one, which was somewhat better.  At above US$200/night you expect way better rooms/bathrooms.  The bed though is good, with clean linens.  People at the front desk are not very nice either.  I moved to another hotel.

So, I e-mailed Thomas B. and asked him where he went after he checked out of the Chelsea.  Here’s his reply: “After Chelsea I went to the POD…” 

Hmmmm, he left the Chelsea and went to the POD, a hotel owned by BD.  It could be a coincidence, as they’re involved with about 20 hotels in New York, but if I were Marlene Krauss, I’d start asking BD a few questions about their customer service protocol. Call me crazy, but I feel certain Marley wants those Eurodollars to remain at the Chelsea. Afterall, she's not a shareholder up at the POD.

(Oh, by the way, we all know what Stanely would have done if Thomas had told him he was unhappy.  He would have sat Thomas down and convinced him that actually he was the happiest he had ever been in his life -- and then Thomas would have lived here for the next 20 years.)

Ethan Hawke: "Chelsea Hotel is the last man standing"

Remember a few months back with Ethan Hawke stopped by to give David Elder a piece of his mind? He recalls that day in an interview with the Daily News. Kudos to Ethan for keeping the Chelsea Hotel and the hostile takeover in the news. Maybe he'll take Jen Carlson's suggestion and buy the hotel!

"I went over there to do an interview. I saw Stanley Bard, the manager, and I said, 'What the hell's going on?' I just love Stanley. He's taken care of me my whole life. And I love that place. Chelsea Hotel is the last man standing. It's the last beacon of, 'Not gonna fall to corporate America.'

More Trouble in Room 100

     We haven‘t seen hide nor hair of Chelsea Hotel layabout/board member David Elder in about a week.  Here’s what happened.  For all of these years Sid Vicious’ ghost has remained content to play games such as stopping the elevators on the first floor and holding the door open.  If he’s feeling really spiteful he’ll make the elevator stop on every floor while he jumps off to go looking for Nancy.  And Nancy’s ghost, as far as we know, has simply been bidding her time until she was summoned by Sid.  But apparently something of cosmic significance must have happened in this building last Monday which allowed the ghosts of Sid & Nancy to reunite and run David Elder out of the hotel. 

     Anybody who we’ve ever talked to who knew Nancy says that she could be a real bitch, so just imagine what her ghost would be like.  She’s been laying in wait in that bathroom for two months listening to David Elder’s scheming to screw over the Bard family and Piri Thomas.  All of those prank phone calls that Ol’ Snake Eyes was getting at 3:00 in the morning was pissing her off too.  She didn’t mind the dead fish head that somebody left outside Elder’s door so much, but apparently she stepped in the dog poop and that really set her off.
     Posing as Elder’s girlfriend, the succubus Nancy came to him in bed one night promising to fulfill all of his deepest darkest desires. Unfortunately, David was too unimaginative to come up with any, so Nancy pulled the hunting knife from her gut and chased him naked and screaming down the hall.  Sid, hanging out in the hall, was last heard screaming, “At least bring me back a pack of fucking cigarettes you wanker!”  The shaken Elder sent the bellman up to retrieve his belongings and to mollify Sid with a carton of smokes.

     Some of the more skeptical among you may say that, no, actually all that’s happened is that David Elder has hopped on a plane back to LA, where the judge is scheduled to rule if he is fit to administer Piri Thomas’ trust (The judge will also decide if David Elder is fit to walk among humans.). -- Ed Hamilton

Sign of the Week

This framed inspirational poem was hanging on Stanley Bard's office door when I got home from work Monday evening.  Very puzzling.  (Click to enlarge)

All The News That's Fit to Print (And Then Some)

Since the hostile take over occurred in mid-June appx.175 stories have been published about the Bards and the famed Hotel Chelsea.  Definitely, one of the most covered stories of the Summer. In my opinion, 99% of these stories show support for the Bards and the Chelsea hotel community.  Below is a list of most of the coverage with links to many of the stories.  And, the end is not in sight.  Journalists continue to contact us on a weekly basis. Kudos to the media for continuing to follow this story.
Coverage Since July 14
Main Stream Media:  New York Times, Village Voice, New York Observer, amNewYork, Newsday, Globe and Mail, New York Post, Irish Times, Speigel, Die Presse.com, Jetzt.de, Net-Tribune.de, Portada TERRA COLOMBIA, Stay Thirsty

Blogs: Gothamist, Gothamist, Gothamist, curbed, curbed, curbed, curbed, curbed, hotelchatter, Village Voice, Das Reise, Vivirlatino, Boca Pistola, pinkpignyc, Cassandranow, Village Voice, hotelchatter, hotelchatter,

Not Available Online: German Public Radio

EARLIER COVERAGE STARTS HERE: Week 1

MSM: New York Times,  New York Post,  Reuters, The Independent, The Age, New York Times again, news.com.au, Western Mail, The Australian, ABC News (AU), TVguide.com, washingtonpost.com, Village Voice, New York Post again, Chelsea Now, NewZealandHearld.com

Blogs: Gothamist, city.room.nytimes, Curbed, Gawker, Hotel Chatter, NY Mag.com, Bloggy.com, Larry Person, Found in Brooklyn, The Huffington Post, The Real Deal, Newyorkology, Gothamist again, Curbed Again, Hoover Factory, Human Under Construction, The Wit of the Staircase, Contemporary Arts Review, Artsjournal, Chez Bez, Nikki Allen, Hochparterre International, Punk Turns 30, Hotel Chatter again, Ephemerist, I'm Not a Cat Lady, Mad Pilot, best year ever, NYMag.com again Bloggy Bloggy dew, Gothamist again, Hotel Chatter again, artloversny, dolphinhotel, Moon of Saturn,

Stories Not Available Online: International Hearld Tribune, Windsor Star (CA), Canberra Times (AU),

Week 2
MSM: New York Post, NYC Resident, BizBash, Fodors, Agence France-Presse, Metro France, South Asian Women's Forum, India, Tiscali (uk),  Show Biz & Style Inquirer, Tiscali Actualidad, Turkish Press

Blogs: Gawker, Curbed, Gothamist, NYMag, Hotel Chatter, LeVanguardia, Grumpy Old Bookman, NYMag again, Warhol Stars, NYMag again, Design Age, Guida USA, All of Me, NYMag again, Hotel Chatter again, Walking Turcot Yards, Blogs a part, Toll Booths and Train Stops, Disembedded, Do Not Feed Water Fowl, Newbie in New York, Moons of Saturn, Hoover Factory, Detroit Crazy, Guerrero Llevado Adentro, Entre le Uni i la Ciutat,  Mr. Heng's World, Artsy Fartsy, Robert Paterson's Weblog, Disembedded again,

Stories Not Available Online: TV5 (france), LaVanguardia (2 stories in addition to the blog post),  Italian TV (ran some footage from the 5/15 Australian documentary and updated the story)

Week 3
MSM: New York Times, Toronto Star, NY Post, The Villager, Raw Story,

Blogs: Finally, we don't have to do all of the work: Living with Leeches, curbed, libero, nymag.com, racked, vagablond,

Not Available Online: 1010 Wins -- The Joe Montone Show, Le Matin Bleu (Free Daily paper in Switzerland)

Week 4 
MSM: Sunday Times (South Africa's largest daily paper), Financial Times, New York Times

Blogs: The Shophound, (Shophound thinks we have a "buzz generating restaurant" in our future here at the hotel), Newyorkology, NY Mag, curbed, blogchelsea

(Thanks to Sparkle for a lot of these links.)

A Chelsea Friend in High Places

It's good to see that some people have the same ideas that we have -- that some places, the Chelsea included, are not just all about money.  Sometimes, even with all of the money, you can't improve upon perfection. In a recent interview in The New York Observer, Kent Barwick, president of the Municipal Art Society gives us his thoughts on the matter:

"I’m one of those romantics that love the Chelsea Hotel. I went there about 25 years ago just to say I spent the night there. I remember the room was fabulous, with this great terrace, and the furniture was like Route 66. Things are always in peril, you know? You can take and renovate the heart out of a place and improve the cash flow, and it just won’t have it anymore. The jury has to be out on that for a while."

Vali Myers: A Memoir

     The one-of a kind Australian artist and frequent Hotel Chelsea resident, Vali Myers, was undeniably a legend in her own time.  Our deposed leader Stanely Bard, of course, has a soft spot for the free-spirited Vali. Speaking with Chelsea Now, Bard said, "Vali Myers was a very special person who had her own definite ideas, and I allowed her to explore them. I’ve always tried to have some flexibility." 
     For thirty years, Gianni Menichetti, the author of this new memoir, lived with Vali Myers in the wild canyon of ‘Il Porto’—first as lover and willing slave, ultimately as friend, confidant, and protector. 
      Vali spent forty years in semi-seclusion in a wild canyon in Italy, where she continued producing her minute, mystical, and passionate drawings. Tough as nails, she fought the local authorities who wanted to introduce loggers into the valley, after a long struggle succeeding in having it designated an Environmental Oasis. Finally, Vali returned triumphant to her native Melbourne, where she was recognized as an artist sui generis.
    

INSIDE: THE CHELSEA HOTEL

Julia Calfee has lived and photographed in the Chelsea Hotel for four years.  "When I photographed at the Chelsea Hotel, I would be staying in a space or situation for hours.  Time would pass and my presence would become less and less visible.  Sometimes I would even disappear."

"People are always asking me what it's like to live in the Chelsea Hotel.  Not always easy.  There are times I felt like a fly caught in a spider's web, at risk of being eaten alive if I made the wrong move.  This goes with living and working in the same place with a large extended, temperamental family full of artistic sensitivities and colossal egos, with long, exposed nerve ends -- but there were also many moments of friendship, generosity, and complicity."

In an intimate style, INSIDE: The Chelsea Hoteldocuments not only the archetypes and atmosphere in, but also echoes from the spirits and ghosts of, the inimitable Chelsea Hotel.

Here's a photo Julia took of us playing foosball many months ago.  No spoiler here, it's not in the book!

 

Holy Smokes, A Real Live Bohemian Sneaks In on BD!

Its taken two months of close scrutiny but we finally spotted a guest who must have booked his room while Stanley was still in charge. I’m sure that many of you who live here have noticed the tall skinny guy dressed in hippy garb sitting in the lobby for the past couple of weeks.  Well, it’s none other than legendary Chicago poet and Guinness Book of World Records holder Lee Groban.  When I spoke with him Saturday evening, Lee told me that incredibly enough, this was the first time he had ever been to the Chelsea.  He was off to spend the evening at an underground poetry gathering on Bleeker and the Bowery and after the reading over to hang out with a couple of artist friends in the East Village. Just like the old days!

Lee gave me copies of a couple of his poems before he headed out into the night.  As you can see, Lee figures if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. It seems he’s still using the same typewriter that he used in 1981. Below is an excerpt from The Cure for Insomnia.

A Page From Chelsea's History

Historian and author of a forthcoming history of the hotel, Sherill Tippins writes to remind us that the present era is not unique in New York history, or the history of the Chelsea Hotel itself:

  NYC, hotelwise: With the economy soaring and plenty of freed-up capital circulating, investors started building ranks of fashionable new hotels. It became the biggest decade for hotel construction until the 1980s: 84 large hotels went up in NY from 1927 to 1933, increasing hotel space by 66%. Naturally, by the end of this cycle the supply far exceeded demand, resulting in price wars and a plunge in profits. 

Then the Depression hit, and the hotel industry in NY was devastated.  That's when the beautiful mirrors, furniture and other decorative elements were stripped from the Chelsea, and the larger suites were chopped up into smaller rooms even more than they had been previously, all in an effort to keep the place afloat. By the time the Bards took over, a lot of irretrievable damage had been done.

The moral of the story: Plutocrats and developers can weather the ups and downs of the economy a lot more easily than historic buildings and their non-wealthy residents. Something to think about in this Twenties-type era of rampant expansion.

(My source for a lot of this: "Land of Desire: Merchants, Power, and the Rise of a New American Culture" by William Leach. A great book that touches on several sources of misunderstanding, I think, between Chelsea Hotel residents and the apparent intentions of the current members of the Chelsea Hotel board.)

Still Unwanted

Everytime we turn around this sign is in the elevator.  We're getting pretty tired of it.  Could one of you artsy types make a new one?
     Remember, August 20 is the date that the courts will decide if Elder is fit to walk among men. Since neither the Chelsea nor Piri Thomas wants anything to do with him, lets hope the judge employs the wisdom of Solomon -- and chops Elder in half.   

 

The Chelsea For SALE?

Horrifying rumor/news from curbed.com.  We've heard rumors that this was going to happen.  Could it be true?  Stay tuned.
Tantalizing, unverified gossip! The Chelsea Hotel is for sale, with an asking price of $90 million. Broker Nigel Shamesh of NSNYRE supplies the commentary: "A link got sent to a few of us broker/principals, hardly a flyer or presentation—there has probably not been one made yet. If you wanted me to tell you how credible it is, I would put it at 90%. Whether the sellers are motivated to move or just feeling the market is anyone's guess. But i think with this commercial market, the building will change hands and will be revamped—probably to a higher-end hotel."

All of this begs the question of why, say, André Balazs might be getting involved with management if the owners just want to sell, so we're guessing this news, if true, is more of a market-feeling move than liquidation. In any case, whoa.
· Hotel Chelsea Fallout: Ethan Hawke Arrives, Naps [Curbed]

Lodging vs. Hospitality: Andre Balazs Speaks Out Against BD Hotels

In my quest to learn more about Andre Balazs – projected designer of the new and improved Chelsea Hotel – I found so much information that I finally got tired of reading about the guy before I even had the chance to make fun of him. And anyway – though I reserve the right to future ridicule – at least some of what I read disposed me favorably toward the guy.  Consider this quote from a 2004 interview with Hospitality Design:

“I think the biggest problem…in properties is when you go in and you clearly sense that one entity or one person built it and maybe someone else owns and now a third entity is managing it. And that disconnect is very bad obviously. I think any guest in the hotel feels it.”

And later in the interview he says: “… in America we have two businesses: we have the lodging industry and we have the hospitality industry… And I think this disconnect between ownership, development, and management is a characteristic of the lodging industry. The hospitality industry, which has its roots more in the small European Style hotels is about the hospitality that’s delivered. You don’t get hospitality form a construction manager or a developer. You get it from the hotelier or the owner.”

You see what I mean? He’s practically saying Bring Back the Bards. Why on earth would he associate himself with BD Hotels?

Here’s one more quote that I can’t resist: "Well, a good hotel is fascinating to me because it has always brought out the extremes in human behavior. There are more suicides, there are more romances, there are more illicit affairs. People are unhinged a little in a good hotel.”

Whoo hoo! BRING BACK THE BARDS!  (Photo: Curbed.com)

Screwing Artists Left and Right

     In an article in the NY Post last Thursday, it’s reported that ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) is suing Hiro Ballroom in the Maritime Hotel for hundreds of thousands of dollars for playing songs without paying the artists royalties.  BD Hotels, of course, owns the Maritime, and it’s no accident they’re associated with such scoundrels. 

     It’s one thing to play a CD in a bar, but Hiro is a hoity-toity nightclub for the rich.  They can afford to pay the musicians from whom they are profiting. 
     Really though, if you hadn’t already suspected it, this should tip you off that BD has no respect for anyone engaged in a creative pursuit.  If you life isn’t wholly devoted to grubbing for money then you’re fair game.  Luckily, some of our number have the where withal to fight back against these soulless bloodsuckers.  So more power to Bon Jovi and AC/DC!

More Whining From the Artsy Types

In an odd little item in The New York Post yesterday, Born and Drukier of BD Hotels claim to have increased revenue without slashing room rates.  Be that as it may, for me the most revealing part of the article – not attributed to Born and Drukier , but still I assume, reflective of their views – was the suggestion that now residents ought to stop whining that that the “sacred energy” of the hotel is being lost.  It’s as if they thought that, all along, we had been equating the energy of the Chelsea with money!  Boy, aren’t we a confused lot.  Luckily, we have Born and Drukier and their cell phones and bank books to set us straight: not only have they not destroyed the energy of the Chelsea, they’ve actually increased it!  Just look at the numbers, dumbass Bohemians!

    Actually, it’s easy enough to spot a little fudging in the numbers right away.  As proof that they haven’t slashed room rates, the article cites averages ($183 versus $180 a year ago), which of course doesn’t preclude the possibility that they have slashed rates on some rooms.  It’s been common knowledge around here that they are filling the hotel with hordes of tourists who booked their rooms over the Internet on the cheap.  As we reported a while back, we have seen rooms listed as low as $109 per night, a rate not seen since the 1990s.

     Who can blame us if we are let to suspect a little more in the way of creative accounting?  Revenue does not equal profits.  There are a lot more people on the payroll now, and guess what, those Internet booking fees will one day come due.  What we’re seeing here is most likely a short term fix, in other words; the real test is what they do over the long haul.
     It wouldn’t shock me, however, if Born & Drukier were able to generate more profits than the Bards.  For Stanley, as comically greedy as he did sometimes seem, it never was all about the money. And that’s something that Born & Drukier, for all their superior attitude and condescension  toward the residents of the Chelsea, will, sadly, never be quite able to grasp.

     And what the heck are Born & Drukier crowing about anyway the average rate for a New York City hotel room is $273 per night! – Ed Hamilton  (The article is below. Photo: Drukier & Friends)

Richard Born and Ira Drukier want you to know this about the Chelsea Hotel, of which their BD Hotels have taken control - to the dismay of old-timers living there on the cheap: room occupancy last month was 84 percent, way up over the 55 percent reported in July 2006 - a jump achieved without slashing rates ($183 average per night versus $180 a year ago).

Room revenue soared to $480,000 in July from $299,000 last year. Based on bookings to date, August revenue will be $700,000 and occupancy 90 percent - compared with $330,000 and 61 percent one year ago, when the place was being run by longtime manager Stanley Bard.

So, all of you artsy types grumbling that the hotel's "sacred energy" would be lost following the Chelsea board's ouster of Bard in favor of BD - quit whining, OK?  (Source: NY POST)

Sorry Marlene, We’re Just a Bunch of Dumb Artists Here

In a recent amNY article, Marlene Krauss  M.D., M.B.A., Pld, board member and mastermind of the hostile takeover of the Chelsea Hotel, seems to have finally put her finger on it when she says, “I think the tenants don’t understand what is happening, that this is all for their benefit.”   
    The diabolical Stanley was paying himself an exorbitant salary, she claims,  and while this may perhaps be true, I somehow doubt that replacing him with an entire corporation will save the hotel much in management costs.   And even if there are savings I somehow doubt that any of the residents will be getting rent reductions anytime soon.
     Thus, it remains a puzzle as to why BD hotels, which specializes in building boutique hotels – was hired, especially since Marlene says she has no intentions of “changing leases made under Bard, converting rooms to condos, or otherwise altering the hotel’s ambiance.”  Well, as we reported last week, it seems that some leases are already being challenged, that is, those belonging to tenants who have moved in since the first of the year.  (Some of them were sent letters informing them of their expected check-out date, among other shady tactics.)  As for the ambiance of the Chelsea, it has already been altered by the deployment of toadies such as David Elder to lay around the lobby and listen in whenever anybody tries to have a conversation.  We are also not too thrilled about the partitioning of the Grand Ballroom into office space.
     Oh, and as for David Elder, we now learn that the fish head he received was really just a goldfish head, which makes it seem rather less like the work of The Godfather than of Spanky and Alfalfa.  Soon we’ll learn that the “dog poop” left outside his door was really nothing but a sprinkling of rabbit pellets. – Ed Hamilton

Guests both Human and Otherwise Mistreated at the Chelsea: Ira Drukier Addresses the Issue

Lulu Selby, a gallery owner who represents some of the artists who live here at the hotel, has been staying here since July 17.  Last week, she had an extremely unpleasant encounter with the new director of operations.  Her full story is below.   
Lulu contacted Ira Drukier (the D in BD Hotels for the uninitiated) She said that Drukier was very nice and could not understand how something like this could happen.  She also received a phone call from David Bernstein, of BD hotels, and according to Lulu, he apologized profusely and said it will never happen again.  He said that the Director of Operations was new and didn’t know the proper procedures.  So we want to know, why are they  putting somebody with so little experience in charge at a high profile hotel like the Chelsea? Do you think that guests get treated like this at the Mercer?  Do they lock people out of their rooms at the Maritime?  As for the dog, maybe somebody should sic the ASPCA on BD! 

Hi there guys, I am in apt.#1024 I had an altercation with Glennon Travis our new fearless leader, I was locked out of my room after being in DR. Peter Ferro's office for 5 hours of procedure. I went upstairs to get my purse to pay DR. Ferro and to take care of my service Dog only to find that the fearless leader had locked me out with my dog locked in. I called the police and he had no valid reason, he told the police that I would not sign a piece of paper which was totally untrue. he tried to raise my rate by $59 doolars which I would not approve and they had alredy had gotten an auth. fro AMEX for $4000.00 for 7 days on the 24th of July I checked in on the 17th of July. I called our fearless leader this AM and informed him of a problem with the TV,George Duane and Victor all tried to fix the TV but all agreed that it was not possible so they would get me another one then they were told by our FL Glennon that they would have to have his approval so I called and he informed me to be patient and he would locate one even though the employees had alredy done that. Now he is offering to change me to another room with a TV that works and should he charge the one that is not working to my charge since he does not know if I broke this one!!!!!!!! I called the Police and they had him open the door and told me that it was not a Police matter but none the less they had him open the door!! I have contacted the New York Times and they are very intrested in this story and everything else I can tell them. I have to put as much in writing and Fax to Paul in the Metro desk please get back to me I am in apt.# 1024

BD Invites Residents to Check Out

Yes, we’ve got a request, bring back the Bards.  Some of our fellow residents got surprises in their box this month.  Instead of an invoice, they got letters in their boxes informing them they are expected to check out.  Even though you may not have been here for long if you have lived here for more than 30 days in the same room you may have rights.  Certainly they can’t just invite you to leave.  They have to legally start eviction proceedings.  We are not lawyers, but perhaps you should talk to a lawyer or a tenants advocacy group.    Don’t panic and don’t leave! 

Confusion Reigns at the Chelsea: Even the U.S. Mail is No Longer Sacred

Tuesday afternoon there was a sign in the Chelsea Hotel elevator:

TO PREVENT ANY CONFUSION PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT BD HOTELS IS NO LONGER THE MANAGING AGENT OF THE CHELSEA HOTEL.  ALL INQUIRIES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO DAVID ELDER, OFFICE OF THE MANAGER. 

     I went downstairs to see what it was all about and saw three of my fellow residents discussing the flyer in the lobby.  “Everybody got them in their mailboxes,” Rupert said (name changed—I hope nobody here is named Rupert).  “You should have one in your box, too.”  They all wondered whether or not what it said was true.  “What is this, amateur hour?” Rupert asked. 

“It can’t possibly be true,” I said.  “Elder’s not qualified to pick out his own socks.”

I went up to the front desk and had one of the bellmen get my letter out of my box.  “What’s the meaning of this,” I asked the smiling young man who appeared to be in charge.  (He turned out to be Glendon, the new Director of Operations.)

“That’s a hoax,” Glendon said, and snatched the letter out of my hand and threw it in the trash.

“Give that back,” I said. 

“No, it stays in the trash,” Glendon says. 

“You can’t just steal my mail and throw it in the trash,” I said.  (It had come through the U.S. mail, stamped and postmarked.)

“It’s your mail but it goes in the trash,” the bellman broke in.  (The staff must take a lot of heat due to these confusing signs.)

I kept arguing and finally Glendon realized I wasn’t going away and so got the letter out and handed it back to me.  (I think he was also worried that I was causing a scene in front of some transient guests.)  “I know you’re the one who writes that really ha ha funny blog,” he said. 

“No, it’s ha ha really sick,” I corrected him. 

“Yeah, you’re right, it is sick, he said. 

“So who are you, anyway,” I asked. 

Glendon introduced himself and shook my hand.  “I’m trying to meet all the people in the hotel.”

“Good luck.”

“I hope we’re not going to have any trouble,” he said. 

“Just so long as you don’t throw anybody out on the street,” I replied.

“Oh we’d never do that,” Glendon said. 

I went back and told the other residents that the letter was a hoax.  “I asked the new guy, Glendon,” I said.  “Have you ever met him?”

“No,” Rupert said, “I don’t interact with any of these people.  Is Donald Trump running the hotel now?  Is that guy one of his apprentices?”

‘If he wins he’s really gonna get a booby prize,” I said.

Though my exchange with Glendon was all fun and games since he did eventually give back my mail, it has come to our attention—though we haven’t yet verified it--that someone from BD Hotels may have been throwing away more of these letters, apparently taking them from residents boxes before they had a chance to read them.  This would represent a serious breach of trust, and an abuse of power, not to mention being (in our understanding) a federal offense.  We hope that this rumor is not true. -- Ed Hamilton

Ways to Help The Chelsea Hotel Community

     Did you keep a souvenir from your stay at the Chelsea?  For many of you, even if you only stayed a short time, you may have fond memories and you may have saved a souvenir.  Now those souvenirs could help us keep the Chelsea as it is and avoid having BD turn it into a high priced luxury boutique hotel.    Souvenirs from any time period will be valuable, however anything from the 60s, 70s and 80s could prove particularly useful.   
     If you have possibly kept any sort of rent receipts or leases or letters or anything indicating a room number or a price we would appreciate it if you would send us a copy.  Even if you don’t have a receipt write us and let us know when you stayed at the hotel and which room you stayed in.  Do not send this information to the Hotel.  If possible scan it and e-mail it to us at chelblog@yahoo.com .  If you are unable to scan the document send us an e-mail and we’ll give you an address to send the copy to. Below is an example of a receipt.

Lets keep this place the way it is so that future generations can experience what it’s like to stay at the Chelsea.