New York's historic Hotel Chelsea remembered in new film

John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Dylan Thomas, Tom Waits, Jack Kerouac and Joni Mitchell are just a smattering of names who passed through and were inspired by the Hotel Chelsea to create iconic music, literature and works of art. Even Mark Twain logged time there! Supposedly, presidential offspring Chelsea Clinton was named after the Hotel Chelsea (which makes her mother far cooler than I previously thought).

Sex Pistols front man Sid Vicious notoriously killed his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, while staying at the hotel in 1978 (in Room 100, if you must know). Or did he? Many rumors still circulate to this day around Nancy's death. The hotel has been aptly described by actor Jamie Burke as an "artistic tornado of death and destruction and love and broken dreams."

Burke's portrayal of Vicious was unveiled at Cannes in the new documentary Chelsea on the Rocks. Reports say the film presents a haunting view of the sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll through the 1960s and 1970s. I can't wait to see it.

Sadly, the current fate of the Chelsea Hotel is uncertain. The hotel was long owned by the Bard family until 2007. Now under new ownership, there are fears the hotel will get trapped in the gentrification of this one-salty neighborhood. Only time will tell, but I sure hope not.

While no rock stars stay at the Hotel Chelsea these days - and least none with a record deal - if you are up for a bit of the rustic, visit or spend a night there and take in the vibe of it's legendary history. Put some Hendrix on your iPod, kick back with a drink (or three) and take a few moments to remember those legends who have passed through the halls before you.

The hotel is located on West 23rd Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues, in the heart of the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Rooms start at a super reasonable $139/night for a shared bathroom increasing to $449/night for a two-bedroom suite.

Dylan's famous New York hotel under threat [icWales]
Hotel Chelsea: rock's vortex of 'death and destruction [Wired]
Hotel Chelsea [Wikipedia]