Ghosts, Celebs, and Rock ’n’ Roll: A History of NYC’s Hotel Chelsea

Unpacked by AFAR

How does the hotel that attracted luminaries like Andy Warhol, Janis Joplin, and Sid Vicious undergo a renovation without losing its gritty, celeb-packed history? In this week’s episode of Unpacked, we’re debuting “If These Walls Could Talk,” which shares the secrets behind iconic hotels, beginning with New York City’s legendary Hotel Chelsea. AFAR’s hotel editor Jennifer Flowers takes us behind the scenes, where ghosts, celebrities, and charismatic residents lurk.

Meet this week’s guests

• Sean MacPherson, hotelier
• Sherill Tippins, historian and author of Inside the Dream Palace

Resources

• Read this week’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
• Watch Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel, the Martin Scorcese documentary.
• Read Inside the Dream Palace, Tippins’s book about the hotel
• Book a night and see the history (and maybe a ghost or two) for yourself!
• Read more about AFAR’s 2023 Stay List, which features the Hotel Chelsea