Holiday Inn Express NYC Chelsea – NoMad Area by IHG

I’ll be honest – when I first walked into Holiday Inn Express NYC Chelsea – NoMad Area by IHG, I wasn’t expecting much from a three-star property in this part of Manhattan. But you know what? This place actually surprised me in the best way possible.

The location is what really sold me on it. You’re right on West 29th Street, which puts you smack between Chelsea and NoMad – and I mean, you can’t really ask for better positioning than that. Within a five-minute walk, I was at the High Line entrance near 30th Street, and Madison Square Garden is literally just a few blocks south. The subway situation is pretty ideal too – you’ve got the R and W trains at 28th Street, plus the 6 at 28th and Park. I actually found myself walking everywhere though, because Herald Square and all those shops are right there, and the whole Flatiron area is an easy stroll east. The neighborhood has this great energy – not too touristy like Times Square, but busy enough that you feel like you’re really in New York.

What impressed me most was how they’ve managed to squeeze genuine comfort out of what’s obviously a pretty compact space. The rooms aren’t huge (this is Manhattan, after all), but they’re smartly laid out with these clean, modern lines that don’t feel cramped. The beds were actually really comfortable – I’m picky about hotel mattresses, and I slept well every night. The bathrooms are small but functional, with decent water pressure, which honestly can be hit or miss in New York hotels. One thing I appreciated was how quiet it was considering you’re in such a bustling area – I was worried about street noise, but the windows do a good job blocking it out. The free breakfast is typical Holiday Inn Express fare, nothing fancy but it gets the job done, and there’s decent coffee available 24/7 in the lobby. The staff was genuinely friendly too, not just going through the motions – they gave me solid recommendations for restaurants nearby and helped me figure out the best route to Brooklyn when I wanted to check out Dumbo. I mean, for the price point in this location, you’re getting solid value without any major compromises.