Take a stroll through New York’s Flower Market, and you might miss the entrance to Moxy Chelsea, a recently opened hotel towering 35 stories above the plant-lined sidewalk—its entrance, after all, doubles as Putnam & Putnam Flower Shop, the only retail space of celebrity floral designers Darroch and Michael Putnam. Developed by Lightstone and the second collaboration between Yabu Pushelberg and Rockwell Group, the 349-room “secret garden” has a bit of a mischievous streak, wryly weaving together botanical and Italian influences.

Billing itself as micro-room, macro-amenity, Moxy Chelsea is all about efficiency, cutting the fat while amplifying the essentials so that the overall experience still feels posh—opulent, even, if you focus on its more unrestrained spaces like its sensuous rooftop bar (more on that later). Rooms are about half the size of what you’d typically find in New York, but high ceilings, refined details, and clever planning ensure that guests don’t mix the square footage.

Ample common areas encourage guests to get out of their rooms, and spaces are designed to transform throughout the day in terms of both use and vibe. Instead of an entrance lobby, guests are greeted at butcher-block check-in kiosks, then ushered upstairs by an imposing concrete staircase to the spacious second floor, which holds co-working lounges, Bar Feroce, Bar Feroce’s Backyard, and the oft-Instagrammed Conservatory—a three-story glass atrium with a Little Shop of Horrors-inspired living wall.

Because of its hyper-efficient planning, rates start at $159 a night, affording the millennial set a trendy night’s sleep at a reasonable price. Keep scrolling for a tour of the lively property.

Moxy Chelsea opened in February 2019 after the success of Moxy Times Square, and Moxy East Village is set to open this fall.

Project Credits:

Architectural Design: Stonehill Taylor

Owner/Developer: Lightstone

Interior Designers: Yabu Pushelberg, Rockwell Group

Appears In

This Micro-Room Hotel in New York’s Flower Market Channels a Decadent Garden of Eden