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Taking up an entire block on 6th Avenue between 29th and 30th Streets in New York City‘s stylish Chelsea neighborhood, the Kimpton Hotel Eventi — opened in 2010 — is one of two Kimpton properties in the city, alongside Kimpton Hotel Theta.
The pet-friendly Kimpton Hotel Eventi rises 54 floors and holds 292 rooms of various sizes. On the lower end of the scale, guests can expect 275 square feet of space for a basic room; a one-bedroom suite will stretch to 500 square feet.
Here’s what a stay at this artsy IHG property was like when TPG checked in earlier this year.
JORDAN WALLER/THE POINTS GUYWhat is the Kimpton Hotel Eventi?
IHG’s dewy-eyed description of the property is that of an “artistic Chelsea Hotel,” which isn’t too much of a stretch, thanks to its chic lobby and generous smatterings of contemporary art throughout the property. This boutique hotel takes its art collection seriously, with select works by Barbara Nessim, Dustin Yellin, Maxi Cohen and Julian Hoeber, among others.
JORDAN WALLER/THE POINTS GUY
I’d describe the Kimpton Hotel Eventi as a stylish property for hip professionals who have outgrown the buzzy Moxy scene and want to add a dose of sophistication to their experience.
Related: 10 best Kimpton Hotels in the world
How to book the Kimpton Hotel Eventi
The Kimpton brand is part of IHG, meaning IHG One Rewards members can redeem and earn points at Kimpton Hotel Eventi.
You can book a room at the Kimpton Eventi for around 34,000 to 75,000 IHG One Reward points per night. TPG’s July 2024 valuations peg IHG One Rewards points at 0.5 cents per dollar.
Cash rates at this property start at around $220 per night. If you are paying a cash rate for your booking, we’d recommend using one of the credit cards that earn the most points for IHG stays, as well as one that possibly offers automatic IHG One Rewards elite status for value-added benefits. These include:
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card: Earn 10 points per dollar spent at IHG hotels and resorts, plus automatic Platinum Elite status.
IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card: Earn 10 points per dollar spent at IHG hotels and resorts, plus automatic Platinum Elite status.
IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card: Earn 5 points per dollar spent at IHG hotels and resorts, plus automatic Silver Elite status.
To book your stay, visit the Kimpton Hotel Eventi website.
Related: The award traveler’s guide to IHG One Rewards
A prime Chelsea location for Manhattan sightseeing JORDAN WALLER/THE POINTS GUY
The Kimpton Hotel Eventi is in a great location if you’re a first-time sightseer in the Big Apple. It sits close to some of New York City’s most iconic spots, including the Empire State Building, Macy’s Herald Square, Times Square, Madison Square Garden and Koreatown.
You’re also a veritable stone’s throw away from the High Line and Penn Station, both of which have several metro lines and Amtrak service access. Like all Manhattan hotels, this Kimpton can be anywhere from a 30-minute to hourlong drive to nearby airports like John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA), depending on traffic.
The 33rd Street and Sixth Avenue subway is only a short stroll with access to the B, D, F, M, N, Q, R and W lines.
Rooms are comfortable but a bit dark
My essential king room was around 275 square feet. It had a king-size bed, two bedside tables, a desk, three mirrors in the bedroom area (two flanking the bed and one opposite), a television and a “city view” of the buildings opposite.
While not unpleasant, I’d have much preferred a view of the Empire State Building, which the hotel also offers.
The room’s monochrome and gray stylings, in combination with the mood lighting, made the space quite dark when natural light wasn’t available from the floor-to-ceiling windows. On the plus side, this meant that with blackout blinds and curtains fully engaged, the room was drenched in total darkness, and it was easy to get a solid night’s sleep.
There was an array of lighting options — including orb lights and adjustable reading lights — on either side of the bed. Unfortunately, not all of the lights worked, either due to faulty bulbs or bad wiring.
A decently sized built-in closet with sliding doors near the bed contained removable coat hangers, an ironing board, an iron, a dressing gown and a luggage rack.
The closet wasn’t deep, but it was large enough for a short stay; however, the sliding doors were annoyingly loose and slid shut automatically whenever they were opened. Inside the closet was a safe, though I could not open it or reset the code as instructed.
The bathroom was a good size, with white and gray marble tiling on the floors and walls as well as a vaguely camouflaged line-drawn portrait of a face on the glass above the toilet.
The tub featured a small rainfall-style shower head; accessibility railings on all its adjacent walls; a rubber nonslip bathmat; wall-mounted Malin + Goetz shampoo, conditioner and shower gel; and Atelier and Bloem soap around the wash basin.
A workspace with a (toilet) view
Oddly, the desk in the room was positioned directly in front of the bathroom. This meant with the bathroom door closed, the workspace was extremely dark and claustrophobic. With the bathroom door open, anyone on a Zoom call would be staring directly at the toilet. The desk felt very cramped with the one chair in front of it — which had to be moved from the corner of the room.
JORDAN WALLER/THE POINTS GUY
Desk arrangements aside, the Wi-Fi was fast, and I didn’t have any issues joining Zoom calls or checking emails during my stay. As an IHG One Rewards member, I could also access Wi-Fi for free; nonmembers will pay around $22.95.
In similar rooms, the hotel website shows the desk beneath the TV, so it could have been moved. However, it seemed too heavy and fussy to shift on my own as it also housed the minifridge and minibar.
The left-side cupboard of the desk contained a minibar. It contained four bottles of Smart Water, soft drinks including Coke and Sprite, some premixed cocktails, cans of Montauk pilsner lager and snacks such as M&Ms and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Additional snacks, including chips and Haribo gummy bears, were in a slim, raised sliding drawer beside the minifridge.
It wasn’t extravagant or vast as minibar offerings go, but it served its purpose. Due to the desk position, accessing the bar was a little tricky, and the lighting made it hard to see what was on offer.
Annoyingly, there was also no coffee machine in my room, though I could have ordered one to the room by calling reception.
Some unwelcome surprises
Arriving tired and jet-lagged from my transatlantic flight, the room seemed tidy and clean. However, upon waking the next day and opening the curtains, I discovered a dirty shirt left by the room’s previous occupants. This was quite unpleasant, and I was suddenly aware that the room may not have been thoroughly cleaned.
JORDAN WALLER/THE POINTS GUY
Hopping in the shower, I also noticed the shower curtain and bathroom tiles were spattered with a blue substance — either shower gel or toothpaste. This wasn’t just wear and tear. It could have been easily removed if the tiles had been wiped down properly and the shower curtain either cleaned or replaced. I found similar stains on tiles and marks around the sink area.
I suspected the room had only been given a cursory clean. Surfaces had not been wiped down, and the floors had not been thoroughly vacuumed, given the presence of hairclips that I found on the bedroom area floor.
I informed the reception staff. They politely apologized, offered a $50 minibar credit for my troubles and added that they would send a cleaner to rectify the issues.
When I returned later, the shirt and hair clips were gone. However, the shower curtain, dirty tiles and other stains remained. When I later checked out, the reception staff raised none of this, and no further apologies were given.
As you can imagine, this somewhat affected my impression of the hotel. For what it’s worth, I don’t directly blame the housekeeping staff. During my stay I saw only one cleaner on my floor at any one time. This feels like ambitiously low staffing for so many rooms.
Wine hour and complimentary coffee
Guests at the Kimpton Hotel Eventi can take advantage of free coffee each morning until 10 a.m., though it’s worth noting that you’re limited to self-serve filter coffee only — no free mocha here. That said, the coffee wasn’t terrible, and it more than hit the spot. The coffee is available daily via several large dispensers found at the entrance to the L’Amico restaurant.
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Caffeine-induced thrills aren’t all that’s on offer. Like other hotels in the Kimpton family, the Eventi has a wine hour each day in the lobby between 5 and 6 p.m., where guests can drink select red and white wines for free. This is a nice touch, particularly if you’d like to grab a quick drink before heading out for dinner.
During my stay, the wine on offer was by Dark Harvest. Free wine can often be somewhat dubious, but I was impressed. I got to sample a cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, both of which were more than palatable.
Classic cocktail lounge meets arthouse chic
The hotel has one bar, the creatively titled Back Bar, which is — you guessed it — toward the back of the hotel, past the lobby.
The Back Bar is a stylish cocktail lounge with art deco designs and slightly Metropolis-esque beer taps adorning the bronze patinaed bar top. The bar’s tasteful floor tiling and expansive display of spirits make it a classy-looking space. However, the large screens behind the bar playing sports channels slightly cheapen the space.
The bar stretches into a larger seating area that fades the classic bar environment into a more boho contrast with mismatched rugs, sofa seating and smaller two-seated side booths.
Retaining some of Back Bar’s aesthetic, the more relaxed design is offset by dark walnut wooden bookcases and a small raised level with sofas and a fire.