A review of the Kimpton Hotel Eventi in New York City

What 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.

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.

How to book the Kimpton Hotel Eventi

A prime Chelsea location for Manhattan sightseeing

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Living up to its arthouse hype, a vast hanging light art installation by Kwangho Lee dangles above the room.

Multiple staff members attended the bar throughout my stay. The bar served an expansive menu of cocktail classics and signature tipples alongside a curated collection of beers.

The drinks menu was expansive. In addition to the usual suspects, such as a White Negroni ($19), it also included high-end takes on classics, such as the Pappy Old Fashioned ($55), made with Pappy Van Winkle (10-year) and Demerara Angostura bitters.

While I didn’t sample the cocktails, I did enjoy the Infinite Machine pilsner by KCBC ($12), which came in a cool, beercan-style glass and was crisp and refreshing. Bar food and snacks were also available, but I didn’t see anyone eating them during my stay.

Freshly made pizza and very herby breakfasts

In terms of dining, guests at the Kimpton Eventi have two restaurants to choose from. L’Amico, connected to the lobby, is an Italian-influenced American restaurant by executive chef Laurent Tourondel. Skirt Steak is a next-door steakhouse (with bottomless fries on the menu) accessible via the street in front.

Sadly, I could not eat at Skirt Steak during my stay. (It wasn’t open during midweek lunch hours, and the evening I attempted to dine there, it had closed early.) I did get to check out L’Amico, though.

L’Amico is a bright and airy space grasping for a chilled rustica-meets-New York warehouse apartment vibe. It had faux-vintage refurbished light fittings, exposed ceiling struts and industrial-looking, floor-to-ceiling windows. The energy felt both laid-back and upbeat. I enjoyed peering into the open kitchen and watching the chefs shovel an endless stream of pizza into the restaurant’s large, bronze pizza ovens.

Wait times for dinner at L’Amico were well over an hour, so I didn’t stay. However, I ate there for breakfast and lunch.

The breakfast menu had plenty of options, including several oatmeal and granola selections served with fresh fruit and berries, pastries, muffins, bagels, and Italian-inspired egg dishes and pancakes. Notable options include poached eggs with prosciutto and balsamic caramelized onions as well as almond and acacia honey granola with whipped sheep’s milk ricotta.

I tried the Del Giorni ($24), which included Italian herbed potatoes, roasted tomato, poached eggs, leafy greens and toast. Though well presented, I regretted not going for something more adventurous. The potatoes were fine but pretty herb-less as far as I could tell. By contrast, the tomato was absolutely caked in the stuff to an overpowering degree. The leafy greens were, well, leafy but lacked dressing.

On the upside, the eggs were perfectly poached, and the sausage was flavorful. I’ll also say that the white Americano coffee ($5) was much better than average.

A well-equipped gym for fitness buffs

If you hate to miss a workout even when traveling, the Kimpton Hotel Eventi houses a decently sized gym on the fifth floor. It allows you to work out as you plot world domination while peering out across the city.

The 1,000-square-foot space is well-stocked for most workout needs. It includes Peloton bikes, elliptical machines, stationary exercise bikes, treadmills, free weights, chest press and lat pull-down machines, and other workout essentials.

On the same floor, I also spotted a spa, though the Kimpton website’s FAQs state it does not have one. Either way, it was closed during my stay.

If you’re hankering for a more adventurous way to keep active during your stay, you can use one of the hotel’s free bikes.

Reasons Kimpton Hotel Eventi might not be for you

• Daily housekeeping was not thorough.
• Restaurants close early if it’s a quiet night.
• The workspace in some rooms is dark and not very comfortable.
• There is no free Wi-Fi unless you’re an IHG loyalty member.
• Breakfast isn’t quite worth its price tag.
• The hotel is pet-friendly, so if furry friends aren’t your vibe, you may not enjoy it.

Accessibility

The Kimpton Hotel Eventi offers both wheelchair-accessible rooms and hearing-accessible rooms. Accessible room options include king rooms with accessible bathtubs or roll-showers and king and queen rooms with communication accessibility features.

Guests can book these rooms by clicking the disability symbol when searching online.

In addition to the accessible rooms, the spa, gym, hotel bar and restaurants are also wheelchair-friendly. They have either ramp access or flat entrances and exits. All floors are accessible via elevators.

Checking out

If you’re looking to stay in New York’s Chelsea district and don’t want to break the bank, the Kimpton Hotel Eventi could be a contender. However, it does come with some caveats.

While comfortable enough, the rooms feel slightly dated. Although they’re a cut above what you might find in a more budget hotel, they do not feel luxurious. It’s also worth noting my experiences with the room cleaning service; while this could have just been a one-off instance, it’s really unacceptable for any hotel to miss things like this during room maintenance.

The Kimpton Hotel Eventi does have good — if not slightly forgettable — dining options and a lovely stylish bar to relax at. The daily free wine is also a plus. Would I stay again? I’m not in a hurry, but I wouldn’t totally write it off despite some of the issues I encountered.

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