Chloe Fineman would like hotel guests to know if they’re looking for something purely relaxing, she’s not the person for the job. Her bedtime stories are best enjoyed, she says, like “a cheeky little aperitivo.”
The comedian and “SNL” cast member has partnered with Moxy Hotels on a new installment of the brand’s “Call for a Bedtime Story” program, recording three original stories that will be available at every Moxy property in the U.S. and Canada through February. Guests can dial in from the retro rotary phones in their rooms and hear Fineman’s voice on the other end, complete with her signature impressions, oddball characters, and plenty of chaos.
The stories include “The Staycation,” about a woman whose terrifying boss gives her the week off, only for her to spiral at the thought of returning to her childhood bedroom; “The Guilt Trip,” featuring a woman who ditches her overbearing mom’s house for something more comfortable, and “Merry Peachmas,” a poem about a diva Shiba Inu named Peaches and her standoff with a Persian cat called Mildew. That last one is inspired by Fineman’s own dog Peach, who, she notes, has been expelled from every day care in Manhattan.
“I thought of my stories as a little cocktail,” Fineman told WWD. “You feel relaxed because you’re relating to the story, but you’re also having a little bit of fun.”
Listeners can also expect to hear Fineman’s relatives make an appearance — or at least her version of them. “There’s some voices,” she said. “They might hear a little taste of my crazy family.”
The audio format is familiar territory for Fineman, who has quietly become one of the go-to voices at “SNL” for announcements and commercial parodies. “If there’s ever a woman who’s like, ‘Uber Eats, only on’…Well, here’s the big reveal,” she shared with a laugh. “The woman who sounds like TikTok, that’s me!”
She sees the bedtime stories as a chance to flex differently. “You have to put in the extra effort to really paint the picture with voices when people can’t see your face,” she said. “It’s a good reminder when I go back to ‘SNL’ to paint the picture, even if you can see it.”
The partnership also happens to align with one of Fineman’s genuine passions: hotels. “I love hotels. I love getting away from my chaotic apartment, my chaotic family,” she said. She’s the type who’s always doling out travel advice to friends and colleagues. “I’m always the one with tips — ‘this is where to stay, this is what to buy, you have to try that lip gloss, you have to stay there,’” she said. “So this feels authentic. I love telling people about stuff that I’m excited about.”
Beyond comedy, Fineman has become an increasingly visible presence on the fashion circuit, most recently spotted with Tory Burch. She lights up when the subject comes up. “Fashion is one of my great loves,” she said, citing “Absolutely Fabulous” as a formative influence. “There’s a misinterpretation that it’s serious and boring, but New York and fashion — one doesn’t exist without the other.”
She welcomes the current cross-pollination between comedy and fashion, noting that designers have “finally really opened the door to letting comedians be a part of it.”
And for those who might still view fashion as pretentious without humor? Fineman has a counterpoint: “Comedy is, I think, more pretentious, to be honest.”
Up next? She’s teasing film projects to be revealed soon and said more “SNL.” But for now, guests at Moxy properties can pick up the phone and let Fineman’s “crazy family” lull them into something resembling sleep.
