The Chelsea Lodge Hotel

I read many conflicting reviews here before booking the Chelsea Lodge Hotel for my recent trip to London. One post would say, “the rooms were filthy,” while the very next insisted that “at least everything was spotlessly clean.” Here’s my take, and yes, it is a positive review, you just have to keep reading:

My group booked three rooms for three nights. We ended up only staying for one as some of the inconveniences were too difficult for us. We knew that it was a multi-story hotel with no elevator and so requested rooms on the lower floors. We received two rooms on the second and one on the third, which was much what we expected.

Nicola, the woman who seems to run the place almost single-handedly, was a gem and actually handled the bulk of carrying our bags to our rooms as we were (a) tired and (b) stereotypical Americans who are unused to stairs much less stairs when encumbered with 50 pound suitcases.

The whole place is a bit careworn, with bald spots on the carpets and peeling wallpaper. However, that can easily be dismissed (by most) as charming. My main worry, from the reviews I’d read, was cleanliness. There were things that could have been cleaner (door jambs, light switches, windows) but the things that matter most to me (shower, toilet, bedding) were immaculate.

Nicola was always there and eager to do anything to make her guests happy. While waiting for our rooms to be cleaned, we adjourned to the first floor pub which has also seen better days and seems to be held together with duct tape. However, the bartender, whose name I didn’t catch, was every bit as solicitous as Nicola, and instantly made the “Americans – they want ice with everything” connection.

We checked out early mainly because of difficulties with communication. Our cell phones didn’t work there and we were unable to make the in-room phones work for us so coordinating things was a bit tough. (One of our rooms had a toilet that needed a secret code to flush but that’s another story.)

We ended up finding a hotel down the street that had wifi and a restaurant and was better suited to our needs but for the traveler who is a bit more adventurous, more self-sufficient, this hotel is a low-price, clean where it counts, customer service oriented find.

I especially loved the fact that when we told Nicola we were checking out early, she never asked why, just checked us out with a smile, picked up a suitcase and started down the stairs before thanking us and wishing us a safe journey.

Upshot – not right for me but absolutely perfect for many travelers looking for an inexpensive, quirky London hotel.

I read about this property on BudgetTravel.com, and do think it's one of the better budget properties I've stayed in visiting Europe. You're simply not going to find any kind of luxury for under $200/night in London--but if you're like me, a young person just looking for a place to sleep and shower, you could do much worse than the Chelsea Lodge Hotel. The staff is nice, if really busy. The rooms are sufficiently clean, and the amenities sufficient. The common spaces are pretty run down, and the decor mismatching, but it's a solid deal.

The breakfast isn't what they make it out to be, however, so if you're looking for a good English breakfast (more than toast and cereal--and trust me, you want eggs, beans and mushrooms while you're in the UK!), you'll need to head down the street. It is located within walking distance of a tube stop, and the high-street shopping, only about two blocks away, is great. I did have my credit card run twice accidentally, so be sure you're clear with the staff how you want to pay when you check out.

Rooms where extremely dirty. Didn't look like they had a good clean in years. I was afraid to get into the shower as it was so discoloured. Bed had no springs, and again we were afraid to sleep in it. Had to use blankets we had bought to use on the plane. Apparently the building is for sale. I can only assume the present owners think that it well sell better dirty. DO NOT

STAY AT THIS HOTEL.