At Home Inn Chelsea

What remains of a vacation a few months after your return are impressions, sense memories, recollections, and feelings. To wit, I offer the following:
* An Excellent Value — At Home Chelsea Inn has just two rooms for rent, both on the top floor of a 3 story house and both which I rented for multiple nights for my party of 4 travelers. One has a big king bed and space for an additional bed which can be added upon request. The other room has two twin beds. Each room has a locking door and its own toilet and shower. Breakfast is included. The room with the king-​sized bed is £90 (single), £110 (double), and £135 (triple) per night. The room with twin beds is £90 (single) or £110 (double). For London, this is a steal.
* Safe — The proprietors tout the convenience and joy of riding a nearby bus which stops about a 10 minute walk from the house. The nearest tube is a longer walk but this neighborhood felt 100% safe regardless of the hour at which we walked to or from the tube. Even from midnight — 4 a.m., the walk from the tube was refreshing, never scary.
* Independent — The proprietors, Simon and Margaret and their lovely daughter, Alex, are happy to engage with you but they’re not in the business of coddling. You carry your own bags up and down the 3 flights of narrow stairs. You have a front door key to come and go as you please at whatever hour you choose. They go about their business and you go about yours and if by chance you wind up chatting, fine. There’s little forced niceties or chit-​chat and that worked fine for me.
* Funky and Comfortable — At Home Inn Chelsea is filled with the remnants of well-​lived lives. Walls are festooned with Simon’s art and family photo collages. Books are stacked in each room. Toilets are a bit clunky, bedroom furnishings well-​worn. Everywhere you look there are «things». I generally prefer a clean visual field but there was something charming about all of the stuff that this family had out, especially during the holidays, when it was hard to find a visually unoccupied space. They are teetering on the brink of having far too much stuff but stop short of the hoarder mark. It’s just a comfortably funky place enhanced by the sweet presence of the host’s ancient deaf cat, Kipper.
* Historical — Simon has penned some materials which tell you about the history of the area in which you’re staying and the house in which you’re staying. It’s an interesting read for those who are into this stuff. He’s very knowledgeable about history and happy to talk about it with you directly. It won’t, however, be forced upon you in any way.
Well-​located — The Inn isn’t located in the heart of a tourist district nor is it out in the boonies. It’s well located in Chelsea, and a good place from which to either begin or end your day. If you prefer to have a «bed day» or just hang in the neighborhood, there’s many restaurants and bars within easy walking distance.
At Home Chelsea Inn is an ace in the hole if you want privacy and comfort in unstuffy surroundings and don’t want to spend a mint. It worked perfectly for my family.