A Slightly Ghetto Experience
Earlier this week I was bored stiff and a friend of mine was going on a road trip and invited me. I packed an overnight bag and we hit the road. The agenda was from Montego Bay to St Elizabeth, then Mandeville, spend the night in Kingston and then back to Montego Bay the following day. I had absolutely no reason to go except that I wanted to get out of Mobay!
The drive was awesome and I saw and experienced many things on the way which I will blog about later. But I just HAD to write about this most ghetto place we found to stay! The Chelsea Hotel in Kingston 10. If you Google it, it says “Chelsea Hotel and Amusement Center” but there wasn’t much amusing about it. It was a dive BUT there were some redeeming qualities if you can look past the appearance.
We arrived late at night, after 10:00pm and by that point I really didn’t care where I slept, I just wanted a bed. The room was only $4000 jmd and although I’ve paid way less for a much nicer room in Ocho Rios, this is Kingston and nothing is ultra-cheap there. Upon entering the room my first thoughts were, “okay yup it’s ghetto” but then I tested the bed and it was surprisingly comfortable. The room was hot and had no windows, it felt like a cell block. But there was an ancient air conditioner on the wall that actually BLASTED itself so well that I had to get up in the night and turn it off! And the TV was locked in a cage on the wall, just like the place I stayed at on Leaders, top road, Montego Bay a couple years ago. I get a kick out of locked up TV’s.
We slept pretty good that night and woke up in the morning to the room as dark as it was the night before, no windows. But here are the better, more redeeming qualities of the place. As I said the AC was crazy cold so it works! I was shocked to find out the hot water tap actually worked because most cheap places don’t have it. Even some pricier places don’t have it! The sink faucets in the bathroom were more sparkling than most places I’ve ever stayed! And one of my favorite things about the place is that it has a bar in the courtyard area and even though I never went to the bar I could hear the music playing from it well into the night. This is a welcome change from where I’ve been living in Ironshore, Montego Bay the last 1.5 months. I hate quiet nights in Jamaica…I need music in the air. There is also a billiards bar attached and right in front at the hotel. Great if you want to shoot some pool.
The location of the hotel is great, it’s just around the corner from the MUCH nicer Knutsford Court hotel in the New Kingston area. Not far from the transport center in Halfway Tree and major conveniences either. We had intended to go to a party this night but crapped out early. Although we did wake up around 2am and drove out to find some refreshments. While on the road we passed 3 major street party locations all within 10 minutes drive of the hotel. That information might suit someone who wants to go to Kingston just for a party night and needs a cheap place to crash.
I found this sign at the front of the hotel entertaining…this is a great place if you like Skittles LOL. I have no idea what a Skittle table is but it sounds colorful.
That’s my official review of Chelsea Hotel in Kingston. There’s not much more to say. I can’t give you any reservation information because there really isn’t any. Just call them and take your chances or walk in at 10:00pm like we did!
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