Arosfa Hotel

There’s a row of lovely B&B hotels on Gower Street, right beside the British Museum, and this is one of them. It’s central and incredibly handy for London sightseeing — Camden Market is 2 miles north, the British Museum is right there, the theatres and Covent Garden are 5 minutes down the road, and Trafalgar Square and Westminster are just a bit further but still easily walkable.
The rooms are small (I’ve stayed here in both a double and a single) but they’re en-​suite and surprisingly comfortable — they’ve made very clever use of the limited space. Everything is spotlessly clean. Breakfast is included in the prices and is absolutely fine — there’s a selection of cereal, fruit juice and continental stuff like rolls, ham, cheese and pastries AND you can choose as much or as little as you like from a full cooked breakfast. So you can fill up in the morning and not have to worry too much about where you’re getting lunch.
The couple who run the hotel are really pleasant — nothing was too much bother, we left our luggage there before we checked in and the booking process was easy. Single en-​suite with breakfast included in the centre of London in July = £85 for a night. Doubles probably work out cheaper per person. If you’re at the front of the hotel, the traffic can be noisy (especially if it’s warm and you have to open the window to cool down) so take earplugs, but the rooms at the back are fine. So long as you look on London hotels as clean and comfortable places to sleep in between sightseeing and you’re not looking for spacious luxury, you won’t get better value for money or a better location.

My man and I recently stayed at the Arosfa Hotel and had a great time. Our room was on Gower St and I agree with the other reviews that the room was loud with the windows open. The windows are doubled, and once closed, the room was quiet and lovely. However, there is no air conditioning, so if the windows being closed doesn’t work for the weather, it would have been very hard to sleep with the noise of cars going by. There was a ceiling fan in our room which helped keep the air moving with the windows closed. Behind the hotel is a lovely back yard and garden, so I can only assume that the rooms facing the back are significantly quieter.
The only room left when we booked was a room with two twin beds, but they were kind enough to push them together and make the bed up as a double bed prior to us arriving. The room was small but was well stocked with coffee maker, hot tea, fresh fruit, flat screen TV, free wifi, and blow dryer. Each floor had its own iron and ironing board to share. Note that there is no elevator, so if that is an issue with your health, take note.
The bathroom was the smallest bathroom I’d ever seen, and honestly, if you were a larger person, it would have been a real struggle to use it. But we are both slim and made it work just fine. The water pressure and temperature were more than adequate. Note, this isn’t a spa bathroom, but worked just fine.
Included in the insanely low price (for London) of around 110 Pounds was a full English breakfast. It was plentiful and included eggs, fruit, breads, yogurt, jam, and more. It easily held us over until a late lunch, making the cost a real deal.
The staff was very kind and even let us use the computer to print a few pages. In the lobby is a TV, water, computer, and is nicely styled. This hotel was clean, decorated with basic but modern décor, and was centrally located. We didn’t take the tube once! We were close enough to walk everywhere. I would absolutely stay there again on my next trip to London.

When my parents visited me in London they always stayed at Arosfa.
The rooms are very, let’s say, compact. In a neighbourhood like Bloomsbury where space is such a premium this is the norm, not an exception.
What they don’t have in space, however, the Arosfa chaps make up in friendliness, cleanliness, location, service, breakfast and some more.
Oftentimes in London big hotels lack a personal touch and some smaller ones have the misfortune of a surly owner. The family that runs Arosfa are instead two of the friendliest people I’ve ever met.
They will give you very trustworthy advice on whichever topic you may need. Arosfa has the feel of the friendly neighbourhood guest house, unsullied by commercial honogenisation.
I think it’s definitely worth a stay if you want to be less of a tourist and more of a Londoner, even if slightly wannabe.

If you’re looking for a good budget hotel in a great central location, arosfa fits the bill. I was able to get a double twin room for 104 pounds per night. It’s located right next to UCL — so there are lots of good options for food and local shopping. Gower St and Tottenham Road Court tube stops are nearby.
Rooms are small and clean and neat. Bathrooms even smaller — the shower is the bathroom. Hot water wasn’t working well, but the rooms are well stocked with a hair dryer, snacks, electric tea pot, tea/​coffee, free wifi that works well and a TV with cable. There is a nice lounge with a public computer and books.
Free english breakfast every morning from 7:30−9AM. Small portions, but a good start to the morning — egg, sausage, roasted half tomato, beans, and a pot of english breakfast tea. They also have cereal, pastries and juice for those looking for something less greasy.
Agree with Rich — the rooms on Gower St are noisy even in the late evening. If you’re jet lagged and wake up early — then you’ll hear the noises of large truck barreling down the street.
Staff is friendly and helpful. One even offered to loan me his umbrella for an unexpected rainy day!

I used to stay here all the time for the great location and friendly service, but more recently I’ve been staying at larger hotels, often through Priceline or Hotwire.
That said, this is a great location. Rooms on Gower can be noisy. Friendly service. Rooms can be small and are older style.