83 Gower Street, Bloomsbury, London, United Kingdom | (888) 551-4925
Family-run boutique-style bed and breakfast in historic Bloomsbury
Walking distance to five underground and railway stations
Near landmarks as the British Museum, the British Library, Covent Garden, and the University of London
Sleek rooms with high-end technology and elegant decor
Near the shopping area of Oxford and Regent Streets
Free Wi-Fi
Free full English breakfast
Rooms are small
No elevator
Nicely tucked away in a surprisingly quiet area of central London, Arosfa Hotel is situated in a refurbished 200-year-old Georgian town house that was once the home Pre-Raphaelite artist Sir John Everett. It's a 15-room luxury bed and breakfast that is close to great transport links, and is within walking distance of some of London's major sights. With its old-meets-new design, a keen attention to detail, and a handful of free goodies for guests, Arosfa is small but enticing choice for short-term visits.
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Scene
Old England meets chic style
The Arosfa Hotel has taken the traditional English B&B and turned it into a bright and vibrant hybrid somewhere between a luxury boutique hotel and a bed and breakfast. The lounge and reception areas are adorned with blacks, reds, and tans -- with black-and-white "Americana" photographs that suit the room well. Rooms also have a hybrid style, contrasting Art Nouveau pieces (including some wonderful representations of works by Gustav Klimt) with old Victorian prints and paintings. The only real blemish on Arosfa's style is its breakfast room, which could use a slight facelift to fit in with the style of the other areas.
Location
Just north of major landmarks, and south of major transit links
Sitting nice and snug in the heart of Bloomsbury, Arosfa is walking distance to the British Museum, the University of London, Oxford Street, and Covent Garden. It is also near the Euston and King's Cross stations, which have major transit links to airports as well as underground stations across the city. The area itself has plenty of good pubs, thanks to the high number of students at the University of London around the corner, and there are plenty of bookshops, from the huge Waterstones to several smaller new and secondhand bookshops, and cafes in the area.
Rooms
Cleverly designed and compact, rooms are suited to short-term stays.
While a 200-year-old Georgian townhouse might pose some space challenges, Arosfa has done its best to maximize the utility and comfort of its rooms through intelligent design. The bathrooms, while small, have multi-functional showers with immaculate glass mosaic tiles and LED lights, and toiletries by Taylor London. Rooms also come with free tea, coffee, bottled water, and fresh fruit. The rooms themselves are modern and chic, and include retro telephones, high-tech touch lighting, acoustic glass, and flat-screen TVs. The lack of storage space, however, becomes obvious, and long-term guests may find the rooms a bit cramped.
Features
Plenty of free extras to enjoy
Arosfa excels at offering a bunch of extras to guests free of charge. The full English Breakfast has a wide selection of hot and cold food, coffee, and tea, along with cold beverages. The front lounge and sitting area packs a selection of books, hot and cold beverages, and computers for guests' use. Arosfa also has a large back garden which is great for those relaxing (albeit rare) sunny days in London.
