Arosfa Hotel London by Compass Hospitality

The hotel itself is beautiful, and most of the staff were kind and attentive. The charming, elegant décor felt authentically English and made the place warm and welcoming. The location is fantastic. I stayed one night at the Arosfa Hotel and had a pleasant time overall, but the checkout morning left a bad impression because of one receptionist. At breakfast she spoke to a table of two in a sharp, nearly shouting voice, saying, “You finished? Okay, you need to go now, there are other people waiting.” People around the room looked at each other in disbelief. A few minutes later, while I was still eating, she told me, rather than asking, “You are alone, so move to the smaller table.” I refused because of the way she spoke to me, not because I was unwilling to move. If she’d asked politely, I would have moved without hesitation. Her attitude was needlessly rude and out of place in an otherwise lovely hotel. Better customer service training for that receptionist would have made this a perfect stay.

We paid £245 for one night for four of us, all women, while we were in town to see a show. The hotel was a long way from the theatre to walk in our outfits, so we took an Uber both ways. We chose it partly for being close to the theatre, so that was disappointing. We knew on arrival that there was no 24-hour concierge and that we'd have to let ourselves in after 10 pm. That part was fine, but it meant there was nobody to call when we needed help later. We had a basement room and left our things there before having a quick cigarette in the garden, which you reach by walking through the office. After a quick change, we went to the show. Back in the room, the Wi-Fi code they had given us didn't work. It seemed either the Wi-Fi was switched off or the signal just didn't reach the basement. There were two double beds for four women, and I'm glad we're good friends. The beds were comfortable, but we had only one pillow each. I woke at 7 and went upstairs for a cigarette, but there was still no staff around. Reception was locked, so I couldn't get into the garden. I ended up having my tea on the hotel's front step, which wasn't a great look. The room was dirty and badly needed some TLC, with windows nailed shut and dirt and glass on the floor. For £245, it was a subpar room. I wouldn't recommend the hotel or come back. Breakfast wasn't included in the price. We could have paid that night for a small discount, or chosen a continental breakfast in the morning for about £19.90 each. We went across the road to the Waterstones coffee/book shop instead, which opened at 8:30.

The room was comfortable and quiet, and I enjoyed the breakfast. There weren't many vegan choices, though, and the staff weren't very friendly.

The location is perfect, and the room was clean and quiet. The staff were friendly too. It's excellent value for money, and I highly recommend the hotel.