going_places

In late March we will be in London. Looking for a recommendation for a small hotel in Bloomsbury. We would like to get something under 150 US. size of room is not a factor...cleanliness is. I am not fond of the big places.
Thanks for any help!
Jean

obxgirl

Hi going. The Arosfa Hotel gets repeated and very positive reviews here. If fits your budget and description.

Other small budget/moderate hotels in Bloomsbury to investigate are Montague on the Gardens, the Morgan Hotel, the Harlingford Hotel and St. Margarets Hotel. I've stayed at the Montague and St Margaret's (neither recently tho).

$150 a night for an ensuite can be a bit of a stretch these days in London, even in the budget range. Good luck!

starspinners

If you can increase your room rate budget a bit, take a look at the Morgan Hotel on Bloomsbury Street.
http://morganhotel.co.uk/
The Morgan is small and it's where I aways stay in London. In fact,I was just there from Oct 17-Nov 5.
The hotel has ungone extensive renovations in the last 2 years.


I return to the Morgan for many reasons:
The rooms are spotless. The hotel is family owned and operated and the family is on site everyday.
The room rate is inclusive of VAT and it includes a hot , cooked to order breakfast.
The location is very convenient for me...it is in walking distance of many West End theaters, Soho, and Covent Garden.
Tottenham Court Road Underground Station is a 3 minute walk away ... Holborn Station and Russell Square Station are 10 minutes walk.

elaine

I have also always read good things about the Morgan. I stayed at the Arosfa last time in London, that's about 20 months ago. It is very simple, but well-located, clean, rooms tiny, bathrooms tinier, cooked breakfast provided every morning. No elevator. Nearest tube stop is Goodge St, though the Russell Square stop isn't that far away either.
Do a search on it by name here, or at tripadvisor.com

marty

Take a look at the Jenkins (http://www.jenkinshotel.demon.co.uk). It was about 2 blocks from Russell Square tube stop. We had a triple, and while it was very tiny with a tinier bathroom, we were very pleased. The cooked breakfast was good and the people were so nice. They do have two big dogs if that matters to you.

DejaVu

I've stayed at the Arran House Hotel (on Gower St) and at the Ruskin Hotel (on Montague St, five seconds from the British Museum), and liked them both. Both are family owned B&B's, very clean, great locations, good breakfasts. No frills. I seem to remember being the only American around last time I stayed at the Ruskin Hotel, in fact. Mostly European clientele. At both I stayed in a single w/no bath, but never had to wait for use of the bath. My single at the Ruskin was on the ground floor facing the garden, and was actually a pretty big room, very quiet.

Doble_Vergasser

We stayed at the the St Athans in Bloomsbury. It is a clean hotel but I categorize it as a family hostel. Our triple room was 58 euro per night (total) with breakfast. WOrked for us and no complaints.

cmcfong

I would suggest you consider using Priceline. I got a great deal ($120 per night)at the Waldorf Hilton on Aldwych Lane.

obxgirl

cmcfong, I agree Priceline offers one of the best values for London lodging but the OP indicated a preference for a small hotel. Aren't PL hotels the larger chain places?

TimS

According to the Lonely Planet London guidebook, the Alhambra Hotel in Bloomsbury (www.alhambra.com) is "the best budget option around here with 52 simple and spotless rooms, friendly French- and English-speaking staff, and close to two mainline stations for getaways." Doubles start at 45 GBP and a full English breakfast is included.

mclaurie

I also think Priceline is the best option. Unfortunately they combine Bloomsbury with Marble Arch so if you really NEED to be in Bloomsbury it's not an option. For that area though, I see a bid of $92 got the Russell Hotel (listed on biddingfortravel).

Daisy54

We stayed at the Ruskin hotel also - on our first trip to England in 1994, the rooms were a nice size for London and reasonably priced. Ours was en suite on the ground floor, but they also have an elevator. If it matters, there are no televisions in the rooms but there is a nice TV lounge next to the lobby. Great location across the street from the British Museum.

handfordr

With regards the Alhumbra Hotel nominated above (as usual for London) Lonely Planet get it wrong, the hotel is in Kings Cross not Bloomsbury. I sometimes wonder whether Lonely Planet ever visit the places they write their guides about.

Would second the Ruskin, adjacent to the British Museum. Currently charges about 60 GBP for a double with breakfast.

going_places

Thank you everyone for the ideas. I have something to go on now!!!

elaine

Daisy54
Good information about the Ruskin Hotel.
The Arosfa that I'd mentioned, does have tvs in the rooms, and private baths, but no elevator.
There's always a compromise!

TimS

Now that I've checked my London map, I see that it is indeed a stretch for Lonely Planet to say the Alhambra Hotel is in Bloomsbury. However, if you want to give LP another chance, they also recommend these hotels on Gower Street: Arran House Hotel (mentioned above), Hotel Cavendish ("spick, span, and run by an amiable family&quot, and Ridgemount Hotel ("this old-fashioned hotel offers a warmth and consideration you don't come across very often in the city these days&quot. According to LP, basic doubles in the Cavendish and the Ridgemount start at around 50 GBP. Breakfast is included.

whoknew

I just stayed at the Arosfa from October 18 through the 27th during my trip to London. I only had a single room and didn't get a look at a double; the room was tiny and the bathroom minsicule but more than adequate if you prefer an ensuite. I have no idea if the bathrooms in a double are any larger, but I will warn you if anyone in your party is very tall or overweight, then the size of the bathroom may be a problem. I'm 5'8" and of average weight and taking a shower was a challenge. That would be the only minus at the Arosfa. It fronts Gower Street which is extremely busy, so ask for a room at the back if you can. There are several other hotels mentioned here located on Gower; make sure to request a room away from the street on any of these.

elaine

I had a single too at the Arosfa, but peeked into a double and a triple.
The double room was only very slightly larger to accommodate the larger bed, no walking around room. The bathroom was equally as small as the single's--they appear to be converted closets.
I'm tallish myself, the bathroom wasn't more than adequate imo, the best I can say is that I did manage to shower but it wasn't easy.

The triple room that I saw had three single beds, and there was a bit of space between, so it appeared to me to be of decent size. The bathroom I saw there was slightly larger.

If I stay there again I would opt for a 'double' just so that the room would be less cell-like. But, I've read good things about the Ridgemount and would probably try it, the rooms couldn't possibly be smaller. (I hope)

Peteralan

We stayed at the Ridgemount years ago. We like it and found it handy to transport ( Goodge Street on the tube ) but our room was very small.

gglass

At a bit more than 150 US, The Academy town house on Gower St is a lovely boutique hotel. It can be pricey but if you get the timing right you can get a double room with (a very good) breakfast for 100 GBP.