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Soho, Marylebone and Mayfair – these are not London neighbourhoods that are in short supply of luxury. A hotel that sits at the intersection of all three, therefore, might be expected to be very glamourous indeed. And that the BoTree Hotel certainly is, though in a very modern and unstuffy sense, having only opened in 2023.
Those familiar with this particular link between Oxford and Wigmore Streets might recognise the BoTree’s address from its previous life as home to the brutalist, geometrically-dazzling Welbeck Street car park. These days it doesn’t really resemble that structure, the eye-catching multi-storey replaced with a shiny grey-ish block – though latticed decoration on the corner does ever-so-slightly hint at the site’s previous life.
Approaching the BoTree from Oxford Street, it’s miraculous – and a bit eerie – how the atmosphere shifts so quickly from the hectic stress of Europe’s longest shopping street to sleek, calm, palpably wealthy Marylebone. By the time you’ve stepped into the lobby, the blaring pedicabs, roaring buses and general hubbub of the West End are nowhere to be seen or heard.
Why stay at The BoTree Hotel?
The BoTree’s standout feature is its location, no contest. The primest of prime West End, stumble out of Bond Street station and you’re here – practically all of Soho and Marylebone is within walking distance, and the rest of the city is just a tube away.
What are the rooms like at The BoTree Hotel?
My room was the BoTree Suite, a seventh-floor space wrapping around the front corner of the building. The hotel’s standout room, it had all the trappings of a signature offering: a walk-in wardrobe boasting a separate door for the butler to get in and out without disturbing guests, a salon area featuring a glamourous lightbulb-framed make-up mirror, a broad balcony with the flags of Selfridges poking out in the near distance. The bathroom’s standalone tub was so huge you could teach a toddler to swim in it.
Aesthetically, the BoTree goes for a specific type of contemporary glitz. Pop designer books – Vogue, Chanel, Dior, Alexander McQueen, Karl Lagerfeld etc – were showily arranged on shelves, an elaborate faux flower display formed the lounge ceiling, there were entire walls of marble. A lot of gold. Gold chandeliers and light fittings, gold bookcases, gold door handles, even a gold wall behind the loo. Very Dubai, if that’s your thing.
Design choices and glamourous extras aside, the room did the basics very, very well with vast TVs, Dyson hair dryers, thick gowns and slick motion-sensor controls for the lights, air-con and curtains. Every room has an array of complimentary soft drinks and a supremely well-stocked mini-bar, plus luxe Jo Loves toiletries. The bed was supreme and, given the hyper-central London location, the bedroom was extraordinarily dark and quiet. I slept extremely well.
My only gripes? The ply of the loo roll was pitifully thin, the shower gel dispenser’s pump was broken, and there was a fair amount of scuffing on the walls and carpets – none of which is a dealbreaker, but it isn’t acceptable at this price range (this particularly suite costs over £3,000 a night).
What are the best things to eat at The BoTree Hotel?
The BoTree’s food options centre around in-house Mediterranean-style restaurant Lavo, which has breakfast, lunch, dinner and room service options. A pleasant enough environment in which to eat – all homely wood panelling and natural light – Lavo was otherwise the weakest part of the stay. Waiting staff were inattentive, stiff and slow, while dinner featured a sweaty, featureless parmigiana and a fettuccini plate that was overly drenched in sickly truffle (not cheap, either: £31 for the parmigiana, a whopping £38 for the fettuccini). The breakfast buffet was also on the expensive side (£28) but less disappointing, at least grounded in fresh ingredients and with a chef cooking up eggs on demand.
The BoTree’s surrounding three areas aren’t short on top tier places to eat: see Time Out’s best restaurants guides for Soho, Marylebone and Mayfair.
What are the best things to drink?
The BoTree has two bars on-site. The BoTree Bar was shut for a private function on my visit, but the bar at Lavo was a popular Friday night spot with pumping DJ’d music and a solid wine list and cocktail selection. Prices were fairly typical for a higher-end West End spot (£16-22 for most cocktails, wine bottles from £39).
Each of the BoTree’s rooms offers complimentary soft drinks, with still and sparkling water, diet and full-fat Coca-Cola, plus coffee pods and pearls of tea. Be wary, however, the in-room booze and snacks certainly aren’t complimentary – and are as pricey as anything in Lavo. A 350ml bottle of Sipsmith Gin was priced at £60 (£11 RRP), 200ml of Jonnie Walker Blue label would set you back £190; sea-salted caramel almonds cost £20, a small bar of salted caramel Tony’s Chocolonely was £6 (you’ll get the same in a nearby supermarket for £1.10).
What is the service like at The BoTree Hotel?
The BoTree’s website has the hotel pride itself on its ‘excellent service’, saying that staff ‘bring [energy] to your stay’. Not only does each floor have its own butler and every guest get room service, but that butler is 24-hour.
In practice, staff weren’t really on that level – cold, disinterested and weary. Not unfriendly, exactly, but not particularly friendly either.
What are the facilities like at The BoTree Hotel?
The BoTree has 199 rooms and 30 suites, accompanied by the aforementioned two bars and restaurant, plus a spa (which was being revamped on my visit), a health centre/gym in the basement and an events space beneath that. A 500-capacity nightclub called 77 opened on the BoTree site in September.
What’s the area like around The BoTree Hotel?
Just one street back from the blaring pedicabs and retail throngs of Oxford Street, there is a mind-boggling amount of stuff to see and do, places to eat, drink and shop near the BoTree. Immediately nearby are the likes of HMV Oxford Street, music venue Wigmore Hall and bakery Arôme, but pretty much all of Marylebone and Soho is no more than a gander away.
Time Out Neighbourhood Guides:
🛍️ Marylebone
🍸 Soho
Why you should book a stay at The BoTree Hotel
If you’re after cleanliness, comfort and location, and you’re partial to this brand of flashy design – and you’ve got cash to flash, with rates starting from £450 a night – the BoTree will do just fine.
It’s worth noting that while the BoTree was owned and operated by Shiva Hotels, during my visit it was in the process of being transformed into a Hilton. I was assured that, branding aside, the change wouldn’t impact much about the hotel. In December 2025 it became part of Hilton’s Curio Collection.
DETAILS
Address: 30 Marylebone Lane, London, W1U 2DR
Closest transport: Bond Street Station