With its striking curved facade and a colorful contemporary interior that draws you in from Marylebone Lane, The BoTree, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ Legend Collection, is a property that stands out in the current wave of London openings. A rarity in central London, the hotel is a brand new building comprising 199 guest rooms, including 30 suites, and sits just at the point where Marylebone, Mayfair and Soho meet.
With the new build comes a new attitude: The BoTree is committed to delivering “Conscious Luxury,” an elevated ethos that involves the highest environmental standards and mindful choices, without sacrificing on fun (the hotel’s restaurants and bars are run by Tao Hospitality Group, known for its hot spots in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and beyond). Open just a few weeks, The BoTree is already buzzing; Luxury Travel Advisor's London correspondent Emily Goldfischer reports.
What Is “Conscious Luxury?"
With the concept of "Conscious Luxury," The BoTree has embedded environmental considerations into every aspect of the guest experience, without sacrificing any indulgence. At the opening, Rishi Sachdev, founder of Place III Hotels, of which The BoTree is the first property, explained the vision is one that fosters "a strong sense of belonging for our guests, our team and our local community.”
This new purpose-driven approach began with construction, award-winning EPR Architects transformed the previous site––a parking lot––into a stunning building with an interior courtyard that showers light throughout. Built using sustainable materials and energy-saving methods, the project received the highest environmental rating (BREEAM) for buildings. Vibrant interiors by Amsterdam-based firm Concrete balance clean, modern lines and natural materials (think light wood and stone) with bright colors, lush plants and fresh flowers, creating warmth in a mix of spaces from the double-height restaurant to nooks in the lobby for more intimate meet-ups.
Speaking of the lobby, by design there is no front desk. Instead, greeters offer a warm welcome, a drink as you enter, and act as a personal guide around the property. Then, each floor has its own host, providing 24/7 butler service for all guest rooms. Interestingly, it's tech that enables the hotel’s high-touch approach, utilizing mobile apps to check-in guests and communicate throughout their stay.
Guestrooms Bursting With Color
Smart design maximizes the guestroom spaces and colorful touches add flair, while each touchpoint has sustainability embedded. Deluxe Rooms offer a reception area and water closet before sliding panels open up into the bedroom, bathroom and lounge area. Plush beds cocoon guests in eco-friendly eucalyptus Tencel bedding with vegan leather headboards—created exclusively for the hotel. Jasper Conran Wedgwood tea sets add a stylish touch for morning coffees or afternoon tea. In the bathrooms, there’s underfloor heating and warming towel racks, divine Pomelo-scented Jo Loves products, which are vegan, sulfate-, paraben- and cruelty-free, and naturally packaged using OceanBound Plastic. Other touches we love: USB ports where you want them, in-room steamers and triple-glazed windows.
For VIPs, the 30 suites are designed for enjoyment and all include comfortable lounge areas with a personal bar and cocktail station. We also love the generous closets and spacious bathrooms equipped with Dyson hair dryers and Airwraps. Top digs: The BoTree Suite, which has a private entrance on the seventh floor and a curved wall of floor-to-ceiling glass windows, plus a terrace with views towards Mayfair. A sexy mohair-covered wall mirrors the curved shape, with a matching curved sofa. No detail is overlooked: Flowers woven into the ceiling, a gold cocktail station, a dining room with a high bar table for six. The bathroom has a reflective mosaic wall, dual sinks, walk-in shower and a freestanding bath offering Marylebone Lane views; plus, there’s a dressing room with walk-in-wardrobes. For those with an entourage, this suite is designed to interconnect with nine other rooms to form a private 3,770-square-foot oasis.
Good to know: The hotel is completely accessible for disabled travelers and offers 21 accessible rooms and 56 inter-connected rooms perfect for families.
Destination Dining
Tao Group Hospitality oversees all of the dining and bars in the hotel, including LAVO, The BoTree’s signature restaurant, serving sophisticated Italian cuisine with coastal flair. LAVO has a loyal celebrity following in L.A., and now with this U.K. debut, London knows why. The menu, created by the group’s Chief Culinary Officer Ralph Scamardella, is overseen in London by Culinary Director Stefano Lorenzini. Standout dishes include such fresh homemade pasta as Tagliatelle al Limone infused with marjoram, sweet butter and Kaluga caviar, a showstopper Wagyu Meatball topped with whipped ricotta, a delicate Salt-Baked Mediterranean Sea Bass and an indulgent 20-Layer Chocolate Cake.
The hotel’s BoTree Bar, illuminated by a jewel-toned light feature that expands across the ceiling––reminiscent of a lit up Twister mat––has a welcoming teal marble bar, which curves across the space. When we popped by on a weeknight, it was hopping with a mix of well-dressed Marylebone locals and hotel guests sipping on hand-crafted cocktails as colorful as the room. The bar menu, curated by Chef Stefano, includes dishes such as the Oyster on the Half Shell with Limoncello mignonette, the Caviar Sandwich with egg salad, caviar and homemade chips, and the Truffle Grilled Cheese with hot honey.
For VIP booking requests, travel advisors should contact Jeroen Suijker (jeroen@shiva.co.uk), director of sales. General Manager Eva Mount, (eva.mount@thebotree.com) who led the opening team of The Guardsman, seems to have yet another hit with The BoTree. Sitting at the center of London, there is no shortage of ways to enjoy the city, and Simone Caretti, head concierge (simone.caretti@thebotree.com) is ready to assist any VIP requests.
The BoTree is an exciting beginning for Place III hotels, further planned hotels in London include Brickmakers Yard in Soho, set to open in 2025 and CTQ in Holborn Viaduct in the City, not far from Smithfield Market, in 2027. Meanwhile The BoTree is putting the finishing touches on an events area, a fitness center and a rooftop bar to take in panoramic views across London…watch this space!
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