Looking for a place to stay in London? Branch out. Bringing together quirky interiors, playful touches and sustainable initiatives just off Regent Street, the Treehouse Hotel proves that life's simple pleasures can be enjoyed at any age.
03 January, 2020
Breathing life back into a protected 60s building (the former Saint Georges Hotel), this nostalgic playground is filled with eclectic furniture, throwback curios and vintage furniture.
The hotel's treehouse theme is evident from the moment you step into the lift lined with bark - riding it feels as though you are ascending the inside of a tree trunk - before arriving at the 15th-floor reception. Here, the Treehouse Hotel lives up to its name and flaunts its sustainability initiatives. Walls are clad with reclaimed or recycled wood; plants burst through gaps in the walls and cascade from ceilings. Playful touches are dotted throughout: jars are filled with toys and sweets at the reception front desk, while brightly coloured cuckoo clocks adorn the bedrooms. The hotel's messages are clear: life's simple pleasures can be enjoyed at any age, and simplicity doesn't have to cost the earth.
Ninety-five rooms stretch from the 9th to the 14th floor, each with views over London's skyline. They're brimming with quirky treehouse memorabilia too, such as brightly coloured bird boxes, cuckoo clocks and a tree trunk spearing through the bathroom. Cuddle up with one of the soft toys on the double bed and entertain yourself with trinkets dotted around the room, including magic-eight balls and kaleidoscopes.
The little sister to Los Angeles-based Toca Madera, the Treehouse Hotel's restaurant Madera serves elevated Mexican cuisine with a side order of city vistas. Enjoy a hot breakfast of Mexican omelette, enchiladas and eggs "Bennito", or head back to the ground floor to find Backyard, a bar with exposed wood and branches serving coffee and snacks to go.
While views with breakfast are lovely, London's glittering skyline really comes alive at night. Nab a window seat at Madera to dine in style. Wicker lamps hang from the ceiling, statement wallpaper creates a vibrant feel and the open kitchen adds a theatrical flair to the experience. The vegan ceviche and halibut tacos are great - but the star of the show is undeniably the king prawns, cooked tableside on hot lava stones and served with poblano peppers and pico de gallo. All of the food is sustainably sourced, naturally.
Head up to The Nest, a rooftop bar boasting uninterrupted 360-degree panoramas across the capital. Choose a cocktail from the menu - the ingredients of the "Carmine Bee Eater" were entirely sourced from within a 30m radius of the hotel - before heading outside to soak up the vista. Admire the living biophilic wall and lush greenery adorning the rooftop (before hastily retreating inside; if it's cold out, views are better enjoyed without a bitter wind).
Bathrooms are stocked with 100 per cent natural, paraben-free, cruelty-free products inside recyclable, refillable bottles.
Going above and beyond visible initiatives, Treehouse Hotel's sustainability programming includes a dedicated composting and recycling scheme, reduced single-use plastics operations and recycled glassware in rooms. Ask at the reception to borrow a bicycle to nip through London's busy streets, thereby limiting your own carbon footprint during your stay.
Located at the top of Regent Street, Treehouse Hotel is just a hop and skip away from bustling Oxford Circus and London's busiest shopping district. If that doesn't appeal, take a stroll up to Marylebone High Street to browse in Daunt Books or sip on coffee in any of the charming cafés.
