Sparks Joy: Bazaar Arabia Escapes To BoTree Hotel, London
The BoTree Hotel oozes colour, character and charm – while ensuring five-star comfort
When you think of specific hotels, you often associate them with words like ‘luxurious’, ‘grand’, ‘comfortable’, ‘central’, ‘design-led’ or ‘family-friendly’. Yet what sets The BoTree apart, is that it is all of these – and also provokes instant delight as soon as its sliding doors part to let you in. It sparks joy. It’s playful; London’s legion of legacy hotels can’t claim that mantle.
The BoTree manages to traverse a tricky tight-rope: it is fun, but not gimmicky. Instagrammable, but practical and comfortable. Luxurious – it ticks off all the five-star standard amenities and extras you’d expect – but not stuffy. Its appeal is wide: my six-year-old daughter loved it as much as my more sedate husband; a fellow fashion editor visited for breakfast and promptly changed lodgings for her next London stay too.
This new neighbour to this block – it opened in 2023, using the shell of a multi-storey car park – accomplishes all this while situated in a prime West End spot, perched between Mayfair, Marylebone and Soho, with Bond Street tube station mere steps away.
Suites are spacious – and can be joined together to form huge mini-apartments that would suit a long stay. It feels like a very curated interior specialists’ den, with modern blonde-wood furnishings accented with fashionfocussed coffee table tomes, colourful art, marble and gold accents and all the creature comforts you could hope for. Think Dyson hair tools, huge sunken baths, flat-screen TVs, motion-sensor controls, Jo Loves toiletries and a complimentary soft-drink stocked bar, plus quintessential British snacks. Huge windows let in the light while air-conditioning and sound-proofing are up for handling the heat and busy central London bustle.
Tear yourself away from your room, and troop downstairs for Italian dining – wood-fired pizzas and pastas (the lobster linguini is excellent) sit alongside steaks and Chicken Parmigiana. There’s also the hotel’s eponymous bar that’s always buzzing with an after-work crowd looking for aperitivo.
Breakfast is another sumptuous affair, served from 6:30am for early risers, and stretching to 11am on weekends. Fresh patisserie, plus a host of chia puddings, yogurt and juices complement a menu of made-to-order eggs – there is even a vegan English breakfast. Looking for a London base that’s swish, but full of personality, in the heart of the city? The BoTree is the ideal place to check out.
What to order: Don’t check out of the hotel until you have tried the truffle arancini, roasted cauliflower and Mediterranean seabass at Lavo.
Getting there: Emirates flies to London Heathrow from Dubai six times a day; The BoTree is a ten minute taxi ride from Paddington if you take the Heathrow Express into town.
For more information, visit thebotree.com
Imagery Supplied
From the Harper’s Bazaar Arabia February 2026 issue
