The term “family-friendly” doesn’t always amount to much when you are looking for a London hotel. Rarely does it refer to a place of character with plenty of thoughtful extras for parents and children, but as somewhere that can simply offer an adjoining room or the option of having an extra bed included in your booking.
Treehouse Hotel in Marylebone has thankfully put the fun back into a family stay thanks to rooms that convey a sense of playfulness and exploration, decorated like secret hideaways and perched, as the name suggests, high above the clouds.
Why stay here?
The hotel occupies the top floors of an unassuming purpose-built building located next to BBC Broadcasting House, with each room offering panoramic views across the capital. In fact, in north-facing rooms, you’d be hard pressed to find a better view of the BT Tower’s upper levels, including its one-time revolving restaurant on floor 34 of the 189m-high landmark.
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Those who appreciate a sense of the unique and the irreverent have it made in this hotel, which is all about enjoying the adventure of being away from home. Rooms are designed like luxury log cabins: all wooden clad and replete with cosy handwoven textiles, sleek but functional furniture and quirky, carefully curated accessories such as lantern lamps, mid-century landscape paintings and cross-stitched cushions that offer a hint of ’70s nostalgia. The idea is that this is a place to unwind and spark the imagination the old fashioned way, nicely tucked away in a hidden nook just like you might have done as a child in a secret clubhouse, complete with cocoa served in an enamel camp mug.
The rooftop bar
This being a hotel for big kids and little kids alike, you can also opt for The Nest, the cosy rooftop bar reserved for over 18s after 7pm. This colourful eyrie has the boho chic style down to a T with hanging baskets and succulent plants everywhere you look. There’s also sink-in sofas, miss-matched cushions, Turkish rugs and a ceiling festooned with bamboo lattice pendant lights that cast pretty shadows when the sun goes down.
The overall theme is Mexican (like the main restaurant), so try a house special such as “The Nest Picante”, a punchy tequila-based concoction with jalapeño and cucumber cordial. The seasonal, zero-waste menu, devised by mixologist Hugo Maclean, is really inventive. For example, the “Purple Heart” cocktail combines Belvedere vodka, homemade red cabbage cordial and almond syrup for a tangy/sweet mix that prickles the palette.
Rooms are sleek and quirky with functional furniture
(Image credit: Treehouse Hotels)
The rooms
Back to that family-friendly cachet: in practical terms, you can choose up to four in connecting rooms or up to five in the clubhouse suite or the lookout twin room. On the experiential side, families have a few surprises in store guaranteed to give little ones the sense that they are embarking on a real adventure. Milk and cookies are ready in the room upon arrival (the main reception desk also has a candy bar) and kids will find a little teepee set up next to their bed complete with board games, books and toys, including a Paddington Bear to take home.
It’s the charming details that make the difference, which include cosy bathrobes in small sizes, little potted plants, colourful cuckoo clocks and a mini bar stocked with scrumptious semi-healthy goodies – free of refined sugars and nasty E numbers – such as popcorn peanut brittle, organic mango candy and cheese bites. Bathrooms are minimalist and adhere to a clean industrial look – and some are equipped with copper freestanding baths.
A double room at Treehouse London
(Image credit: Treehouse Hotels)
Adults without children may not get the milk and cookies, nor a teepee to play in, but double rooms and suites are no less evocative with interiors designed to make you feel cocooned and relaxed, which is quite an accomplishment when you consider the hustle and bustle of Oxford Circus is only a few minutes’ walk away.
This is also a pet-friendly hotel, with plenty of extras for furry friends too, including plush doggie beds by sustainable brand Settle and healthy gourmet treats by Lily’s Kitchen. In addition, there’s a pet concierge service which includes a one-hour professional dog walk.
Where to eat?
Treehouse’s Mexican restaurant, Madera, located one floor below The Nest on level 15, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. With gorgeous views and more flourishing hanging baskets, this space makes for a unique high-rise experience, plus the food is authentic, organic and adventurous with Californian-Mexican dinner delicacies aplenty.
Signature dishes include the octopus, salmon and tuna ceviche trio “cooked” in a zingy marinade of mango and grilled pineapple, and the restaurant’s special “pan plano” selection, which are wood-fired flatbreads served with a variety of toppings such as roasted Cornish lobster, truffle-tinged mushrooms with manchego cheese, or succulent roasted beef served with caramelised onion, fresh avocado and jalapeños.
Madera is Treehouse’s Mexican restaurant
(Image credit: Treehouse Hotels)
There are also plenty of moreish vegan dishes that push the boat out beyond the usual guacamole and salad options. For example, the cauliflower adobada is a tasty spin on a classic pork dish, served with pico de gallo (a Mexican salsa made with tomatoes, onions, and chillies) presented on a bed of citrusy wild mushroom tacos.
Not surprisingly, Madera is a popular brunch destination with a flavour-packed menu quite unlike anywhere else in this area. Enjoy avocado toast served on freshly baked wood-fired sourdough, while those with an adventurous streak should pick the enfrijoladas, a trio of corn tortillas filled with “huevos a la Mexicana” which combines scrambled eggs, sautéed onions, jalapeños and tomatoes, served with homemade refried beans and crème fraiche. Elsewhere, kids will love the homemade churros tossed in spiced sugar with the obligatory pot of unctuous melted chocolate for dipping.
Pizzeria Mozza
(Image credit: Treehouse Hotels)
If spicy food isn’t your thing, the hotel also runs Pizzeria Mozza on the ground floor, the first UK restaurant from LA-based chef, baker, and author Nancy Silverton. Wood-fired pizzas here are seriously delicious. Thin in the middle and loaded with fresh seasonal ingredients and fior di latte cheese, they have thick, soft-in-the-centre crusts that are impossible to resist. It may sound odd on paper, but in winter, the kitchen makes a Brussels sprout topping with guanciale (Italian bacon), red onions and chilli flakes. A deceptively simple little masterpiece of flavours.
Alexandra Zagalsky was a guest of Treehouse Hotel London. Rooms start from around £249 per night. 14-15 Langham Place, London W1B 2QS; treehousehotels.com
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