Since becoming a dog owner in 2020, I’ve loved finding ways to bring my Cocker Spaniel Bonnie on adventures with me. We’ve been to several dog-friendly locations in the UK, but a trip to London was high on my bucket list. When I came across the Treehouse hotel London on Instagram, I fell in love with the aesthetic and quirky touches. The minute I realised they welcomed dogs, I knew we had to give it a try. I invited my Mum to join us on a girls staycation for a night in the city at the end of January 2022.
“Treehouse hotel London was founded on the ideas that inspire children to build a treehouse. Adventure, independence, cozy spaces and repurposing crafty things are what make a place warm and special. That’s why every Treehouse Hotel celebrates found objects, nostalgic tunes, handmade details and locally sourced treats.”
– Treehouse Hotel London
This idea that you climb into a treehouse and the rooms have belongings a child might bring with them is really quaint. I love this concept, along with their efforts to be sustainable by sourcing local produce, using minimal single-use plastic, and having composting and recycling schemes. But did it live up to expectations? Is it worth the £250+ price tag a night? Let’s find out what it was really like to stay at the Treehouse Hotel London with a dog.
Location + Entrance
The outside is surrounded by a lot of building work right now so on first impressions, it wasn’t exactly the prettiest main building. The front decor outside is nice, featuring a big bird by the window and their recognisable branding. Located next door to the main BBC building in Marylebone, this is a perfect central location for a city staycation. A 4-minute walk from Oxford Circus tube station and two blocks from the shops and eateries on Oxford Street.
Greeted by friendly staff on arrival, the entrance was unlike your usual hotel. There’s a small coffee shop counter on the right called Backyard Café and Wine Bar, which I didn’t notice anyone behind for the duration of our stay. They also have a book-swap for guests and a selection of merchandise to buy. Weirdly it’s not the reception. The team direct you to the lifts and check-in located on the 15th floor. It’s a 95-bedroom property, but the hotel occupies floors 9 to 16 of the building.
The lifts are actually really frustrating. They have 3 located together but the first one doesn’t go to certain floors. Having a dog meant we were up and down a few times, navigating between the ground, reception on 15, and our room on 9. We had to use different lifts for each one, and found ourselves tapping our room key, pushing buttons and not moving. It was really confusing and took a few mistakes to figure out which lift took us where. Why they have physical buttons to floors you can’t go to, I don’t know. They are beautifully designed inside though!
Check-In
Having the check-in desk on the 15th floor meant impressive skyline views of London behind the receptionists. The lighting was a bit dark for my liking, but I loved all the plants including a full wall of greenery. In their sustainability efforts, the room card was actually wooden which is the first I’ve seen.
I paid £268.80 for a one night stay (Tuesday – Wednesday end of January) for two adults and one dog, booked via booking.com. As I’m a genius level 2 member, I had a free upgrade from a standard double, to a Studio Suite. These are usually around £350 a night on their website when I last checked, so we definitely got a good rate.
Wanted to add that they charged my card an additional £120 on top, a total of £388.80. I understand pre-authorisation and holding fees, but this was physically taken from my account for us to ‘use’. I was refunded the amount when I checked out the next day, but in the many hotels I’ve stayed in, I haven’t had such a large amount be taken at check-in. Worth noting as it wasn’t very clear when I booked.
Studio Suite Room
I loved the idea of a little lounge as soon as you walked into the room, but the lighting was horrible in here. We didn’t spend any time in this area. It was handy for dumping coats and putting our shoes on and off, but it felt a little wasted. There was a big TV on the wall, a kaleidoscope on the table and a rattan chair in the corner which wasn’t very comfortable. I liked the little record player in the corner, but we didn’t use it.
The glass sliding doors acted as a great divider between the two ‘rooms’. Bonnie usually sleeps in the kitchen at home, so we gave her this area to sleep which worked great for both her and myself. Although you’ll read later on that we had issues with them banging during the night.
Quirky touches
I was initially really drawn to the decor when deciding to book this hotel. If you love vintage furniture and childhood memorabilia, then you’ll really enjoy it. Although on first impressions it all looks really quirky and cute, practically it mostly felt like clutter. The large globe on the desk took up half the space we needed for our belongings. The magic 8 ball, vintage books, second kaleidoscope, piggy bank and even the Paddington Bear took up valuable space on the furniture. I need the bedside table for my glasses, iPad, phone, vlog camera, room key and a drink etc. I found myself trying to find spots to move all the items, which was really impractical. They’d look better on a shelf, out the way. The sloth and mushroom cushions didn’t add anything for me either.
Sleep + noise
The bed itself and the linen were beautiful. A big king size with a fluffy duvet and pillows. Personally I prefer a firmer pillow, but the quality was wonderful. I slept well, but sadly my Mum had a terrible sleep. She nodded off past 3am due to the noise from the floors above, bottles being poured into the outside bins, and our glass divider doors banging against the wall due to the air-con being circulated. Obviously we are central London, and the windows were double glazed, but I imagine certain sides of the hotel might be better to avoid. On reading others reviews, it appears that noise is a major complaint on higher floors too, as you can hear the restaurant and music. We didn’t hear any other noise, dogs or guests conversations though.
Bathroom
This might be my favourite part of the room. Beautiful decor, a huge mirror, great lighting and a large rainfall shower. I did have an issue with no hot water coming through when I washed my face before bed. I had it running for 5 minutes, which felt like a huge waste considering they are trying to be sustainable. It was luckily hot again in the morning when I took a shower, but this definitely needs looking into. The towels were large and fluffy, plenty of space on the counter for toiletries and makeup, and I liked the little bird and cuckoo clock featured on the floor-to-ceiling bamboo.
They provide hand wash and soap, flannels and a few amenities in little brown bags. Not 100% sure what’s inside each one, but always appreciated. The shower has branded shampoo, conditioner and body wash which all smelt wonderful. The back wall besides the shower has the ability to draw the curtain and have a floor-to-ceiling open glass wall, if that’s your vibe.
Dog-friendly
I was really impressed with the dog bits they provided. Two big bowls with fresh water, a bag of Lily’s Kitchen food and Chew Sticks, and a bed for Bonnie to sleep in. She’s a small Spaniel and just about fit. Not sure if they could offer anything bigger if you had a larger dog, but this was extremely appreciated. I couldn’t carry a bed to and from London, so having this to borrow made the stay much more comfortable for Bonnie and easier for me. I did bring our own blanket which I popped inside to make it feel and smell more like home for her.
Food & Drink
The main Mexican restaurant Madera don’t allow dogs, so we couldn’t eat here for breakfast or dinner. The hotel also has Pizzeria Mozza, which was sadly under renovation during our stay. It’s the first UK restaurant from internationally recognised Chef Nancy Silverton, first established in Los Angeles.
The Nest, their rooftop bar and terrace, do allow dogs until 6pm. We took a visit without a reservation around 5pm. Unfortunately, more renovations on the patio outside meant we couldn’t enjoy the 360-degree skyline views. We were keen to have some light bites and cocktails, but sadly nothing on this menu took our fancy. We didn’t recognise anything on the cocktail menu either, even the classic menu felt overly complicated.
It was so dark we had to use the torches on our phone to read the menu, but they did pop on a few extra lights before we left. I really wanted to hang out and love this area of the hotel, but it didn’t feel very welcoming and we shortly left after a small lemonade and coffee that cost us £10.13.
They also offer Room Service but nothing took our fancy on the menu either. Sometimes you just need a simple margarita pizza, you know? We ended up ordering pasta on Deliveroo, which is a shame.
Final thoughts
I really wanted to love this hotel, especially after so many glowing reviews and pictures on the ‘gram. Highlights for me include being dog-friendly and providing lovely touches for our stay, especially the treats and bed. The location is perfect, very central and easy to find. The staff were always very friendly and welcoming. The bed was really comfortable, and I loved the big TV and beautiful bathroom.
The cons outweigh unfortunately. The lifts were frustrating to use, especially accessing the main areas of the hotel. The water and plumbing needs attention, the noises were too loud if you’re a light sleeper and the menus for food in the restaurants, bar and room service weren’t appealing to us. There’s a lack of areas for guests to sit and enjoy. Although dogs are welcome in the rooms, they can’t join in the restaurant which made it impossible for us to enjoy any breakfast in the morning.
The choice of dark lighting in reception, The Nest and parts of our room was uninviting, along with the awkwardly placed decor that felt like clutter in areas we needed to use the most. I didn’t like the £120 charge they added to my card either. In fact, I didn’t enjoy the location of reception being on the 15th floor.
They offer regular events including yoga, painting and DJs which all sound great, so maybe this hotel is more suited to couples and friends wanting a nice meal upstairs and a more unique stay. I wouldn’t return again, so my hunt for a dog-friendly hotel in the city continues!
If you’re interested, Treehouse Hotel London is located 14-15 Langham Place, London, W1B 2QS.
What do you think? Have you wanted to stay here? Which dog-friendly hotel shall we try next? Let me know! If you enjoyed this, you might also like our review of a REAL Treehouse! Check out Woodside Bay Treehouse Review here.
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