Broadwick Soho

May 8

Where velvet seduces, playlists flirt, and even the lighting knows your secrets.

Soho doesn’t whisper — it purrs, preens, and prowls. And The Broadwick is its lair.

This isn’t a hotel you stay at. It’s a cinematic moment you accidentally wake up inside. Think: mid-century glamour meets rock-star hangover. The kind of place where you can check in with sunglasses on and no one bats an eye — in fact, the concierge might compliment your taste in regrets.

From the moment you cross the threshold, you’re inside a curated fever dream. Velvet drapes. Art that stares back. A scent that lingers like a secret. The rooms? Deep tones, low light, and a minibar that encourages sins you’ll want to repeat.

Downstairs, the Italian restaurant isn’t trying to be authentic — it’s trying to be unforgettable. It succeeds. Think Fellini by way of Soho: beautifully unhinged, comfortingly chaotic, impeccably dressed.

But the real wink to those in the know? That’s The Nook — a guest-only hideaway tucked behind velvet and discretion. It’s not about who you are. It’s about who invites you in.

The Broadwick doesn’t beg for attention. It already has it. Every hallway feels like a set piece. Every guest looks like they might be somebody. And every detail (the playlist, the bathrobe weight, the wafting rose fragrance, the ashtray art direction) feels like it was obsessed over in the best way - and, it was.

You don’t come here to rest. You come here to feel something.

Backroom Access: A Conversation with Josh Gardner

Proprietor of Pleasure. Purveyor of the Provocative. Founding Friend of Broadwick Soho.

Once you’ve had your negroni and sunk into the mood of The Broadwick, it only feels right to slip behind the curtain and meet one of the provocateurs who dreamed it up.

Here, Josh Gardner spills the velvet-lined tea — from secret inspirations to the kind of hotel guest who’s unforgettable (for better or worse).

1. Soho’s never exactly been shy. When you dreamed up The Broadwick, what itch were you trying to scratch that the rest of London’s hotel scene just wasn’t touching?
We wanted to create something that tied in to the neighbourhood but was also elevated with unique character. Soho has always been full of stories, grit, glamour, and mischief, but no hotel really captured that fully. We also wanted to create a space that attracted a diverse array of guests and cultivated its own community. Almost like a private club but without being a private club. It’s incredibly rewarding now to see that community come to life.

2. The Broadwick doesn’t feel designed — it feels composed. Like a film scored in velvet and woodsmoke. What (or who) was on your moodboard when you started?
Thank you - that’s beautifully put. The mood board was a love letter to Soho through the ages. We drew on art, culture, history, film, and our surroundings to draw inspiration. The hotel is also very much a love letter to our Owner Noel Hayden’s parents and pays homage to the hotel that they owned years ago in Bournemouth – Mon Ami. Noel’s father, Noel Snr was a showman, famous for his magic performance that took place at the Hotel and his mother Jackie, was the person running the day-to-day operations. A true family love affair.

3. There’s this glorious tension — elegant but a little wicked, like Bond the morning after. How did you calibrate the space to feel both seductive and sincere?
Our interiors are opulent and luxurious whilst still feeling like a home away from home for our guests, which is exactly what we wanted to achieve. It's your eccentric, well-travelled godmother’s townhouse. There’s always comfort, humour, a little mischief. Every space is designed for connection whether that’s with the surroundings, with other people or with yourself.

4. What’s one little detail most guests probably miss, but that you love like hell?
The gold crown on the top of building. Inspired by the gold crown that sits atop London’s Palladium Theatre, it shines bright in the evening and is definitely one of my most favourite details.

5. If the walls of The Broadwick could talk... would you be sued, knighted, or invited to Cannes?
Ideally all three. We’ve already had many moments that felt straight out of a film, but our walls are very good at keeping secrets. That’s part of the hotel’s charm. As the ultimate ‘I see nothing’ Diplomat, I would like to think that one that would be worth of a Knighthood from His Majesty!

6. The whole place smells like memory — like a lover’s coat, a record sleeve, a story you only half-remember. Was that intentional?
We created our own bespoke scent as we felt that scent is such an important part of the guest experience and is a big part of creating a memory. The scent has notes of tuberose absolute, blended with leather, artemisia, Ambergris, incense wood, and Black Oudh. The scent was created to capture the ambience and sense of excitement and mystery that we anticipated filling the hotel. It’s called Dame of Soho and we created it in partnership with renowned perfumer Azzi Glasser.

7. You’ve got art that makes you pause, staff that could be cast in a heist film, and a minibar that dares you to misbehave. Who did you build this place for?
It’s for people who notice the details, who want something with personality, and who don’t want the same experience you’d get anywhere else. Soho has always attracted such a mix of people. The crowd here is really varied, which we love - fashion insiders, world travellers, creatives, artists and varies from A list talent to local Soho residents just popping in for a drink. The hotel is great for people who want to be a part of the cultural energy of Soho rather than just observing it from the sidelines and those who look for somewhere with real character. It was also important to us that everyone feels welcome and part of it.

8. Give me the elevator pitch for a night at The Broadwick — but the version you’d give after two negronis.
A family owned, fully independent hotel created by a group of friends who care deeply about delivering something amazing and unexpected. Anything is possible at Broadwick Soho. One night its Sister Sledge performing live on the rooftop, or Sheryl Crow playing an intimate acoustic set, and then the next night you’ve got guests getting psychic readings by the fireplace in The Nook. Because the Founding Friends are here day to day, we have the freedom to say yes to things in the moment which can lead to wild and spontaneous things happening at the hotel any day of the week.

9. I know discretion matters, but… what’s the wildest thing that’s happened since opening?
I’ve been in the Hotel business for more than twenty years and I pride myself on having the most upmost discretion. Wild things have happened, but I never kiss and tell.