OS Lifestyle is a barbershop and lifestyle brand at 3 Bateman Street in Soho, London.
The brand describes its experience through three clear elements: haircuts, products and playlists. Its Soho location brings these together in a distinctive setting, with barber chairs and product displays alongside a dedicated DJ setup and a beer tap at the counter.
Older Google Street View imagery did not show this business. The October 2022 road view opens a few shops away, and moving along Bateman Street reveals the yellow frontage of the bar that previously occupied number 3, decorated with Halloween tape and cobwebs.
360 View created a connected Google Maps virtual tour showing the current exterior, entrance and customer areas inside OS Lifestyle. It gives people a clearer way to recognise the barbershop and explore the atmosphere before booking or visiting.
The Project in One View
| Project detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Client | OS Lifestyle Soho |
| Location | 3 Bateman Street, London W1D 4AG |
| Brand positioning | A lifestyle brand built around haircuts, products and playlists |
| Previous Google imagery | October 2022 Street View showing the former bar at the address |
| Project | Connected exterior and indoor Google Maps virtual tour |
| Distinctive features | Barbering area, DJ setup, music station, product displays and beer tap |
| Published on | Google Maps and the OS Lifestyle Google Business Profile, with the option to embed the tour on a website |
Haircuts, Products and Playlists in Soho
OS Lifestyle was established in 2014. The company describes itself as a UK lifestyle brand known for fresh haircuts, bespoke and branded products, music playlists, a welcoming atmosphere and a combination of traditional and modern barbering techniques.
Those words are not simply marketing language. Several of these qualities can be seen inside the Soho barbershop.
The connected tour shows the barber chairs and mirrors where the service takes place, but it also reveals the details surrounding the appointment. The DJ setup makes music a visible part of the space, while the beer tap at the counter introduces an element more commonly associated with hospitality.
Together, these features help OS Lifestyle feel different from a conventional barbershop. Customers are not only seeing where their haircut will take place. They are getting an early impression of the music, character and social atmosphere around the experience.
What Google Street View Showed Before
Google’s official car imagery below was captured in October 2022. The supplied view begins a short distance from number 3, but following the Street View route towards the correct unit shows a very different business.
At the time, the premises had a yellow frontage and formed part of Simmons bar. The windows were covered with Halloween cobwebs and caution tape. Westminster records from the period also identify the ground floor at 3 Bateman Street as a drinking establishment connected with the neighbouring bar.
Google car Street View from October 2022. Move along Bateman Street to see the former yellow bar frontage at number 3.
The issue is not that Google has the wrong street. It is that its historical road imagery still reflects a previous use of this particular unit. Someone looking only at that view could struggle to recognise the barbershop now occupying the address.
Explore OS Lifestyle Soho Today
The new Google Maps virtual tour presents the current dark frontage and open entrance, then connects visitors with the barbering area inside.
Customers can see the arrangement of the chairs and mirrors, the counter, the product displays and the distinctive music area. The DJ equipment and beer tap help communicate that OS Lifestyle has designed the visit as a broader lifestyle experience rather than only a functional haircut appointment.
The current OS Lifestyle Soho virtual tour, connecting the exterior with the customer areas inside the barbershop.
Explore OS Lifestyle Soho directly on Google Maps.
Helping Customers Understand the Experience Before Booking
A customer choosing a barbershop may want more than a list of services and prices. The environment, personality and overall experience can also influence where they decide to book.
The OS Lifestyle tour helps potential customers understand:
- How to recognise the current frontage at 3 Bateman Street.
- What the barbershop looks like when they enter.
- How the barber chairs and customer areas are arranged.
- How music, products and hospitality contribute to the atmosphere.
- Whether the character of the space feels right for them.
The tour does not make that decision for the customer. It provides current visual information that helps them compare options with fewer unanswered questions.
What This Project Shows Barbershop Owners and Marketing Teams
Older Street View does not always show an earlier version of the same business. It may show a completely different company that previously occupied the address.
This can be particularly confusing when a unit has changed colour, signage, purpose and interior layout. A current connected tour can show the new frontage, guide people through the entrance and present the details that make the business distinctive.
For barbershops, salons and other experience led businesses, the most useful tour does more than document the floor plan. It should also show the visual elements that support the brand, whether that means product displays, specialist equipment, artwork, music, refreshments or the way customers are welcomed.
The completed tour can remain connected to the Google Business Profile, appear on Google Maps and be embedded on the business website.
A Current Business Tour Does Not Remove Google’s History
Google’s official car imagery and a business virtual tour are separate forms of Street View content.
The new OS Lifestyle tour does not delete or replace the October 2022 road view. Google may continue to retain that older imagery as part of its historical coverage.
The business tour adds a current visual route connected with OS Lifestyle’s Google Maps location. This gives customers a way to see the business occupying 3 Bateman Street today.
Google Maps Virtual Tours for Barbershops and Salons
360 View creates Indoor Google Street View virtual tours for barbershops, salons, shops and other customer facing businesses across London and the UK.
We photograph the exterior, entrance and relevant customer areas, connect them into a clear walkthrough and publish the completed tour on Google Maps. We can also provide the code needed to embed it on a website.
This project was created through Local 360, our programme that offers a limited number of selected independent businesses a professional Google Maps virtual tour at no cost while our photographer is already working nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can Google Street View show the previous business at an address?
Google captures its official road imagery periodically. If one business closes and another opens before the street is photographed again, the older view may continue to show the previous occupant even though the current Google Business Profile has the correct name and address.
Can a new virtual tour remove the older car imagery?
No. A business virtual tour does not delete Google’s official car imagery. It adds current 360 imagery connected to the new business, giving customers another way to see what occupies the address today.
What should a barbershop virtual tour include?
A useful route normally begins outside, continues through the entrance and covers the main service and customer areas. It can also include distinctive brand features such as products, artwork, music equipment or a refreshment area when these form part of the customer experience.
Can a virtual tour communicate atmosphere as well as layout?
It cannot reproduce the sound, service or personal interaction of a real visit. It can, however, show the design, lighting, equipment and details that contribute to the atmosphere and help customers form a more informed first impression.
Can the Google Maps tour be added to the business website?
Yes. A Google Maps virtual tour can be embedded on a website, location page, booking page or contact page so visitors can explore the premises without leaving the site.
Will a virtual tour guarantee better Google rankings or more bookings?
No. A virtual tour does not guarantee rankings, bookings or sales. Its practical value is that it gives customers accurate visual information and helps the business present its current premises more clearly online.
Does Google Maps Still Show the Business That Occupied Your Address Before You?
If Google’s older Street View still shows a previous shop, bar, restaurant or salon at your address, send us your Google Maps link.
We will review what customers can currently see and explain whether a connected exterior and interior tour would present your business more clearly.
