Steeped in history with features that are almost futuristically modern, this central London icon is the perfect spot for a summertime swim over the city’s skyline.
Location
The Berkeley is just a five-minute walk from both the Knightsbridge and Hyde Park Corner Underground stations, or just a 10-minute drive from Victoria railway station. And whilst many visitors will relish the hotel’s proximity to Harvey Nichols, Harrods, and the general bustle of central London, others will be more enticed by its closeness to the vast greenery of Hyde Park, a welcome dose of calm amid the hubbub.
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The vibe
The Berkeley is a glorious paradox. On the one hand, it has all the old-time stature of the city’s grand dames, and on the other, it’s a showcase of cutting-edge innovation. The hotel’s charm and longevity – it is more than 125 years old – lies in its ability to celebrate the past while constantly setting standards for the future. Each of the Berkeley’s 180 rooms and suites boasts a Toto toilet – a high-tech loo with an in-built, sensor-operated bidet system, which washes and dries its user, much to my bemusement. Still, it continues to honour the traditions which have helped seal its reputation over the years, namely its bowler hat-wearing doormen and extravagant high tea. And, like all of the most legendary London landmarks, it attracts people from all over the world.
Service
The Berkeley is big and bustling, so it needs to run like a well-oiled ship, and it does. The hotel has won multiple awards for its service, and staff on the whole were as helpful and accommodating as you’d expect from a 5* hotel, with attendants jumping to offer us impromptu tours of the facilities or to teach us how to work the baffling lift to the spa and fitness suite.
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Bed and bath
The Berkeley boasts 180 rooms and suites with 19 different categories to choose from, from an elegant but relatively simple standard room to a two-bedroom penthouse with its own glass pavilion. All rooms include a king-sized bed, a mini-bar stocked with British treats and complimentary soft drinks, a Smeg coffee machine and a Dyson hairdryer. Plus, you get complimentary use of the Berkeley’s house car service, should you fancy a central London jaunt.
Generally, the aesthetic is quasi-Japanese, with its rich wood panelling and immaculate platform beds. However, the Italian marble-clad bathrooms are more in keeping with the classic opulence one might expect from a swanky Knightsbridge hotel. You can’t fault the bathrooms for functionality. All rooms are equipped with a bath and showerhead or a separate shower room, and don’t forget those extraordinary Toto toilets.
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Food and drink
Dinner at the Berkeley’s glitzy new restaurant, La Môme, aims to recreate the sunny decadence of the Côte d’Azure by way of live music and rich, classic food. Waiters endlessly circulate with carving stations and platters to theatrically present plates of caviar, carpaccio and Chateaubriand. Meanwhile, the crooning Michael Bublé covers from the chanteur at the piano were suitably naff but charming.
Over the spring and summer months, guests can enjoy poolside drinks and small plates up on the rooftop. Think Aperol spritzes and Dorset crab salad savoured between dips. Down on the Bar and Terrace’s outdoor seating, chicken katsu sandwiches, and Angus beef sliders may be good stomach liners, but be warned, you’ll need a stiff drink to swallow the menu’s price list.
That said, you don’t come to the Berkeley for modesty or moderation. Just take the £85 “Goûtea” – a lavish high tea served in the hotel’s ground floor café. Master patissier Cédric Grolet’s breakfast pastries are similarly jaw-dropping in their laminated complexity. Understandably, this viennoisserie forms the crux of Berkeley’s breakfast offering, but there are other options too, including a full English breakfast, cereals, fruit and acai bowls.
Facilities
The Berkeley technically doesn’t have its own spa or gym. Rather, guests are granted access to Surrenne, a super-slick four-floor private members’ club located in the next-door Emory hotel via a dedicated iPad-operated lift. Here, there is a state-of-the-art gym and a multi-functional studio equipped with a wall-length screen which broadcasts virtual classes from beauty spots around the world. The spa also features seven treatment rooms, offering a range of services from FaceGym facials to brain performance therapy. However, Surrenne’s real pièce de résistance is the indoor pool: 22 metres of azure, skylight-lit perfection which shimmers beneath a gold leaf ceiling.
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Disability access
The Berkeley provides accessible parking and a drop-off point at the main entrance, but doesn’t have specially adapted rooms for disabled guests. However, there are a number of spacious rooms with walk-in showers and wooden floors, which are prioritised for guests in wheelchairs. The hotel also has ramps which staff can install where necessary, and all floors can be reached via elevator.
Pet policy
Pets are allowed in the Berkeley’s rooms and suites, but not in the bars and restaurants. Assistance dogs are also welcome.
Check in/check out?
Check-in 10am; check-out 12pm.
Family-friendly?
The hotel boasts its own “children’s concierge”, tasked with curating fun itineraries for younger guests. There are also special rates for families booking second or interconnecting rooms, and extras including personalised welcome treats and organic baby toiletries. The restaurants offer kids’ menus, and children are permitted to use the rooftop pool during specific time slots.
At a glance
Best thing: The pools – the rooftop and Surrenne’s.
Perfect for: Couples looking for lavish escapism.
Not right for: Fans of quirky boutique hotels.
Instagram from: The ground floor cafe while enjoying a Goûtea.
Address: Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7RL
Phone: 020 7235 6000
Website: the-berkeley.co.uk
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