The Berkeley

The Berkeley does not boast the longest list of royal guests, the most storied history, or the richest collection of antiques and old master paintings. Nor does it have nightingales or a location in Berkeley Square. What it does have is extreme comfort, and fewer than 200 rooms. It is not considered, by any means, to be the grandest or the most stylish hotel, but for many people, it’s the best. Doormen and concierges call you by name, it’s on the doorstep of both Hyde Park and Harvey Nichols, and getting a table at Marcus Wareing or Koffmann’s (both in the hotel) is never a problem.

No wonder all sorts of people just opt to move in. Lawrence of Arabia director David Lean lived here, as did London it-girl Tara Palmer-Tomkinson. Rooms are old fashioned in the English country style — chaise longues, canopied beds and mahogany chests of drawers. They are spacious and enormously comfortable. Tea at the Berkeley is certainly not London’s most famous, but it is well loved by a small crowd in the know. It is intimate, and at times unusual, as when the chef, inspired by the Chelsea Flower Show, served lavender brulée alongside sloe gin scones.

Though the building that it currently occupies was only built in the 1970s, the Berkeley has existed in some form since the eighteenth century. And for a long time the Berkeley did not feel the urge to move with the times. Its clientele has never been aesthetically demanding.

This, however, has changed. Take the Art Deco-style Blue Bar (part of the old Berkeley hotel, and quite literally lifted and dropped bang in the middle of the present one), and the phenomenal rooftop pool, both of which Madonna, it has been said, adores. The Caramel Room is the chic venue for the hotel's famous afternoon tea service. And then there’s the spa. It’s unusual for a hotel like the Berkeley to opt for cutting-edge treatments, but the Berkeley Health Club and Spa is state-of-the-art.

How to get there:

The Berkeley hotel is a 5-minute walk from both the Knightsbridge and Hyde Park Corner tube stations. If you're arriving from Heathrow Airport the most convenient transfer option to central London is The Heathrow Express Train, which leaves Heathrow Airport every 15 minutes and takes 15 minutes to arrive at Paddington Station. One-way fares are available from £18 and roundtrip fares from £32. By black cab, The Berkeley is approximately a 45-minute ride from Heathrow Airport (depending on traffic) and can cost upwards of £50.

• 214 Rooms
• Style: Contemporary Classic
• Atmosphere: Lively
• 12 Guest Reviews

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