The Berkeley London review: 10/10

Why book The Berkeley

The Berkeley still reveals itself most clearly in the morning, just in a different room than before. Breakfast now unfolds in The Berkeley Café, a warm, tactile space shared with Cédric Grolet’s patisserie. Rust tones, wood panelling and curved seating give it a softly continental feel, gently busy with meetings, newspapers and immaculate viennoiserie.

Grolet’s presence draws a steady stream of non-guests throughout the day, cameras in hand, but hotel guests quickly learn the flow. Those after a calmer start tend to favour abc kitchens, which carries more of the old Berkeley discretion, while the café hums with energy from dawn until afternoon.

Part of Maybourne, alongside Claridge’s and The Connaught, The Berkeley has always been a stylish hideaway in one of London’s most polished neighbourhoods. Recent changes have softened its mood. The removal of the Blue Bar and the departure of Marcus Wareing closed a chapter, but what followed feels more residential and more assured. With The Emory now directly next door and connected, the hotel has quietly evolved into something calmer and more grown up.

Still glamorous, still recognisably five-star London, The Berkeley now trades less on scene and more on staying power. A rare rooftop pool, a loyal Arab following, genuinely warm service and a Knightsbridge address that feels closer to a village than a thoroughfare continue to make it a dependable, lived-in home from home.

The location: 9/10

The Berkeley, miraculously, manages to feel like the chicest of city hotels, but also a countryside retreat – and that’s all down to its superlative location. The hotel sits on Wilton Place – just off the busy thoroughfare of Knightsbridge and its own peaceful enclave. Turn right out of the hotel, and you’re moments away from Hyde Park, Brompton Road, Harrods and Harvey Nics, but turn left, and you’re led into the cobbled lanes of Belgravia – London’s affluent village within a city. Nothing sums this up more than the charming adjacent parkland and garden and the old stone St Paul’s Knightsbridge Church – whose clergy officially turn the hotel’s festive lights on each year, cementing its neighbourhood status.

The Emory now stands directly next door, joined to The Berkeley via a discreet shared access point. It adds a new layer of privacy and convenience, particularly for guests moving between hotel, spa and dining spaces without ever needing to step outside.

Rooms and suites: 10/10

The Berkeley’s 190 rooms and suites are a dreamy haze of sumptuous shades and plush ‘touch me’ fabrics – with the exciting addition of curated artwork. Embodying the style Maybourne 2.0 – a new dawn for the group following its openings in the French Riviera and Beverly Hills – rooms are designed by designers like Andre Fu, Joyce Wang and John Heah and offer everything from a grand penthouse or garden-view pied-à-terres. Checking in, you’re too sure what awaits: a chic New York City Loft or mid-century modern space with terrace and church views. Whatever room it is utterly splendid with Italian marble bathrooms.

On our first stay, in late summer, our Andre Fu-designed Grand Pavilion Penthouse Suite was arguably one of the best hotel offerings this reviewer had ever experienced – an enfilade of living and dining spaces, two outdoor terraces, two walk-in dressing areas and a bathroom stocked with scrumptious Surrenne toiletries – plus silky pillowcases branded with our initials. A full-sized coffee machine means you don’t ever need to call down or venture out, and a fridge turns the traditional hotel mini bar on its head – stocked with bottled treats from Lockdown Liquor & Co and 111Skin de-puffing eye masks (plus all the usuals – of which soft drinks are complimentary.

On our second visit, on a cold December weekend, it’s the John Heath-designed Apartment – a fusion of interiors giving with a distinctly ultra-modern Japandi feeling. It’s all dim lighting, sliding doors, wood panelling, stained glass windows and striking mid-century furnishings, with a lovely outdoor terrace overlooking the quiet street outside. The feeling is private Knightsbridge residence over hotel.

A true delight is the complete collection of Dyson hair appliances – hair dryer, Air Wrap and straighteners – so you have immaculate hair to match your surroundings (It’s a lifestyle, after all). We pop into a friend’s room down the hall: pastel pink and creamy with boucle furnishings, a fireplace and screen bathroom doors – impossibly inviting and stylish.

Food and drink: 10/10

Food at The Berkeley has shifted away from headline dining towards something more fluid and daytime-led. The Berkeley Café now anchors the experience, serving from morning through afternoon in a softly curved space designed by Rémi Tessier. It is here that Cédric Grolet’s patisserie lives, with sculptural pastries, viennoiserie and his Goûtea concept drawing a steady stream of non-guests. It can be lively, but the energy feels organic rather than performative. Hotel guests often gravitate towards abc kitchens for breakfast and quieter meals. It offers a calmer, more discreet setting and feels closer in spirit to the Berkeley of old.

Pre-dinner drinks are had at The Berkeley Bar, a cocooning space with pink and rich wooden accents, cosy corners and a terrace, specialising in rare wines, vintage champagnes and dark spirits. The pièce de résistance is the pink snug, an intimate spot complete with a blush sofa, coral pouffes and marble tables, plus a mural of abstract female faces by New York-based artist TM Davy. A partition door and a ‘call for service’ button make this an exclusive hideaway.

Evenings now centre around La Môme London, which has taken over the former Marcus Wareing space. With its upbeat energy and Riviera-inspired Mediterranean menu, it brings a more theatrical, sociable mood back into the building. The room fills easily, the soundtrack is lively, and the cooking leans crowd-pleasing rather than cerebral. It marks a clear shift from fine dining to something more convivial.

The removal of the Blue Bar has softened the hotel’s nightlife, but dining and drinking here now feel more integrated into the stay. Less destination-led, more about supporting a comfortable, well-paced London hotel experience.

Spa and facilities: 10/10

The Berkeley’s greatest strength now sits below ground. Guests have full access to Surrenne, the four-level wellness club shared with The Emory and one of London’s most serious spa offerings. It draws members and hotel guests alike, so it can be busy at peak times, but the scale absorbs it well. At its centre is a 22-metre pool, flanked by Rémi Tessier cabins, alongside sauna, steam rooms, an ice fountain and dedicated spa suites. Treatments range from FaceGym workouts to Japanese Ashiatsu massage, where therapists work using ceiling bars, and clinical-grade therapies for those seeking something more restorative.

There are multiple Pilates and fitness studios, complimentary classes for guests and a dedicated Tracy Anderson space with its own boutique. It is the kind of facility people visit even without staying at the hotel, which says everything about its standing. Upstairs, the Berkeley’s rooftop pool remains a rarity in London, particularly in summer, with views stretching across Hyde Park. Between Surrenne below and the rooftop above, few hotels in the capital offer this breadth of wellness without ever feeling showy.

The vibe: 10/10

There’s nothing like spinning through The Berkeley’s revolving door after a long day in London. The family of door staff all personally greet you, the lobby is smiles all around, and the fragrance instantly sets your mind at ease. This is a hotel that’s both grand and traditional yet cool and contemporary, from the bowler-hatted doormen to the laid-back lobby staff now operating on iPads from a modern snug. Cédric Grolet has a cool Instagram-loving crowd, popular with those visiting from the Middle East, and the hotel is always abuzz with guests – a testament to its enduring appeal and ability to capture the zeitgeist.

The Berkeley, London; Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7RL; the-berkeley.co.uk, @the_berkeley. Rooms typically start from around £750–£900 per night (approx AED 3,500–4,200), rising significantly for suites and peak dates.

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