The Berkeley

Rooms and decor

The Berkeley is a 1970s modern block, kept current through ongoing renovation, with contemporary interiors by designers including Helen Green and Robert Angell. Standard rooms start at 30 sqm, bright and contemporary, with Hypnos beds, Egyptian-cotton linens and Calacatta marble bathrooms throughout. Several guests describe the feel as modern luxury rather than old-world heritage — a fit for travelers who want a current 5-star rather than a period piece. The Pavilion Penthouse suite comes with a private terrace looking over the rooftop pool and Hyde Park.

Food and amenities

The retractable rooftop pool is the thing that sets The Berkeley apart from the heritage hotels on this list — you can swim with Knightsbridge and Hyde Park spread out around you, year-round. Marcus by Marcus Wareing serves Michelin-level Modern British food. Pavilion Tea in the Collins Room is the home of Pret-a-Portea, where the pastries are modeled on iconic fashion pieces — a Burberry trench coat, an Hermès Birkin bag, Manolo Blahnik shoes — with a new collection every six months. Blue Bar, designed by David Collins, is the most glamorous cocktail room in the hotel. The Berkeley Spa runs on Bamford products and has a hammam, a steam room and a spa suite for couples treatments.

Location and getting there

The hotel sits on Wilton Place, right between Hyde Park Corner and Knightsbridge. Knightsbridge Tube is a 5-minute walk on the Piccadilly line, which runs straight to Heathrow. Harrods is also 5 minutes on foot, Hyde Park is directly across the road, and Buckingham Palace is about a 15-minute walk. Sloane Street, lined with luxury-brand shops, is within walking distance — which makes this one of the better bases in London for shoppers and Hyde Park regulars.

Things to know before booking

Rooms start around $860 a night, so this is firmly luxury-tier pricing. The building is a 1970s modern block, which means none of the heritage atmosphere you get at the Ritz, Savoy or Claridge's. And it is a small hotel — 190 rooms, fewer than the others on this list, so it tends to book up and can be harder to get into.

Our take

The Berkeley is the pick for travelers who want a current 5-star over a period one. It is in the Maybourne group alongside Claridge's and The Connaught, and it carries a 9.2/10 score, but the reason to choose it is specific: the retractable rooftop pool, the fashion-led Pret-a-Portea tea, and a Knightsbridge address a few minutes from Harrods and Hyde Park.