The Berkeley

I wish Trip Advisor allowed .5 star ratings because our stay at The Berkeley was frustrating and I have debated between leaving a 3 or 4 star rating since checking out. Compared to The Peninsula, The Berkeley does not measure up, but we would still stay at The Berkeley before returning to The Dorchester. The frustrations with our stay at The Berkeley began upon check-in, where our room was upgraded thanks to our AMEX amenities and a bit of angling from us after we were first given a room without any mention of a possible upgrade. A few days prior, I had arranged to have flowers and a nice welcome card in our room upon arrival, and we had to wait in the lobby for about 10 minutes for our upgraded room to be prepared. I was sure the 10 minute wait was to move the flowers and welcome card into our new room, but there were no flowers in our room and the welcome card was addressed to some other person. This is in direct contrast to The Dorchester, the L’Oscar and the Saint James in Paris, where the same pre-arranged flower orders were very tastefully in our rooms upon arrival along with nice welcome cards and a few extra treats. When I called the concierge to figure out what happened, it took a few minutes for The Berkeley to admit that my email from a couple days prior when I ordered the flowers was received and simply not acted upon by the hotel. It was very frustrating to go back and forth over the phone as The Berkeley staff initially suggested that my email ordering the flowers (which was in response to a pre-existing email conversation with The Berkeley) was not received. It wasn’t until 20-30 minutes after bringing the issue up to the concierge that they acknowledged receipt of my pre-arrival order. To be fair, The Berkeley staff was very apologetic about the mistake and offered to give us a “romantic” turndown service that included a free bottle of champagne (Billecart-Salmon rosé) and rose petals in the shape of a heart on our bed. That was a very nice touch and convinced me the rest of the stay would be seamless. The Berkeley also promised to deliver the flowers and welcome card free of charge while we were out of the room the next day. I was asked when the room would be unoccupied so the flowers and welcome gift could still be a surprise for my fiancé and told the staff we would be out of the room from 12pm-2pm the next day. Unfortunately, after going out for breakfast and arriving back at The Berkeley the next morning around 10am, the staff had already placed the flowers (without any card) in our room and was still in the process of tidying our room up requiring us to awkwardly wait in the hallway for 10 minutes for the room to be vacated. When I called the concierge to explain the timing issue, they apologized and told me they had instructed the staff not to enter the room until noon, but that instruction was evidently not heeded. In response, The Berkeley offered to set up their house car to take us to Westminster Abbey later that day for a tour we had booked. It was a nice gesture, but when we arrived at the valet at the scheduled time, we were told the house car was not available for hours and had to hail a taxi to get to our tour. After calling the concierge again for an explanation of why the house car that was promised to us as a “sorry” for the previous issues was not available when we were told it was scheduled for our use, we again received an apology for the lack of communication and were offered couples massages free of charge. Again, a very nice gesture. We were also offered complimentary drinks at the rooftop bar at The Emory (sister property that is connected to The Berkeley) that night. Upon arrival at The Emory rooftop bar, we were seated away from the windows despite a table next to the window being open. I figured the table was reserved for a larger party, but less than 10 minutes after we sat down, another couple that did not have a reservation (we were seated so close to the host stand that we could hear every conversation) was seated at the table near the window as my fiancé was continually brushed up against by the staff and many patrons who had to squeeze by our table to get to the elevators and the bar. We left The Emory rooftop bar unsatisfied. The next night, we ordered room service and received another bottle of Billecart-Salmon rosé champagne and a stunning cake from the Cédric Grolet restaurant downstairs. The Berkeley also set up their house car (successfully this time) to take us to the L’Oscar hotel upon checkout. To sum up our stay, The Berkeley repeatedly dropped the ball regarding requests and expectations inherent in a hotel of this caliber and price. Each time a mistake was made, The Berkeley did their best to fix the issues by generously offering bottles of champagne, massages and other complimentary gifts. The complimentary gifts, although welcome, do not excuse the continuous stream of mistakes we encountered during our stay. We would have happily given back all the complimentary gifts in exchange for a seamless stay. Nevertheless, The Berkeley did make us feel that they were truly sorry for each mistake and that is why they get 4 stars instead of 3. Having given The Dorchester 3 stars, it did not feel right to give The Berkeley the same rating because the rooms at The Berkeley were nice, the staff was generally friendly and the location is top-notch. We likely won’t be staying at The Berkeley again, but would consider staying at The Berkeley before ever setting foot back in The Dorchester.

This is our favourite London hotel.As soon as we arrived,Danny,Paul and Mohammed sprang into action.Nothing is too much trouble for the best doormen in town.The new check in room is super smart .Our room was beautiful.As always, the most comfortable bed possible.Great bathroom and a welcome Negroni which was needed after busy shopping!The next day a delicious breakfast in Abc with very attentive staff led by Antonio.It is such a great room watching the traffic flow past with Hyde Park behind.This hotel is really on point.Always calm,always trying to give guests an extra special stay. I am already looking forward to the next trip after Christmas!

Excellent service. Renovated Lobby and dining room . Well priced vs competitive hotels. ABC kitchen dining room excellent

Excellent balance of affordability in luxury staying and service—one of the best hotels in London. Every aspect is top!

From start to finish this modern hotel exudes quality and excellence of the highest order. From drawing up in a taxi to a swift and efficient check-in and being escorted to my room everything was seamless. I was given a very generous room upgrade. Staff swiftly attended with my luggage and room service arrived simultaneously with “amenities” acknowledging my birthday and I was offered a lovely coffee and additional water. The lady who delivered these was delightful, funny and informative. Unfortunately I did not get her name (#630 on 28.7.25) I spent time exploring all the room facilities. They were stunning and I was extremely impressed. Best bathroom ever! The view from the rooftop pool area over Hyde Park and Knightsbridge is stunning. I enjoyed a peaceful light lunch and cocktail at the ground floor bar. Here I experienced swift and discreet service on a quiet side street terrace with neighbouring church bells sounding every 15 minutes. Very relaxing. There was extensive work ongoing in the front lobby but this in no way impaired my overall experience and enjoyment here, although reception and concierge areas were evidently compromised. In the evening I had dinner at the new “La Môme”. This is a very lively and buzzing new addition at The Berkeley with a mid 20th century smart jazzy nightclub feel and a Côte d’Azur vibe. Staff are energetic and enthusiastic, so keen to please and ensure you’re having a great time. Service is swift, discreet and efficient. Food and drinks were all lovely from start to finish. Fantastic live music really made this evening truly special. Staff made my birthday feel very special! Room service breakfast was prompt, very special and really generous. Shout out to Mohamed at the front door, who made arrival with luggage welcoming and departure swift and easy. Truly great service! In short: everything at The Berkeley is really “on point”. I’d give it a 7 star rating with a score of 20/10. A real life experience for those discerning in a remarkable hospitality experience. I do hope to return one day!