The Berkeley

"If you're looking for extreme comfort and personalised service, then The Berkeley is the hotel for you. Set beside Hyde Park, it offers the opportunity to lose yourself for a while in the city's biggest Royal Park, as you wander the rose garden or unwind beside the waters of the Diana Memorial Fountain. Back in the hotel, there's a pleasingly traditional English country house air, with spacious rooms providing the ultimate in classical comfort. Have afternoon tea in the Caramel Room, enjoy a drink in the art deco Blue Bar or take time for yourself in the state-of-the-art spa, then head for the best vantage point the hotel has to offer: the heated rooftop pool. Open from 7am-7pm for the exclusive use of hotel guests, this is said to be a favourite spot of none other than Madonna – and it's easy to see why! You can float in the pool while taking in the leafy outlook over Hyde Park, take up residence on a blue and white striped sun-lounger to enjoy views across Knightsbridge's rooftops, or sip cocktails in the open-air bar looking over the crescents of Belgravia." - The MICHELIN Guide UK Editorial Team

"Part of the Maybourne Group, which also manages Claridge's and The Connaught, The Berkeley is a bit like both but not much like either. A child of the early 1970s, there are no heritage trappings; instead, the look is cool, low-key, non-specifically modern. Soothe your aching muscles and achieve a state of serenity at the Blue Bar, or at the health club, home to one of the best spas in London. The views over Hyde Park are excellent; the rooftop pool is itself as pretty as a picture, though too small to be of much use to anyone who actually wants to swim. By way of compensation, there is Andre Fu's 3,000-square-foot Opus Suite—a spectacular space boasting more impressive vistas. Price: Rooms from around $1,182 per nightAddress: Wilton Pl, London SW1X 7RLClosest tube station: Knightsbridge" - Condé Nast Traveller, Steve King

"Best for: tons of entertainment options Closest tube station: Knightsbridge With its Knightsbridge postcode and elegant, Art Deco-style rooms peering over Hyde Park, The Berkeley is a swanky hotel that will stay etched in shared family memory for decades. This is mostly courtesy of its rooftop pool (a rare species in London) and mirrored and marbled suites that could double up as a Manhattan hedgefunder's city property. Delicious smelling organic baby products, novelty soaps, and bottle warmers ensure parents of babies and tiny tots are well equipped. Of course, there is the Berkeley bunny, the personalized welcome treats and bed linen, and the films and games consoles for older children, but it’s this classic hotel’s raft of children’s activities that make it such an appealing proposition for families. From mini-manicures to arranging tickets to must-see shows, the Berkeley is plugged-in on how to keep the kids entertained. They also know a thing or two about grown-ups: cue top-drawer childminding services to relish all five courses from Marcus Wareing’s tasting menu, followed by elaborate cocktails at the Blue Bar." - Rosalyn Wikeley

"The Berkeley has new Pavilion Suites, two rooms designed by the celebrated interior architect Andre Fu and his studio Afso. They feature a soothing color theme with earthy tones, bronze accents, and carved woods."

"Behind its sandstone façade, The Berkeley has long attracted well-heeled, well-dressed clients from the overlapping worlds of business and fashion. There’s a wildly popular couture-themed afternoon tea, and the Lutyens-inspired Blue Bar positively throbs every evening (and mixes top-notch cocktails). In late 2016, the hotel’s dignified but bland 1970s face was given a startling lift by one of the world’s most prominent architects, Richard Rogers of Pompidou Center fame. For some, the glass and steel canopied entrance may evoke an airport, but it leads to beautified public areas, bars, and cafés that are more spacious and inviting than ever, thanks to the designer Robert Angell. The Berkeley’s rooms—including vast suites with Hyde-Park-view terraces —have been re-thought too, and not with a mere coat of paint and some new furniture. The architect John Heah has already made his mark on a number of rooms, achieving calm elegance with a witty use of geometric themes (such as variations on the meeting of rectangles and circles), fine materials, and muted colors. But what remains untouched is part of what makes The Berkeley special: the glorious rooftop swimming pool (open to the sky on nice days), the ultra-relaxing Bamford Haybarn spa, and Marcus Wareing’s fine two-Michelin-star restaurant. Also unchanged are the environs, across the street from Hyde Park and a few minutes’ walk from the shopping bazaar that is Knightsbridge."