The Berkeley
| The Berkeley Hotel | |
|---|---|
| File:Berkeley Hotel logo.jpg | |
 | |
  Location within Central London | |
| General information | |
| Location | Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, London, England, United Kingdom |
The Berkeley is a five star deluxe hotel, located in Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, London. It is managed by Maybourne Hotel Group, who also manage Claridge's and The Connaught in Mayfair, London.
History
Located on the corner of Piccadilly and Berkeley Street, it was the base for the drivers of mail coaches travelling to the West Country, and hence named the Gloucester coffee house. As a result it started to expand, and became a hotel for travellers both to and from London who were travelling on the mail coach services.[1]
With the coming of the railways, in 1897 the building was formally renamed The Berkeley Hotel, a location trusted by the parents of debutantes to keep an eye on the reputation of their daughters.[1]
Bought in 1900 by Richard D'Oyly Carte, his family remained in control for the next century. In the 1920s The Berkeley became one of the first London hotels with air conditioning, and in the 1930s double glazing.[1]
Present
In 1972, the hotel moved to a new building designed by British architect Brian O’Rorke on Wilton Place, Knightsbridge.[1] Incorporating restored features from the original building, it is also unique in that it boasts London's only rooftop swimming pool. Although The Savoy in the Strand also has pool open to the sky, that pool is located in an atrium on the third floor.
In the Winter months Health Club & Spa transforms its roof-top terrace into a pine-filled forest cinema. Hotel guests and visitors alike are treated to winter classics on the big screen while nestling between warm down-feather Moncler blankets and hot water bottles.[2]
In 2005, The Savoy Group, including The Berkeley, was sold to Quinlan Private, which sold off the Savoy Hotel and Savoy Theatre and renamed the group Maybourne Hotel Group.[3]
Recently released plans for developments at The Berkeley show that the swimming pool on the roof will be closed and a new spa will be opened in the basement, with additional rooms being added to the roof area.
Restaurants and bars
In 1998, Pierre Koffmann moved his Michelin starred "La Tante Claire" from Chelsea to the hotel, serving his signature dish of pig’s trotter stuffed with morel mushrooms.[1] The original Chelsea site was taken over by Gordon Ramsay, who opened the sigature Restaurant Gordon Ramsay there. Replaced at the hotel in 2003 by the Gordon Ramsay-run "Boxwood Café", after its closure Koffmann returned in April 2010 to open the signature "Koffmann's" restaurant at the hotel.[4]
Marcus Wareing heads the Michelin 2 star-rated "Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley", which in 2010 replaced Gordon Ramsay's Michelin-starred Pétrus restaurant. The restaurant ranked 88th in the Elite Traveler World's Top Restaurants Guide 2012 [5].
The Caramel Room is home to the Pret a Portea, and serves afternoon tea.
The Blue Bar was designed by Dublin architect David Collins, and is decorated entirely in Lutyens Blue.[6] In 2004, an album entitled The Blue Bar was released through Warner Dance, featuring a mix of ambient techno and electronica regularly played in the bar.[7]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e "History". the Berkeley Hotel. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- ^ "Winter Cinema at The Berkeley". The Handbook. Oct16, 2012.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); External link in|work= - ^ Walsh, Dominic. "Savoy Group changes name after deal", The Times, 25 January 2005
- ^ http://www.the-berkeley.co.uk/page.aspx?id=496
- ^ "Elite Traveler World's Top Restaurants Guide". Elite Traveler. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
- ^ http://www.independent.ie/travel/travel-destinations/weekend-away-berkeley-hotel-london-1385947.html
- ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-bar-r678780
External links
51°30′07″N 0°09′22″W / 51.5020°N 0.1561°W
