I've stayed at all three with some frequency, particularly the Berkeley, so I"ll try to lend some of my impressions.




In terms of location, between Claridge's and the Connaught, it's a push, as they're within a five minute walk of each other. I personally prefer the Knightsbridge area that the Berkeley is in, but that's very much personal preference and dependent on what you want to do while you're in London. With that aside, it's worth noting that they are three very different styles of hotels. Roughly, Claridges is a place to be seen, with a 'grand' lobby, tea space, bar, and so on. It's the kind of place grandparents take children and tourists come in to snap pictures. A bit like the Savoy (or Plaza in NY) in that sense. That's not a bad thing, as it's beautiful, but you need to be alright with the fact that 'discretion' is not the name of the game there. On the converse, the Connaught is a very small (100 rooms?) hotel with an intimate, dark-wooded lobby, an Aman spa, and some newly redone rooms. Finally, the Berkeley is a bit of a mix between the two. It's more modern, with the very hip Bluebar (and Marcus Waering--all three have high quality formal restaurants). But the Berkeley is not as ornate as the Clardiges, nor is it quite as quiet and stuffy as the Connaught.


In terms of room quality, Claridges suffers here. The rooms are in need of some TLC, as they are fairly dark and 'blah.' However, they are quite large, so if that's a consideration, it's of note. The Connaught and the Berkeley have similar rooms, especially in their newly redone ones. The deal breaker for me is that the Berkeley has terrace rooms on the 6th and 7th floors that are absolutely beautiful, and anything facing the Church is going to have a much more pleasant and airy feel than what the Connaught and Claridges offers. Also, the Berkeley's rooms are a tad larger for the price. My personal recommendation would be to get yourself into a terrace junior suite on the 6th-7th floor. Booking a balcony king room through Amex would be the route to go here (usually 20GBP more than the superior king).

Finally, the biggest difference between the three are the cultures of service. The Connaught (again, personal opinion), is rather haughty. There is a certain air of exclusivity that can be attractive when it's done quietly, but is off-putting when it's overdone. I've found Claridge's to be more informal and receptive, but still, a little methodical. The Berkeley is my favorite because they do hit that balance between cache and comfort. The staff are all personable, and genuinely interesting people who enjoy conversations with guests. Again, I"m probably biased here because I've stayed at the Berkeley the most, but in my mind it's just a wonderful place to be.

Any more specific questions, feel free.