POSH PERKS
London’s Berkeley Hotel offers Burberry fashion on loan and high tea inspired by runway collections,
In the fashionable Knightsbridge district of central London, where every hotel wants to be the best one on the block, the ever-evolving posh perks at the Berkeley keep it one well-heeled step ahead in the luxury hotel game.
Borrowed Burberry trench coats, loaned vintage accessories and haute high tea have guests feeling chic and looking like a stylish local. Here’s a closer look: Trunk show Guests can play Cinderella for an evening and step out wearing a borrowed Christian Dior necklace or carrying a Chanel handbag from a fashion trunk curated by Vestiaire Collective. They can enjoy all of the accessories during their stay, including some of the most sought-after jewels and handbags from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. Hotel staff can also arrange a consultation with a personal vintage curator if guests want to purchase special pieces for their wardrobe at home. Trendy trenches Classic Burberry trench coats are hung in wardrobes prior to arrival for guests to enjoy throughout their stay. The hotel keeps men’s and women’s versions (with different-coloured cuff buckles) and a range of sizes at the ready. If guests falls in love with their loaner, hotel staff can arrange for a brand new coat to be delivered to their rooms from the nearest Burberry store — beautifully packaged in a personalized bag, of course. Tea party After hours of shopping and sightseeing, guests can sit down and enjoy Prêt-à-Portea. The new menu features biscuits and pastries inspired by recent runway collections — Stella McCartney’s striped summer dress is recreated as a tower of green and white joconde sponge filled with pistachio and lime, Christopher Kane’s playful asymmetric shift dress is the yuzu and pineapple compote, and the bold colours of Prada are deliciously translated in a red velvet chocolate handbag cake. Berkeley bride Beginning this summer, the Berkeley is inviting brides-to-be to enjoy an exclusive experience with London’s celebrity wedding-gown couturier Phillipa Lepley. Berkeley brides can experience a consultation with the designer over afternoon tea at the hotel, followed by a private viewing at her atelier in nearby Chelsea. Lepley has created a custom ‘Berkeley’ gown, taking inspiration from the sophisticated materials of the newly redesigned suites at the hotel, including silk tulle and French lace. Cool cocktail During London Fashion Week, which runs this year Sept. 16-20, the famed mixologists at the hotel’s celebrated Blue Bar will shake up a special runway-inspired cocktail menu. Fashionistas can sip on a stylishlooking concoction or enjoy a classic cocktail and settle in for some serious people watching in-between shows. The Blue Bar is expected to emerge from a facelift later this summer as part of the hotel’s extensive refurbishment. Denise Dias is a Toronto writer. denisediasto@gmail.com