The Berkeley Hotel was opened in 1988, but the attention to detail and era leads most visitors to believe that it is much older. Upon selecting the site for a new boutique-style hotel in the historic Shockoe Slip, careful planning and consideration went into the construction of The Berkeley Hotel. Since the site is in a historic district of Richmond, the hotel was designed to be architecturally similar to the buildings surrounding it. Within just months after opening, The Berkeley Hotel achieved the AAA four-diamond rating and has held this honor every year since. Over the years, The Berkeley Hotel and The Dining Room have achieved countless awards and honors The Berkeley Hotel's uncompromising service and elegant surroundings capture the essence of the tradition of its namesakes, England's Berkeley Castle and Virginia's Berkeley Plantation. The Berkeley Hotel stands at the crossroads of Richmond's business district and Historic Shockoe Slip. The Berkeley Hotel's ambiance exudes serenity and warmth. Dark wood paneling in the boutique lobby and its adjacent dining room boasts a European flair where dramatic windows push to the ceiling, offering diners a view of the Slip's cobblestone and lamplights. Fifty-five elegantly appointed guest rooms display stylish decor and traditional furnishings from which scenes of revitalized Shockoe Slip may be enjoyed with its beautifully restored tobacco warehouses put to use as stylish new condominiums, restaurants and boutiques. The Berkeley Hotel offers uncompromising AAA Four Diamond service including complimentary morning newspaper, high-speed wireless internet service, health club privileges at the YMCA, cable television, in-room coffee makers, nightly turndown service, in-room dining, and same day laundry and dry-cleaning services. The Berkeley Hotel itself is reminiscent of that time, more than one hundred years ago, when Shockoe Slip was the center of commerce and politics.