Savoy Hotel

The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel on the Strand in central London. It was built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and opened in 1889. It was the first in the Savoy group of hotels and restaurants, which were owned by his family for over a century. The Savoy was the first luxury hotel in Britain. It had electric lights throughout the building, electric lifts, bathrooms in most of the lavishly furnished rooms, constant hot and cold running water, and many other innovations. D'Oyly Carte hired manager César Ritz and French chef Auguste Escoffier, who established the highest quality in service, entertainment and dining. The hotel attracted royalty and other rich guests and diners. Winston Churchill frequently took his cabinet to lunch at the hotel. The hotel became Carte's most successful venture. Its bands, Savoy Orpheans and the Savoy Havana Band, became famous, and other entertainers (who were also often guests) included George Gershwin, Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne and Noël Coward. Famous guests have included Edward VII, Enrico Caruso, Charlie Chaplin, Otto Hahn, Harry Truman, Joan Crawford, Judy Garland, Babe Ruth, Laurence Olivier, Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Elizabeth Taylor, Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and numerous others. The hotel is now managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. It has been called "London's most famous hotel". It is still one of London's most prestigious and opulent hotels, with 268 rooms and panoramic views of the River Thames across Savoy Place and the Thames Embankment. The hotel closed in December 2007 for extensive renovations and reopened in October 2010. References