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The London hotel that changed the face of luxury travel

  • Published 16 July 2019

The Savoy is an institution of luxury on London’s bustling hotel scene, proudly providing five-star service with ultimate discretion and unmistakable attention to detail for 130 years. Pull up to the revolving doors and be greeted by the legendary doorman and you may be mistaken for thinking everything is as it seems… but it is not. Delve into the place that pioneered technology and the setting for some of the last decade’s most prominent society changes. 

There’s a first for everything

The Savoy is often considered Britain’s first ever luxury hotel. Rewind back to the start of the 1880s, and people would only travel if completely necessary due to poor conditions on trains and boats and a lack of accommodation in the main destinations. However, with the birth of the luxury ocean liner making journeys across the Atlantic, bringing flocks of eager customers ready to explore the capital cities of Europe, the golden age of travel had begun. Budding entrepreneur Richard D’Oyly Carte started to realise that London was one of the only cities with no grand hotels, striking it off many traveller’s itineraries and so The Savoy collection was born. After building the state-of-the-art Savoy Theatre to host wealthy visitors to the city, in 1889 he built The Savoy hotel next to it, the ideal stopover after enjoying a night out at the opera.

The Savoy is often considered Britain’s first ever luxury hotel. Rewind back to the start of the 1880s, and people would only travel if completely necessary due to poor conditions on trains and boats and a lack of accommodation in the main destinations. However, with the birth of the luxury ocean liner making journeys across the Atlantic, bringing flocks of eager customers ready to explore the capital cities of Europe, the golden age of travel had begun. Budding entrepreneur Richard D’Oyly Carte started to realise that London was one of the only cities with no grand hotels, striking it off many traveller’s itineraries and so The Savoy collection was born. After building the state-of-the-art Savoy Theatre to host wealthy visitors to the city, in 1889 he built The Savoy hotel next to it, the ideal stopover after enjoying a night out at the opera.

Intended and executed as a polished world where the noise of London faded into a forgotten fantasy, it was a hotel before its time: the first in the world to be lit by electricity; the first to offer room service which was facilitated by tubes that customers could speak into to be connected to the restaurant; one of the first hotels to have en-suite bathrooms; the first hotel in Britain to offer such a personal service in a butler; and one of the first properties to take advantage of elevators which guests liked to call ‘rising rooms.’ This marriage of technological advances seen in the American luxury properties with the traditional five-star service found in the European hotels was to stand the test of time. 

Intended and executed as a polished world where the noise of London faded into a forgotten fantasy, it was a hotel before its time: the first in the world to be lit by electricity; the first to offer room service which was facilitated by tubes that customers could speak into to be connected to the restaurant; one of the first hotels to have en-suite bathrooms; the first hotel in Britain to offer such a personal service in a butler; and one of the first properties to take advantage of elevators which guests liked to call ‘rising rooms.’ This marriage of technological advances seen in the American luxury properties with the traditional five-star service found in the European hotels was to stand the test of time. 

Dining out on success

As high society flocked to the trending hotel where there were more bathrooms than Buckingham Palace (and this was a big deal back then), César Ritz was brought on board to help accelerate the gastronomical experience. Prior to founding the Hotel Ritz, the Swiss hotelier joined forces with Auguste Escoffier to become the first manager and chef of The Savoy, his little black book of esteemed clientele in tow. His ability to make guests feel uniquely special was greatly admired by Carte, and with the culinary landscape of London slacking against other European capitals, Ritz was well aware that the clients wanted world class cuisine. It was particularly difficult to entertain friends while eating out if you were wealthy around this time, and Ritz and Escoffier wanted to change that.

Talking of the food, Escoffier also created the ‘mother sauces’ of international cuisine at The Savoy: bechemel; tomato; and hollandaise all appeared on the menu as versatile accompaniments to standout dishes. He also changed the way in which restaurant kitchens worked entirely with the creation of the brigade system.

As high society flocked to the trending hotel where there were more bathrooms than Buckingham Palace (and this was a big deal back then), César Ritz was brought on board to help accelerate the gastronomical experience. Prior to founding the Hotel Ritz, the Swiss hotelier joined forces with Auguste Escoffier to become the first manager and chef of The Savoy, his little black book of esteemed clientele in tow. His ability to make guests feel uniquely special was greatly admired by Carte, and with the culinary landscape of London slacking against other European capitals, Ritz was well aware that the clients wanted world class cuisine. It was particularly difficult to entertain friends while eating out if you were wealthy around this time, and Ritz and Escoffier wanted to change that.

Talking of the food, Escoffier also created the ‘mother sauces’ of international cuisine at The Savoy: bechemel; tomato; and hollandaise all appeared on the menu as versatile accompaniments to standout dishes. He also changed the way in which restaurant kitchens worked entirely with the creation of the brigade system.

The Savoy Ballroom

Instead of one chef looking after a complete dish, the set up consisted of stations whereby one designated chef would make a specific component of the meal. The required military precision saw an unprecedented improvement of cuisine at the hotel and is still the basis of the modern kitchen today. 

They also wanted to target the upper-class lunching ladies and swiftly became the first place where women could eat out and not automatically be assumed to be prostitutes. Tablecloths were dyed in a blushing tone of pink, peachy lamp shades reflected a flattering light off the make-up ladies were wearing, and dishes were named after famous female guests, like the desert peach melba after opera singer Nellie Melba. This conscious effort in design, filling the spaces with flowers and touches of femininity, made the hotel feel less like a gentleman’s club and more like an exclusive destination.

Instead of one chef looking after a complete dish, the set up consisted of stations whereby one designated chef would make a specific component of the meal. The required military precision saw an unprecedented improvement of cuisine at the hotel and is still the basis of the modern kitchen today. 

They also wanted to target the upper-class lunching ladies and swiftly became the first place where women could eat out and not automatically be assumed to be prostitutes. Tablecloths were dyed in a blushing tone of pink, peachy lamp shades reflected a flattering light off the make-up ladies were wearing, and dishes were named after famous female guests, like the desert peach melba after opera singer Nellie Melba. This conscious effort in design, filling the spaces with flowers and touches of femininity, made the hotel feel less like a gentleman’s club and more like an exclusive destination.

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Turning distress into excess

The American Bar

It wasn’t just the impact The Savoy had on British dining culture which was unparalleled, but its drinking culture too. As the US prohibition era hit in the 1920s, The Savoy became awash with thirsty Americans looking to experience the alcoholic craze of the time, cocktails. There was only one destination for this generation of glamourous and exotic youth and that was The American Bar. The idea of a drink before dinner was born here, alongside the cocktail still sought after in the bar today, The White Lady. Opulence doesn’t just run through the old school art deco styling but the menu too, where a £5,000 cocktail once appeared. The American Bar is a destination in its own right, whether you’re a guest at The Savoy or not, and was officially named the World’s Best Bar in 2017, taking second place last year. 

The Savoy had firmly cemented its reputation as a pleasure palace. The Lancaster ballroom was opened with a sprung floor and the dinner dance was born, turning into a magnet for flappers as jazz music descended on London after the first world war. The entertainment manager formed an in-house band especially for the occasion, The Savoy Orpheans, and were broadcast by the BBC live from the ballroom, making the hotel a household name across the country.

It wasn’t just the impact The Savoy had on British dining culture which was unparalleled, but its drinking culture too. As the US prohibition era hit in the 1920s, The Savoy became awash with thirsty Americans looking to experience the alcoholic craze of the time, cocktails. There was only one destination for this generation of glamourous and exotic youth and that was The American Bar. The idea of a drink before dinner was born here, alongside the cocktail still sought after in the bar today, The White Lady. Opulence doesn’t just run through the old school art deco styling but the menu too, where a £5,000 cocktail once appeared. The American Bar is a destination in its own right, whether you’re a guest at The Savoy or not, and was officially named the World’s Best Bar in 2017, taking second place last year. 

The Savoy had firmly cemented its reputation as a pleasure palace. The Lancaster ballroom was opened with a sprung floor and the dinner dance was born, turning into a magnet for flappers as jazz music descended on London after the first world war. The entertainment manager formed an in-house band especially for the occasion, The Savoy Orpheans, and were broadcast by the BBC live from the ballroom, making the hotel a household name across the country.

Anyone who was anyone wanted to experience the indulgence, finery and trend-setter atmosphere of The Savoy with Fred Astaire dancing on the roof and future Queen, Princess Elizabeth making her debut with Prince Philip. Monet was its first artist in residence and spent six months painting the Thames in 70 works from his room.

Come 1939 and with the misery of WW2 looming, The Savoy became part of what was known as ‘the west end front.’ Located in the direct line of bombs, the Abraham Lincoln Room in the basement was converted into an air raid shelter where silk partitions created separate sleeping spaces, snore wardens roamed the paths and every glass of wine downed from the extensive wine cellar was a blow against Hitler. Unlike everyday household items, luxury food was not rationed, and room service even delivered freshly prepared dishes from the kitchen down to the shelter. On the eighth night of the blitz The Savoy’s shelter opened its doors to political demonstrators protesting about the unequal treatment of civilians who did not have a shelter to retreat to. This would go on to spur the government to open tube stations a week later to be used for air raids.

Anyone who was anyone wanted to experience the indulgence, finery and trend-setter atmosphere of The Savoy with Fred Astaire dancing on the roof and future Queen, Princess Elizabeth making her debut with Prince Philip. Monet was its first artist in residence and spent six months painting the Thames in 70 works from his room.

Come 1939 and with the misery of WW2 looming, The Savoy became part of what was known as ‘the west end front.’ Located in the direct line of bombs, the Abraham Lincoln Room in the basement was converted into an air raid shelter where silk partitions created separate sleeping spaces, snore wardens roamed the paths and every glass of wine downed from the extensive wine cellar was a blow against Hitler. Unlike everyday household items, luxury food was not rationed, and room service even delivered freshly prepared dishes from the kitchen down to the shelter. On the eighth night of the blitz The Savoy’s shelter opened its doors to political demonstrators protesting about the unequal treatment of civilians who did not have a shelter to retreat to. This would go on to spur the government to open tube stations a week later to be used for air raids.

The suite where Monet stayed

Scandal becomes style

Another long-term resident of The Savoy was Oscar Wilde, who checked into the location that would play host to the greatest of all Victorian scandals. Racking up a bill of £7,000, which you would need to multiply by 30 for the present-day equivalent, Wilde embarked on an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas and slept with working boys, which was illegal at the time. The staff at The Savoy had a reputation for being reliable and trustworthy, and after they provided evidence at the trial, Wilde was declared guilty. 

Despite being part of the controversy of the century, the hotel continued to exude the most intense glamour and highest standard of service with exclusivity beating through each and every corner. In 1905 an American millionaire took over the hotel for a wildly extravagant birthday party with the theme of Venice, flooding the courtyard with floating gondolas, dying swans blue and having a cake bought in by a baby elephant. Money was no object when it came to entertainment, and lavish parties were thrown regularly by both Hollywood royalty and actual royalty. 
 


As society rolled into the new millennium, The Savoy was needing a lick of paint. In 2005, the hotel was sold to Saudi prince, Al-Waleed bin Talal and the management was taken over by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. Looking to retain the refined elegance and traditional décor, with a contemporary update, the hotel shut its doors two years later, selling more than 3000 items from inside. The refurbishment took three years and cost a staggering £220 million, taking the top spot as the most expensive hotel renovation in history. The art deco style endured, with the injection of jet black and glistening gold adornments in the lobby creating an air of modern glamour. The American Bar remained nearly unchanged, while Gordon Ramsay took over the management of the Savoy Grill. As one critic said at the time, “The Savoy is still The Savoy, only better.” 

To watch the documentary ‘Inside The Savoy: London’s Most Famous Hotel’ on Channel 5 in full, click here. 

A new era of luxury

As society rolled into the new millennium, The Savoy was needing a lick of paint. In 2005, the hotel was sold to Saudi prince, Al-Waleed bin Talal and the management was taken over by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. Looking to retain the refined elegance and traditional décor, with a contemporary update, the hotel shut its doors two years later, selling more than 3000 items from inside. The refurbishment took three years and cost a staggering £220 million, taking the top spot as the most expensive hotel renovation in history. The art deco style endured, with the injection of jet black and glistening gold adornments in the lobby creating an air of modern glamour. The American Bar remained nearly unchanged, while Gordon Ramsay took over the management of the Savoy Grill. As one critic said at the time, “The Savoy is still The Savoy, only better.” 

To watch the documentary ‘Inside The Savoy: London’s Most Famous Hotel’ on Channel 5 in full, click here. 

The secrets of times gone by may hide behind the bedroom doors, but the allure of the charming setting is proudly waiting to welcome the next guest. To find out more about The Savoy click here, and to start planning your London getaway call 0203 816 0985 or enquire here. 
 

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