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A London icon since it opened in 1889, the Savoy, a Fairmont Managed Hotel, has been a home away from home for celebrities such as Charlie Chaplin, Katharine Hepburn, Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra, and even Claude Monet, who set up an easel on the balcony and painted his famous views of the Thames. It has had a reputation for culinary excellence since Cesar Ritz, who ran the stately hotel’s restaurant, invited his collaborator Auguste Escoffier into the kitchen. Later, the American Bar became a refuge for bartenders fleeing Prohibition, like Harry Craddock, who wrote The Savoy Cocktail Book, considered the definitive compendium of classic cocktail recipes. Today, guests of the Savoy are surrounded by history while enjoying all the modern conveniences they expect in a world-class hotel. Rooms and suites pay homage to the property’s pedigree with Italian linens, silk wall coverings, marble baths, and Murano-glass chandeliers.
If you guessed that the hotel’s most popular suite is done up in Edwardian elegance, you’d be right. Though not in the highest category (that is reserved for the Personality Suites), the most requested room is one of the one-bedroom River View Suites, which start at $1,812 per night, located on the seventh floor. The charms of the accommodations are apparent even before guests set foot in the hotel, thanks to a chauffeured transfer, and a welcome drink, butler service, and complimentary garment pressing certainly don’t hurt. The elegant design is the real star, though—the 861-square-foot suite comprises a sitting room, a bedroom, a bath with a freestanding clawfoot tub and separate walk-in shower, an entry foyer, and a cloakroom. Large windows frame stunning views of the Thames, the London Eye, and other landmarks.
“Our one-bedroom River View Suites are the jewel in the Savoy’s crown,” said Sean Davoren, head butler at the Savoy. “We have several regular guests who will not stay anywhere but here. You would definitely have heard of these guests, but I couldn’t possibly say who they are. A butler never tells!”
Strand, London; fairmont.com
