Savoy London Private Guided Tours

The opulance of the Savoy is second to none. Just about everyone of note has stayed from royalty to celebrities. This landmark London hotel is situated on the famous Strand, overlooking the river Thames and boasts 267 lavishly furnished rooms and four restaurants. It's been called 'London's most famous hotel' and for good reason.

Built in the latter part of the nineteenth century by Richard D'Oyly Carte the hotel opened in 1889. The project was financed with funds from his Gilbert & Sullivan operas. The Savoy was groundbreaking in as much as it was one of the first luxury hotels to enjoy electric lighting and lifts. The hotel's house bands - Savoy Havana Band and Savoy Orpheans - were the talk of the town and many other celebrities flocked to perform there including George Gershwin and Frank Sinatra. As well as royaltly, lots of other well known faces have stayed at the hotel such as John Wayne, Oscar Wilde, Elizabeth Taylor and The Beatles.

Architecture

The hotel has been worked on over the years but essentially the architectural style is Edwardian on the Thames side and Art Deco on the Strand side. Carte commissioned architect Thomas Edward Collcutt to design the hotel and the name Savoy was chosen to reflect the heritage of the property referencing the eleventh century House of Savoy who owned land in the area. The hotel was constructed on land that was originally destined for a generator to power the Savoy Theatre - the first totally electric powered public building in the world.

The hotel was extended at the beginning of the twentieth century. A major refurbishment was planned in 2007. The original budgeted cost of £100 million skyrocketed to £220 million due to unforeseen problems including structural work to the façade. The art deco theme was utilised in the new Beaufort Bar and also The River Restaurant (Kaspar's).

Fine Dining

The Savoy is famous for its fine dining and award winning restaurants and bars. The River Restuarant is famed for its inventive chefs and overlooks the Thames on the south side of the building. The menu includes great British seafood and shellfish. The restaurant is decorated in the art deco style with a leopard skin carpet.

The less formal Savoy Grill, with its entrance off the Strand, has enjoyed the patronage of a number of famous chefs including Gordon Ramsay and Kim Woodard a former contestant on TV show MasterChef: The Professionals. Numerous famous faces and celebrities have enjoyed this art deco style dining room including Sir Winston Churchill and Frank Sinatra. Here you'll find classic dishes such as Beef Wellington and Lobster Thermidor. The Chef's Table lets you get up close and personal with the kitchen area.

You can enjoy the sounds of the hotel's resident pianist in The Thames Foyer under an amazing glass-domed atrium. Here you can enjoy breakfast, morning coffee, light lunch and supper, as well as traditional afternoon tea - the custom of which dates back to 1840. Over 30 teas are available along with classic sandwiches and homemade scones.

If you like classic British style cuisine then Simpson's-in-the-Strand serves great British staples such as steak and kidney pie and potted shrimps.

One of the first bars to serve American style cocktails was the Savoy Hotel's American Bar. Opened in 1893 the bar has won a number of awards and served people such as Ernest Hemingway over the years.