The Savoy Hotel

The Savoy Hotel is one of London's most prestigious and opulent hotels, with 263 rooms and panoramic views of the River Thames. The hotel opened in 1889, having been built by Richard D'Oyly Carte, the owner of the adjacent Savoy Theatre. The plot of land was originally purchased to build an electrical generator for the theatre, which was the first public building in the world to be lit by electricity. The hotel's first manager was César Ritz, who later became the founder of The Ritz Hotel. The D'Oyly Carte family continued to operate the hotel through the lifetime of Richard's son, Rupert D'Oyly Carte, and was taken over by his daughter, Dame Bridget D'Oyly Carte.

The adjacent Savoy Theatre

The forecourt of the Savoy is the only street in Britain to drive on the right; it has restricted space and coachmen found it difficult to pull up to the front doors if they kept to the left.

Numerous famous guests have stayed at the hotel. Claude Monet and James Whistler both painted views from their rooms at the Savoy, of the River Thames. Bob Dylan stayed in the hotel in 1965, and filmed the video clip Subterranean Homesick Blues in an adjacent alley. Fred Astaire danced on the roof with his sister in 1923, and other famous guests included the Beatles and Marilyn Monroe.

The Savoy Restaurant, which is sometimes referred to as the Savoy Grill, has long been famous for its inventive chefs. Its kitchen saw the invention of Peach Melba, created in honour of Dame Nellie Melba by the legendary French chef Auguste Escoffier. Melba toast is also attributed to the hotel's kitchen; it is said that Dame Nellie ordered toast and was served with several pieces that were unusually thin and crisp and almost burnt, thus creating a new dish. Elegant dining at the Savoy includes formal afternoon tea, an excellent Sunday brunch including free-flow champagne and special events dining, such as New Year's Eve dinner. For the superstitious, Kaspar, a 3-foot high black alabaster cat sculpted by Basil Ionides, is provided as an extra guest when thirteen dine. He wears a napkin, has a full place setting and is served each dish at the same time as other diners!

Kaspar the cat

In 2005, the Savoy was purchased by Fairmont Hotels. The new owners announced that the hotel in its entirety would close for around 16 months to undergo a refit, the value of which will be in excess of £100m. The hotel is therefore now closed, with a projected reopening date some time in 2009.