Conveniently located just off The Strand, The Savoy is steps from Trafalgar Square and bustling Covent Garden
The Savoy London
I love hotels – really love them.
They are as important to me as the destination itself and I will spend months analyzing and assessing reviews (both professional and civilian) before committing myself to the perfect accommodation.
I have friends who don’t understand my passion and many who do but wouldn’t dream of parting with the cash that a great hotel stay requires. They think I’m nuts but, honestly, I feel sorry for them and their RSPs.
Now I get the rusticity of agriturismos and wanting to buy tomatoes and live like Peter Mayle in some idyllic market town – total bliss. But I don’t want to live like a Londoner – that would be far too hectic and stressful. After a day of Old Blighty bustle and traffic, I want faultless service and amenities that cater.
Never checking into a room with a nightly rate comparable to the price of small used car, never ordering Prawns Marie-Rose finger sandwiches and Ruinart room service at 3 in the morning, never having slept in wonderfully heavy, pressed linen sheets – to me, that’s just missing out.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m drip-dry at home, I line up at the No Frills and I don’t have a trust fund to dip into. But that saying that the quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten resonates with me. In fact, the only travel regrets I have happened when I penny-pinched (it still smarts so please don’t ask me about that time in Portofino when I said no to The Splendido).
I’m pleased to say I didn’t penny-pinch this past summer when I booked a stay at The Savoy. Given its legendary status and its starring role in films (from The Long Good Friday to Notting Hill) it seems both exciting and strangely familiar as you approach.
I think you know in seconds if a hotel is worth its salt and The Savoy is. The doormen warmly welcomed us and ushered us into the iconic lobby with its signature black-and-white checkered floor.
Now comes the real test – the check-in, where even eye-wateringly expensive establishments can get it so wrong. The Savoy masters it. There’s no waiting, no line-up, no sit-down check-in to produce passports and sign on dotted lines. Instead another lovely staff member whisks us to our room where paperwork is quickly confirmed in the comfort of our suite.
Oh… and we were checked into a river-view suite. Hello? The easy-on-the-eyes vista is the Thames, Big Ben and The London Eye. This is another sign of a great hotel – you should be able to look out the window and know in a second exactly where you are in the world.
We stayed in June and our suite was perfectly cool, a luxury in sticky London weather, and completely quiet – once ensconced in our hushed digs, we didn’t hear a sound.
The bed was Goldilocks amazing – and that’s saying something as, with age, I find sleep has become more of a talent than a natural bodily function.
I’m a sucker for toiletries and they nailed it with bespoke Penhaligon’s (ask me no questions about hoarding these and I’ll tell you no lies).
There is a delicious smelling Natura Bissé Spa beside an indoor pool. The pool, by the way, is sky-lit and we had it to ourselves every day.
Swimmin’ at The Savoy.
Breakfasts are beautifully presented and will convince you that you really, no really, do need a sterling-silver toast rack.
The Beaufort Bar and The American Bar are worth visiting, even if you’re not staying at the hotel. The Beaufort is dark and more loungey and the American classic and elegant. Staff is attentive and knows when to engage. I like that. They understand professional service.
The plush Beaufort Bar.
Would I recommend The Savoy? Wholeheartedly. It is my current favourite hotel in London and I’ve stayed at quite a few, including Blakes and Claridge’s, but that’s another story…
A view of The Savoy from The Thames.
