What it is

A hotel with a guest list pedigreed to match its landmark status.

What it isn't

A homey British inn nor a quiet, secluded getaway.

What we think

Right on the Thames embankment, the iconic hotel dates all the way back to 1889. Since it opened its glass doors, it’s hosted a lengthy list of royalty (of both the Hollywood and aristocratic variety,) politicos and its fair share of the glitterati - check out the Personality Suites that are named after guests like Frank Sinatra, Charlie Chaplin and Claude Monet.

The Savoy is a handsome blend of Art Deco styling and regal Edwardian design. Think: marble columns, glass canopies, Lalique crystal fountains and wood polished so meticulously, that you can see your dapper reflection strutting across the black and white checkered floor. After reopening in 2010, fresh off a three-year, $350 million renovation, every one of these details has been restored and revamped.

There are 268 expansive rooms and suites in the upper floors, most are styled to match the Edwardian roots of the buildings, but a third are bedecked in Art Deco glamour. Take your pick between floral drapery or beveled mirrors. A fair number of rooms are privy to views of the Thames as it flows lazily along while others overlook the shops on the Strand.

Downstairs there is a bevy of famed dining options: on one of the gilded benches in the Beaufort Bar, guests can sip on one-of-a-kind character cocktails, they can head to the Thames Foyer for the hotel’s famous afternoon tea or indulge in a refined sense of British tradition at Gordon Ramsey’s Savoy Grill.

You're here because

This is the hotel that set the bar for London’s luxury scene. After its renovation, there’s no need to go anywhere but the original.

The Moment

The massive, ornately wrought winter garden gazebo reaches skyward under the stained-glass dome in the center of the Thames Foyer. Something reminiscent of a beautiful birdcage, it glows in the late afternoon sun that streams in from overhead. As you set your tea cup back on its Wedgwood saucer, a waiter appears with a bijou platter of delicate finger sandwiches and still-warm scones.

Restaurants & Bars

Kaspar's Seafood Bar & Grill - Seafood & Grill

Thames Foyer Afternoon Tea

Simpson's-In-The-Strand - British cuisine

Savoy Grill - Grill, Seafood, legendary London restuarant

American Bar

Beaufort Bar

Location

The hotel is right in the middle of Theatreland- the West End theaters; it’s half a mile to Trafalgar Square and right across the river from the London Eye

It’s roughly 45 minutes to Heathrow, but with traffic, it’s about an hour.