Review: The Savoy London hotel review

Selected by the editors as one of the best hotels in London

First impression Why am I only staying one night?
Staff Uncannily good at anticipating what you need.
Food and drinks Sustainable seafood and characterful cocktails.
Bed and bath Have staggering views across all the best bits of the Thames.
The crowd Sharply dressed travellers in town on business.
In a nutshell A storied London landmark that lives up to the standards it set as Britain’s very first luxury hotel.

Set the scene
Wandering up Savoy Court, away from London’s volatile hustle and bustle, a comforting sense of being enveloped by tradition and reliability begins to set in. Everything is big and sturdy and there’s something palpably festive in the air. This is where Oscar Wilde came for his romantic trysts, where Audrey Hepburn went incognito, where Marilyn Monroe debuted risqué midriff-baring outfits. It’s a place steeped in history, character and intrigue and you can’t help but feel as though your time here will be memorable too.

What’s the story?
As Britain’s first luxury hotel, The Savoy began setting standards as soon as it opened its doors in 1889, debuting electric lighting, lifts and 24-hour service. An impressive roster of royal and celebrity guests swiftly followed (Edward VII, Frank Sinatra and Marlene Dietrich are just a few) and it’s been a place to be seen ever since. The hotel is now part of the Fairmont group and its forward-thinking heritage lives on, with a focus on sustainability. Smart motion detectors monitor lighting, air conditioning and energy usage in rooms, restaurant suppliers are local and sustainable, and a bee hotel was installed in nearby Trafalgar Square to provide a home for some of central London’s solitary bees.

What can we expect in our room?
Thanks to huge windows that look out (in most cases, at least) over one of the best views of the Thames in the city, rooms at The Savoy are strikingly light and airy. In the River View junior suites the bedroom houses a large, comfortable bed positioned so the first thing you see when you open your eyes in the morning is a near-complete set of London landmarks. Interiors change in style from room to room (Art Deco, Edwardian, contemporary) but are always smart. Bathrooms come with tubs big enough to float in and double basins. There’s an efficient butler service, and you’ll be met and escorted through the hotel’s maze-like hallways to the various places you need to be.

How about food and drink?
The Beaufort Bar hits the spot for a cosy drink. Kaspar’s, has a three-star Sustainable Restaurant Association rating and plates up seasonal food in elegant surroundings. It’s named after the hotel’s lucky charm, a black Art Deco cat who joins any table of 13 as the ‘14th guest’ after the superstition that the first to leave a 13-person table will die played out, following a dinner party hosted at the Savoy by diamond magnate Woolf Joel (who left first and was shot dead weeks later) in 1898. Word spread, larger group bookings declined, and Kaspar has been an auspicious solution since he was carved in 1927. The menu here is seafood heavy. If fish isn’t your thing, the wood pigeon with pickled raspberries is packed full of savoury flavour.

Anything to say about the service?
From the moment you approach the door, the staff are genuinely warm, welcoming and helpful. There’s no chance to feel lost or uncertain and, before you know it, you’re happily installed in your room. The attention to detail is immaculate.

What sort of person stays here?
You’ll run into lots of sharply dressed Americans – in town on business or celebrating, and often loaded with armfuls of shopping bags. But the Savoy attracts London’s best-dressed too, who pop by for atmospheric drinks with friends after work.

What’s the neighbourhood scene like?
Set just off the bustling Strand, The Savoy occupies one of London's most impressive riverside locations. Its position right on the Waterloo Bridge bend gives it unobstructed views down both arms of the river, from the London Eye to Big Ben. It's walking distance to shoppable Covent Garden, Soho's buzzing bars and restaurants, St James’s and Green Park's wide-open spaces and the West End theatres.

And anything you’d change?
The bedroom blinds were closed as part of the nightly turndown service. While we appreciated the gesture the views are too good to hide in the riverside rooms.

Is it worth it - why?
Yes, a stay at The Savoy feels just as special today as it must have when it first opened.