The Savoy Hotel

The Savoy Hotel is a hotel found on the Strand, in the Town of Westminster in central London. Built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte, The Savoy Hotel opened on 6 Aug 1889 and was the first one in the Savoy group of hotels and eateries owned by Carte's family for more than a century. The hotel is now managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. It's been called "London's most famed hotel" and continues to be one of London's most distinguished and opulent hotels, with 268 rooms and wide ranging perspectives of the Thames across Savoy Place and the Victoria Embankment, part of the Thames Embankment.

The hotel is closed since December 2007 for extensive restorations and is anticipated to reopen in 2010. The Savoy has been undergoing the most impressive restoration in English history which embodies the whole building from the classic entrance and the North American Bar to Savoy Griddle and the 268 guestrooms and apartments. In 1930, the Savoy Hotel first printed its cocktail book, The Savoy Cocktail Book, with the recipes assembled by Harry Craddock of the North American Bar and 'decorations ' by Gilbert Rumbold.

The book was then subsequently republished many times; 1952, 1965, 1985 and 1996 and most lately in 1999 with some new text and numerous new cocktails added by Peter Dorelli. Savoy Court is the sole street in the UK where automobiles are required to drive on the right. This is claimed to date from the times of the hackney carriage when a taxi driver would reach his arm out of the driver's door window to open the passenger's door, without having to get out of the taxi himself.

The Savoy's reopening will show several important highlights including the entire rework of the mythical Brook Eatery, the addition of a lush new 2 bedroom Royal Suite and the re-launch of 38 Stream Apartments and Guestrooms with amazing views over the Thames. New to the hotel will be Beaufort Bar, glamorous Art Deco bar which will offer champagne, cocktails and cabaret and Savoy Tea, a bijou teashop selling Savoy tea, accessories and fresh patisserie.