Savoy Hotel facts for kids

The Savoy
Quick facts for kids The Savoy hotel's front entrance
Hotel facts and statistics
Address
Architect	Thomas Edward Collcutt
Management	Fairmont Hotels
Owner	50%: Kingdom Holding 50%: FRHI and Katara
No. of restaurants	7 (including bars)
No. of rooms	267 (including suites)

The Savoy Hotel is a very fancy hotel in central London, located on a street called the Strand. It was built by a clever businessman named Richard D'Oyly Carte. He used the money he earned from his popular Gilbert and Sullivan operas to build it. The hotel first opened its doors in 1889. It was the very first hotel in the Savoy group, which his family owned for more than 100 years.

The Savoy was the first truly luxurious hotel in Britain. It had amazing new features for its time. The entire building had electric lights, and there were electric lifts (elevators) to take guests up and down. Most of the beautifully decorated rooms had their own bathrooms with hot and cold running water all the time.

Richard D'Oyly Carte hired two very talented people to run his new hotel. César Ritz became the manager, and Auguste Escoffier became the head chef. They made sure the hotel offered the best service, entertainment, and food. Because of this, the Savoy quickly became a favorite place for kings, queens, and other wealthy guests to stay and dine. Even famous leaders like Winston Churchill often brought his important government team to eat lunch at the hotel.

A Place for Stars and Leaders

The Savoy Hotel became a huge success for Richard D'Oyly Carte. Its house bands, like the Savoy Orpheans and the Savoy Havana Band, became very famous. Many other entertainers, who often stayed at the hotel, also performed there. These included music legends like George Gershwin, Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, and Noël Coward.

Over the years, many other famous people have visited or stayed at the Savoy. Some of these well-known guests include:

• King Edward VII
• Opera singer Enrico Caruso
• Actor Charlie Chaplin
• Scientist Otto Hahn
• President Harry Truman
• Actresses Joan Crawford, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, and Elizabeth Taylor
• Baseball star Babe Ruth
• Actors Laurence Olivier, John Wayne, and Humphrey Bogart
• Singers Barbra Streisand and Bob Dylan
• The famous band The Beatles

Today, the hotel is managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. Many people call it "London's most famous hotel." It is still one of the most impressive and grand hotels in London. It has 268 rooms, and many offer amazing views of the River Thames. The hotel closed in December 2007 for a big renovation and reopened in October 2010, looking even more beautiful.

Images for kids

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  The Savoy Palace

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  Richard D'Oyly Carte

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  Gondola party, 1905

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  Savoy hotel, Strand entrance, 1911

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  Savoy Hotel letterhead, 1939

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  Planter in the embankment gardens honoring the Carte family and others important to the hotel (1989)

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  Afternoon tea at the hotel

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  The future king Edward VII was an early guest.

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  The large restaurant of the Savoy, around 1900

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  New Year's Eve dinner at the Savoy, 1910

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  Ada Coleman bartending at the Savoy, around 1920

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  Traffic driving on the right in Savoy Court

See also

In Spanish: Hotel Savoy para niños