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Savoy Hotel
Rating Details »
- Nearest Transit:
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Embankment (Bakerloo, Circle, District, Northern)
Covent Garden (Piccadilly)
Temple (Circle, District)
- Price Range:
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££££
5 reviews for Savoy Hotel
We loved it. It's preferable not only because it's the Savoy (come on people), but it has a kind of charm that only old school "ritzy" hotels have. I think it's the ambience, the lobby, the tea service, the uniformed porters, maybe the chrome marquee? It's all of that.
Our suite was charming, HUGE, and had a nice street view. The bathroom had a huge shower head that rained no less than 10 gallons per second and marble everywhere....totally something you'd expect.
The tea, high tea-was incredible. Nothing else like it. You must do it when you stay there.
I still have my Savoy slippers....I'm in love.
Perhaps being my first time in London had something to do with it, I found as luxury hotels go, my stay at The Savoy was a memorable and positive experience. In terms of refinements and customer service, The Savoy is up there with The Crillion in Paris, The Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai, the Oberoi Rajvilas, the Princeville in Kauai, and the old school New York Plaza Hotel.
The hotel is located off the Strand by the Thames River. What you see when you approach the Savoy is a marriage of Edwardian and art deco architectural elements. It feels classic, glamorous, and wholly English. Depending on your luck and bankroll, the rooms can be either really large or very small. The beds are soft and the pillows are even softer. I prefer firmer mattresses and pillows, but I was so tired each day from walking around that I didn't care.
With the exception of High Tea, I thought that the food was a bit bland and expensive. I can only attribute this to a difference in cultural palettes and the weaker dollar.
I stayed at The Savoy before renovations began in 2007. If you want to check out this London landmark, the hotel is set to reopen its doors in the Summer of 2009. If you can't book a stay here, then I would recommend it (or The Dorchester) for High Tea.
4.5 Yelp Stars.
Sipping tea at the Savoy is as good as it gets. My first trip to England in 2003, this was the kickoff event when I arrived in London. You need to make reservations weeks in advance for this experience and back in 2003, it cost $45 USD.
The hotel was gorgeous with a stunning foyer, which is where they served the afternoon tea. They seated me at my own table at a cushy sofa and brought me their Savoy tea and a tiered tray of treats. The tea came in a beautiful, delicate china tea pot and they poured me my first cup to show me how to strain the loose-leaf tea, then mixed it with cream and a lump of sugar. Delicious. On my tiered tray, they had a bottom layer of finger sandwiches. There were three varieties: cucumber, salmon, and ham. On the middle tray, they had assorted French pastries and desserts. And on the top tray, plain and fruited scones, which were served with strawberry jam and clotted cream. Clotted cream looks just like butter and it tastes a bit like the whipped honey butter they serve with corn bread at Marie Calendar's Restaurant, only lighter than that. A more delicate flavor than honey. To die for.
A pianist played in the center of the room and I had a view of everything from my seat. I sat for two full hours and soaked in the sights around me and ate my fill of the sandwiches and scones, which were my favorites. Not one to waste $45, I also took a bite off of each of the French pastries.
Some men and boys were actually dressed in long coat tails, and a few women wore dresses with matching hats. I was surprised when some tourists showed up in jeans. On the Internet, at least, they mentioned a dress code.
The service was excellent, but not overkill. They made sure I always had enough on my tiered treat tray and that my tea pot was full, but I didn't feel like they were lingering or interrupting too much. It was an event, and a fantastic way to start my London experience.
Note: The Savoy is closed for renovations until summer 2009, so I can't vouch for what the new experience will be.
Top-tier service, top-tier sincerety, top-tier elegance, and top-tier afternoon tea! This place was quite an experience.
This is the hotel I prefer to stay in when in London. It's also where Hugh Grant goes to steal Julia Roberts' heart and that just makes it so wonderful.
