As The Savoy, a Fairmont managed hotel, celebrates its 130th year it seems a fitting time to unveil its hidden gems. Here are a few fun secrets about the London stalwart that continues to attract celebrities and socialites...
The Champagne corks are recycled
As the first hotel in London to start a food waste recycling programme, the hotel continues to develop its sustainability agenda collaborating with Laithwaites Wines to recycle natural corks (mainly from Champagne bottles). They are collected by colleagues from the hotel’s venues and carefully sorted.
The corks are then delivered to Laithwaites who have them shredded to garden ‘mulch’ that keeps moisture in and weeds out and spread on their vineyard in the village of Theale. Some of the corks are diverted from the vineyard and given to a local Special Educational Needs school in Brookfields. During weekly craft classes, the students sort them into sizes and make cork display boards that they sell to raise money for the Prince’s Trust.
The Savoy was the UK's first hotel to generate its own electricity supply
So much power was produced, with the aid of steam generators, that The Savoy actually provided electricity for parts of the surrounding area near the Strand. This was a revolution for the 1880s. The Savoy Theatre was the first public building in the world to be lit entirely by electricity.
Brides are in very safe hands
Head Butler Sean Davoren has been welcoming guests at The Savoy for more than nine years. He prides himself on going above and beyond for any request of a guest, recalling a recent story of a bride who spilt coffee on her wedding dress the morning of the wedding. He spent four hours resolving the issue and says that “nothing else mattered in the world for those four hours, other than that dress.”
The gin is rather special
Many of the cocktails at Simpson’s in the Strand feature gin that has been created exclusively for The Savoy including London Dry gin distilled near Portobello Road and Old Tom gin by Blackdown Distillery in West Sussex.
A local fishmonger has been the sole supplier for 25 years
The kitchens focus on using regional products. The family-run fishmongers Chamberlain’s of London at Billingsgate Market have sourced the hotel’s fish for 25 years whilst Finclass at Smithfield Market provide the meat.
The American Bar is the longest surviving cocktail bar in London
Its latest menu is called The Savoy Songbook with 20 cocktails inspired by 20 songs. It pays tribute to the musicians who have played in the American Bar throughout its history.
Churchill set up his political club here
In 1911 Churchill and Lord Birkenhead founded The Other Club, a political get together which is still rumoured to have regular meetings at the Pinafore Room. Churchill was so fond of the hotel’s cat Kaspar that he requested him present at every meeting. Kaspar is, of course, who the hotel’s seafood restaurant is named after.
It is a showbiz haven
So many iconic celebrities have stayed at The Savoy. Some of our favourites include Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, George Clooney and Whoopi Goldberg.
