The Savoy Hotel is giving Londoners a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of furniture that has graced its hallowed hallways, luxurious bedrooms and elegant restaurants. More than a thousand lots, including lamps, curtains, mirrors, headboards, side tables, desks and wardrobes, are up for sale — and anyone can buy them.
Leading the auction is furniture from the Savoy’s Personality Suites, named after notable figures to have stayed at the hotel, alongside bespoke furnishings from its 267 rooms and suites.
Standout pieces include an iconic Porta Romana-designed lampstand from the Katherine Hepburn suite. While Porta Romana designs can easily cost upwards of £3,000, the current bid for the bronze-finished lamp is £220. A leather end-of-bed bench (currently £40) from the Claude Monet suite was designed by Francesco Molon whose furniture costs thousands of pounds to buy new.
Whether it’s an enormous mahogany wardrobe or a designer floor lamp, all lots are set at the same starting price — an incredible £5.
“We set everything off at £5 and then everyone — individuals, designers, other hotels — has a fair chance of purchasing one of these great lots,” says Simon Rose, auction director at ProAuctions, who is handling the event. “As an auction house we don’t set reserves, it’s a public sale in which goods or property are sold to the highest bidder, so our take is that the market determines the price.”
Lots that are bound to attract fierce bidding are a wool and silk rug by Neisha Crosland (currently priced at £650), an Angelo Donghia designer sofa (current bid £260) with elegant scroll arms and caramel upholstery, and a selection of Pierre-Yves Rochon’s silk drapery from the opulent suite, originally chosen to balance The Savoy’s modern design with its historic legacy.
There are also bespoke mirrors, tables, chairs, and lighting fixtures from the hotel’s public spaces and guest bedrooms.
Trophy lots that could be sitting in your own home this Christmas include a mahogany headboard, with a current bid of £5, a Rococo-style giltwood mirror, currently at £30, and George III neoclassical-style chest of drawers for a bid of more than £150.
The Savoy opened in 1889 and, at the time, featured many exciting innovations such as electric lights, lifts and bathrooms in most of the rooms. It also boasted constant hot running water, which was far from standard in the 19th century.
Unsurprisingly, it’s long been a favourite among celebrities and much of the furniture being auctioned would have been used by the great and the good while they were staying there. In the past, Marilyn Monroe, The Beatles, Sophia Loren and Charlie Chaplin walked through the Strand hotel’s famous revolving doors.
One of the lots is a rare portrait of Chaplin, who stayed with his family at the hotel for three months in 1952, causing quite a furore among fans. The picture was painted in the Fifties and, at the time of writing, had a bid of £380.
More recently, Stephen Fry, Jade Jagger, Rosamund Pike and Cara Delevingne have been spotted in The Savoy’s corridors or dining at its legendary River Restaurant.
The reason for the auction is that The Savoy, which underwent a £220 million renovation in 2010, has confirmed a new stage of refurbishment “as part of a continued commitment to invest in the property and to ensure the best experience for guests”. The first new rooms and suites will be revealed in August 2025, but the hotel has been tight-lipped about what they will look like or the designer behind them.
“The Savoy is synonymous with luxury, with history, with prestige, with lifestyle,” said a spokesperson. “This event offers enthusiasts from around the world the chance to take part in the auction sale and acquire a little bit of The Savoy’s magic.”
You can bid for lots online at Bid Spotter or attend the auction on December 11 and 12 at The Savoy Hotel. There is a private viewing for registered participants on December 9 and 10.
