The Savoy, A Fairmont Managed Hotel, is reopening its doors after the completion of an ambitious three-year restoration. With the help of The Parker Company’s London and Miami offices, it has revamped everything from the iconic American Bar to every one of the 268 guestrooms.
Established in 1889, The Savoy was the brainchild of the Gilbert and Sullivan impresario Richard D’Oyly Carte, originally managed by Swiss hotelier Cesar Ritz and Maitre Chef Auguste Escoffier, attracting everyone from sparkling starlets and politicians to throngs of royalty.
Working in conjunction with Fairmont and distinguished designer Pierre Yves Rochon, The Parker Company provided its trademark high level of purchasing services to complete the project. According to Eileen Slora, Exec. Director Interior Design at Fairmont, “The Parker Company, with Nancy Smith’s lead, did an outstanding job procuring the FFE for the Savoy Hotel in London. There were budget constraints on the project and Nancy came up with solutions to obtain the best product for the money. She was engaged from the beginning to the end of the project and made herself available at all times. With her counterpart in London, Cass Naylor, the Parker Company had a great team on the project. They are professional and a pleasure to work with and I welcome the opportunity to work on future projects with them.”
Thirty-eight new River Suites and guestrooms have been added, offering the same stunning views over the River Thames that inspired Whistler and Monet, while Nine Personality Suites will pay homage to a few well known figures who made the the Savoy their home away from home including Maria Callas, Charlie Chaplin, Marlene Dietrich and Frank Sinatra. The suites contain artwork, literature, photographs and artifacts that evoke the time and spirit of the stars including the 12 pink roses in the Marlene Dietrich Suite that the actress always requested upon arrival.
The Savoy’s reopening will also include the addition of a stately 325-square meter Royal Suite featuring two bedrooms, a study, sitting room, dining room, master bathroom, dressing room (with a specially ventilated shoe closet) and a master bedroom with a bespoke Savoir bed. The suite has been specially designed so that all the rooms enjoy one of the finest views of London.
Continuing in its avant-garde tradition, The Savoy will introduce world’s first Green Butler, who in addition to tending to typical duties will also have an in-depth knowledge of ‘all things green’ around London, echoing the restoration which has introduced environmental technologies and efficiencies wherever possible. A combined heat and power (CHP) plant will reduce the hotel’s reliance on the national grid by approximately 50 per cent and an innovative system will reclaim the heat from all kitchen appliances to preheat domestic hot water. Cooking oil from the hotel restaurants will be recycled and turned into biodiesel while waste management systems will recycle up to 90 per cent of waste from the hotel.