Set the scene

There’s a particular hush that settles the moment you step inside The Savoy. Not reverent, not stiff, but assured. The kind of quiet that belongs to places which have nothing left to prove. Outside, the Strand hums with traffic and theatre crowds. Inside, brass gleams, doors glide, and time seems to slow.

Opened in 1889 on the banks of the Thames, The Savoy was London’s first purpose-built luxury hotel and remains one of its most recognisable landmarks. Oscar Wilde, Claude Monet, Marlene Dietrich, Frank Sinatra and Winston Churchill all passed through its revolving doors. For decades, this was where London came to see and be seen. And while newer hotels have spent the last decade vying for attention, The Savoy has been playing a longer game.

The hotel

Part theatre, part grande dame, The Savoy has always been more than a place to sleep. Its proximity to the Savoy Theatre shaped its personality early on, lending it a sense of drama and sociability that still defines the building today. The American Bar remains one of the world’s most famous cocktail rooms. Afternoon tea is still an event. The doormen still wear top hats, and they do so with genuine warmth rather than ceremony.

That said, there was a period where the hotel felt slightly outpaced by London’s new guard. While competitors pushed design and tech forward, The Savoy leaned heavily on nostalgia. This latest renovation signals a confident shift. Not a reinvention, but a recalibration.

Location

Few London hotels are as well placed. The Savoy sits directly on the Thames, moments from Covent Garden, the South Bank, Somerset House and Trafalgar Square. Waterloo, Embankment and Charing Cross stations are all a short walk away. From certain rooms and suites, you can look straight out onto the river, watching boats drift past the same stretch of water Monet once painted. It is central without being frenetic, grand without being sealed off from the city. London unfolds immediately outside its doors.

The new rooms and suites

The first phase of The Savoy’s refurbishment focuses on its Edwardian and Art Deco rooms and suites, redesigned by G.A Group with a light but confident touch. The aim is clear. Honour the building’s history, but make the rooms feel relevant to how people travel now.

Edwardian rooms are soft and luminous, layered in warm silvers, ivory silks and antique brass, with subtle ochre and amber tones woven through carpets and upholstery. Art Deco rooms lean bolder, with geometric detailing, mirrored finishes and a palette anchored in the hotel’s signature green. Original fireplaces and cornicing remain, anchoring each space in its heritage.

River View Suites are the standouts. New bespoke window seats frame uninterrupted Thames views, turning the river into part of the room itself. Bathrooms are generous and marble-clad, dressing areas feel properly spacious, and the overall effect is calm, elegant and quietly indulgent rather than showy.

Technology has been upgraded discreetly. Lighting, climate and room service are controlled via an integrated system. Wireless charging and colour-adjustable vanity mirrors come as standard. Suite guests receive Dyson hairdryers, while yoga mats in every room nod to modern wellness without overstatement.

The vibe

The Savoy attracts a confident, international crowd. Theatre-goers, long-time loyalists, business travellers, celebratory couples and Londoners dropping in for a drink all overlap seamlessly. It is social without being chaotic, formal without being intimidating. What stands out most is the staff. Many have been here for years, even decades, and it shows. Service feels instinctive rather than rehearsed. The hotel carries history lightly, with warmth and humour, not stiffness.

Food, drink and what’s new

Dining remains central to life at The Savoy. Gallery, the hotel’s newer all-day restaurant, brings a more relaxed energy to the ground floor, serving a glamorous-feeling breakfast and brasserie-style menu, while Scoff, a dedicated scone boutique, adds a playful note to the property’s famously serious afternoon tea culture.

The American Bar and Beaufort Bar continue to draw a crowd – award-winning stalwarts of the London hospitality scene – while Restaurant 1890 and Savoy Grill anchor the hotel’s fine dining credentials. These spaces ensure the hotel never feels dormant, even for guests who never leave the building.

The verdict

The Savoy does not chase trends. Instead, it evolves on its own terms. This latest refurbishment marks a thoughtful step forward, preserving what makes the hotel iconic while quietly improving how it feels to stay here now. For travellers who want London with weight, confidence and continuity, paired with newly refreshed comfort and design, The Savoy remains exactly where it belongs.

Rooms typically start from around £650–£750 per night (approx. AED 3,000–3,500), rising for river views, suites and peak periods.

The Savoy, London; Strand, London WC2R 0EZ; thesavoylondon.com, @thesavoylondon; rooms typically start from around £650–£750 per night (approximately AED 3,000–3,500), with river-view rooms and suites priced higher.

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