In The Secret
Adversary Agatha Christie pointed at some of the most luxurious hotels in
London. The story of the development of this hotel is as interesting as the
novel itself.
The Savoy Hotel
is a luxury hotel located on the Strand
in the City of Westminster in central London. Built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, it opened
on 6 August 1889. The Savoy was the first luxury hotel in Britain, introducing
electric lights throughout the building, electric lifts, bathrooms in most of
the lavishly furnished rooms, constant hot and cold running water, and many
other innovations. Carte hired manager César
Ritz and French chef Auguste Escoffier, who established an unprecedented
standard of quality in hotel service, entertainment and elegant dining,
attracting royalty and other wealthy guests and diners. Winston Churchill
frequently took his cabinet to lunch at the hotel.
The hotel became
Carte's most successful venture. Its bands, Savoy Orpheans and the Savoy Havana
Band, became famous, and other entertainers included George Gershwin, Frank
Sinatra, Lena Horne and Noël Coward. Famous guests have included Edward VII,
Enrico Caruso, Charlie Chaplin, Harry Truman, Joan Crawford, Judy Garland, Babe
Ruth, Laurence Olivier, Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Elizabeth
Taylor, Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, Bette Midler, The Beatles and numerous
others.