The Savoy

Character and identity

Opened in 1889 as Britain's first luxury hotel, The Savoy occupies a riverside bend just off the Strand, with views sweeping from the London Eye to Big Ben. The 267-room property is currently working through a top-to-bottom bedroom renovation (due 2027), with G.A Group reviving the Edwardian rooms in pearly grey silks, antique brass, and the hotel's signature green marble bathrooms. Three Gordon Ramsay restaurants anchor the dining, including the Michelin-starred Savoy Grill, alongside the storied American Bar, the inky Beaufort Bar, and the freshly peachy-pink Gallery. The spa centres on an atrium pool. Service is warm, anecdotal, and genuinely proud.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What you're paying for here is theatre: a 135-year-old stage where the staff, the stories, and the cocktails carry as much weight as the rooms themselves. Book a freshly renovated Edwardian room (or hold out for the River View suites opening later this year for the Thames panorama), build in a Savoy Signature spa treatment, and don't skip the American Bar.