The Savoy Hotel

Established by a theatre impresario in 1889, The Savoy is back among the best of London’s five-star hotels following a £220 million renovation.

While its polished entrance is more subtle and discreet than many of its five-star London rivals’, The Savoy is the one with stories – oodles of them, from decades of hosting Hollywood and West End stars, politicians and jazz musicians.

Many original features are intact, including the Art Deco American Bar, the Savoy Grill, the Thames Foyer (its glass-domed gazebo is a dazzling setting for afternoon tea), and of course those spectacular Thames views from the riverside rooms, which inspired both Whistler and Monet.

Most sumptuous are the nine Personality Suites, inspired by famous guests such as Frank Sinatra, Charlie Chaplin, and Marlene Dietrich, who always requested a dozen pink roses on arrival.

Try a White Lady, invented by legendary bartender Harry Craddock at the American Bar, Britain’s oldest cocktail bar.