The Savoy

The Savoy takes its name from the palace that Count Peter of Savoy built beside the Thames in the 13th century. Richard D'Oyly Carte, who staged the operas of Gilbert and Sullivan, opened the hotel beside his Savoy Theatre in 1889 with electric light, lifts and hot and cold running water, and appointed César Ritz as general manager and Auguste Escoffier to run the kitchens, where Pêches Melba was created. Savoy Court is still the only road in the UK where traffic drives on the right, and Claude Monet painted the river from his rooms. Of the 263 rooms and suites, 162 are Edwardian, some facing the Thames, while the Art Deco rooms on the Strand favour golds and caramels. The American Bar, open since 1893, is London's oldest cocktail bar; Ada Coleman created the Hanky Panky there, and Harry Craddock compiled The Savoy Cocktail Book. The Beaufort Bar occupies the old Winter Garden. Restaurant 1890 by Gordon Ramsay, 10 tables beside the American Bar, holds one Michelin star for modern readings of Escoffier, and afternoon tea is served beneath the glass dome of the Gallery.