Georgia Brown October 8, 2010

The Savoy hotel reopens after a £220m refurbishment

London's famous Savoy hotel welcomes its first guests this Sunday following a three-year tip-to-toe refit

Savoy Hotel London: The Savoy hotel, London — London's 121-year-old The Savoy on the Strand reopens on 10 October after a £220m refurbishment of the entire hotel, from the entrance hall and bars to the 268 bedrooms and suites Photograph: Niall Clutton

Savoy Hotel London: The Savoy hotel, London — There may be a recession, but no expense has been spared on what is one of the world's most lavish hotel refurbishments, which came in almost a year and a half late and more than £120m over budget - partly due to structural complications with the building Photograph: Richard Bryant/Arcaid

Savoy Hotel London: The Savoy Hotel — The hotel is famous as a haunt for the great and good - The Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), Coco Chanel, Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe and Fred Astaire all stayed here, Bob Dylan recorded the video for Subterranean Homesick Blues just outside, and Sir Winston Churchill and Oscar Wilde were regulars. With rooms costing from £350 a night it's sure to add to its roll-call of glitteratti Photograph: Richard Bryant/Arcaid

Savoy Hotel London: The Savoy Hotel, London — All of the suites and rooms are fully booked for the first night. The Edwardian and art deco style rooms have been designed by Pierre Yves Rochon, maintaining many original features Photograph: Richard Bryant/Arcaid

Savoy Hotel London: The Savoy Hotel — Both Claude Monet and James Whistler painted views of the Thames from their rooms. Many of the original rooms have fabulous views over the river and 38 new river suites and guestrooms have been added
Photograph: Richard Bryant/Arcaid Photograph: Richard Bryant/Action images

Savoy Hotel London: The Savoy Hotel — There are nine 'personality suites' in tribute to famous past guests, including Maria Callas, Charlie Chaplin, Marlene Dietrich and Frank Sinatra. Artwork, photography and artefacts will evoke the time and spirit of each star - in the Marlene Dietrich Suite there will be 12 pink roses that the actress always requested on arrival Photograph: Richard Bryant/Arcaid

Savoy Hotel London: The Savoy Hotel, London — When it opened in 1889 it was Britain's first luxury hotel. It had the first 'ascending rooms' (elevators) and electric lights and hot and cold running water in every room. New features this time round include several eco-friendly designs, such as a combined heat and power (CHP) plant reducing its reliance on the national grid by approximately 50%, cooking oil will be recycled into biodiesel and up to 90% of waste will be recycled Photograph: Richard Bryant/Arcaid

Savoy hotel reopens: The Beaufort Bar — The Beaufort Bar is a new addition and stands on the hotel’s former cabaret stage where stars such as Carol Gibbons and George Gershwin performed Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian

Savoy hotel reopens: The Beaufort Bar — Designed as a glamorous art-deco bar the Beaufort will offer champagne, cocktails and cabaret Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian

Savoy hotel reopens: The Beaufort Bar — Final preparations in the new Beaufort Bar, days before it opens Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian

Savoy Hotel London: The Savoy Hotel, London — The American Bar has been faithfully restored. When it first opened in in 1898 cocktails were just appearing in London and its first bartenders were Ada ‘Coley’ Coleman and Harry Craddock, who wrote The Savoy Cocktail book, which is still in print today Photograph: Niall Clutton

Savoy hotel reopens: The Thames Foyer — The hotel's Savoy Grill, will not reopen until next month under Gordon Ramsay's company, with head chef Andy Cook. Seen above is the Thames Foyer where guests can take afternoon tea under a stained glass dome Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian

Savoy hotel reopens: Thames Foyer — The winter garden gazebo in the Thames Foyer Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian

Savoy hotel reopens: Work continues in one of the upstairs corridors — A team of over 1,000 craftsmen and women and artists have worked to create the interiors Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian

Savoy Hotel London: The Savoy Hotel, London — The River Restaurant, which closed in 2004, has been redesigned with art deco style interiors and sweeping views over the Thames and Embankment Gardens. Overseen by Chef Ryan Murphy, it will serve a French menu Photograph: Niall Clutton

Savoy hotel reopens: One of the reception rooms — One of the reception rooms Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian

Savoy hotel reopens: A statuette in one of the reception rooms — Room rates at The Savoy start from around £350 per room per night. +44 (0)20 7836 4343/1800-441-1414, fairmont.com. Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian

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