Stephen Fry enjoys the VIP treatment as he becomes The Savoy's first guest after a £220m refit

Star guest: Stephen Fry outside The Savoy with General Manager Kiaran MacDonald (left) and Head Doorman Tony Cortegaca


Stephen Fry enjoyed VIP treatment when he became the first guest to check-in to The Savoy yesterday. The actor and broadcaster arrived at the newly-restored luxury hotel in London's Strand in The Savoy's chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce at 10.10am on the 10/10/10.

Greeted by general manager Kiaran MacDonald and head doorman Tony Cortegaca, staff lined up to applaud him as he went inside to his suite overlooking the River Thames.

The Savoy was closed for almost three years from December 2007 while it underwent a major facelift, involving £220 million worth of structural upgrades and behind-the-scenes work, as well as plush interiors in the Edwardian and Art Deco styles of the 121-year-old hotel.

Originally scheduled to be finished in early 2009, the project ended up being delayed by 18 months and costing more than double its estimated £100 million budget.

But Twitter fan Fry, who stayed the night as part of his role as the hotel's 'blogger-in-residence', said he was 'impressed' by the results which showed a sensitivity to its heritage.

'They have just made sure everything is absolutely of the highest pitch of quality and solidity but without making it a new hotel, without modernising it in a bad way.' he said.

'The point about The Savoy is that has been a very particular place in the category of great hotels of London. It had a very great connection to showbusiness and culture and art and so on. I think they are aware of that. We have missed it for the last three years. I think it's marvellous that it's back again.'


Lavish: Staff make last minute alterations in the foyer of the Savoy Hotel ahead of today's opening


Fry, who said he was 'very lucky' to have spent six months staying at the hotel in the 1980s, highlighted its importance as a venue for events, not just as a place for 'rich businessmen and film stars' to stay.

His first tweet from inside the hotel read: 'Aware that I am of course outrageously lucky to be new Savoy's first guest. Was clapped in by staff like new heir to Downton Abbey blush.'

Established in 1889, The Savoy was the brainchild of the Gilbert and Sullivan impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte and went on to attract royalty, writers and Hollywood stars.

According to Fairmont, which manages the hotel, the restoration programme included the entire building including its bars and restaurants and the 268 rooms, and involved crucial work such as wiring and plumbing.


A barman fixes a drink in the Beaufort bar of the Savoy Hotel: The refurbishment has taken three years and come in massively over-budget at £220m


Designer Pierre-Yves Rochon and more than 1,000 craftsmen and artists helped bring the building's Edwardian and Art Deco styles back to life and create interiors in keeping with the hotel's "original" spirit, according to a Fairmont spokesman.

New additions include nine "personality" suites paying tribute to notable guests including Charlie Chaplin, Marlene Dietrich and Frank Sinatra, an Art Deco champagne bar called the Beaufort featuring £38,000 worth of gold leaf on the walls, a teashop and the re-introduction of a gazebo under a glass dome in the Thames foyer.

Green innovations have also been introduced as part of the facelift, the spokesman said, such as a combined heat and power plant to reduce the hotel's reliance on the national grid by around half, recycling of cooking oil and waste.


Iconic: The grand piano in the American Bar which has welcomed generations of royals, prime ministers and Hollywood stars


Suite: More than 1,000 craftsmen and artists have worked on the project which is one of the biggest hotel refits in history


Fully booked for tonight and tomorrow, the hotel's rooms cost from around £500 a night over the next few weeks, compared with £350-£400 in quieter seasons, although a one-bedroom suite will set guests back £2,000 per night.

General manager Kiaran MacDonald said: "We are very excited to reopen The Savoy. It is fair to say that this project has not been without its challenges, but we are looking forward to unveiling the results of nearly three years of hard work and dedication.

'We are very aware of the place that The Savoy holds in many people's affections and we firmly believe that the hotel will exceed people's expectations and reclaim its position as one of the world's great hotels.'


Finishing touches: A member of staff arranges flowers in the foyer where hundreds of people will pour through the doors today


The London Eye is seen from the window of a bedroom: The hotel is fully booked tonight and tomorrow


The hotel has also teamed up with Thames 21 to help look after the stretch of River Thames in front of The Savoy.

Hundreds of items from the hotel were auctioned off ahead of the refurbishment, with celebrity spoon-bender Uri Geller picking up more than £1,000 worth of spoons.
Furniture, fittings and memorabilia also went under the hammer, achieving sales of more than £1m.

Highlights included a white baby grand piano once played by Frank Sinatra, which sold for £11,400, and a pair of chandeliers from the hotel's Thames foyer, which made £19,200.


Lavish: A security guard stands outside the main entrance to the Savoy as final preparations are carried out for the reopening


source: dailymail