From luxury to lockdown
STV, 9pm FROM the nutty guest requests (yes, butterfly milk) to the florist who is allergic to flowers, a terrifying head butler and a maitre d’ on a mission, this peek behind the doors of The Savoy is jaw-droppingly fascinating.
Filmed from winter through to its devastating coronavirus shutdown, this is a glimpse into the slice of luxury at the 130-year-old hotel, which has hosted everyone from rock stars to royalty.
Opened in 1889, The Savoy has 267 rooms, four restaurants, the oldest cocktail bar in London and 600 staff members all making it run smoothly.
“People come to The Savoy to be entertained, to be wowed, to feel luxury and to feel special,” says head butler Sean.
Then, rather worryingly, he sighs,
“When I was being trained they would hit you, throw things at you… it wouldn’t be appropriate to do things like that now.”
He is a stickler for detail, often seen peering under sofa cushions with a torch or brushing his finger along a surface to check for dust.
In the Thames Foyer, guests are enjoying the £85 champagne afternoon tea, while the reception staff get excited to spot David Hasselhoff. Meanwhile, at The
Savoy Grill, manager Thierry is not happy when he finds a black mark on an otherwise sparkling white tablecloth. He tells staff he wants everything to be #oohlala.
They are getting ready for the arrival of the owner, Scots chef Gordon Ramsay.
And there’s tension when one of the menu items fails to impress and everything suddenly goes a bit Kitchen Nightmares.