If you were to name the most famous hotels in the world, there are few hotels that would definitely come up over and over in travelers’ lists. These hotels would have to have history and prolonged excellence over a long period of time. They would have to change for modern times but maintain their classic appeal. They’d have to have iconic bars and great restaurants. Basically they’d have to be a tourist destination in and of themselves in a really cool city. The Savoy Hotel London certainly fits those criteria. Here’s my take on a perfect weekend at The Savoy Hotel London.

I took the overnight flight from New York to London and landed at 6am London time on Friday. A driver from The Savoy Hotel London picked me up at Heathrow and because of the early time we made it to The Savoy Hotel by 7am. I was checked into my room, actually the Noel Coward Suite with a great sunrise view over the Thames, and sleeping for a few hours within minutes.

I could’ve slept forever in the awesome bed at The Savoy Hotel. However, I was eager to get up and have a look around the hotel before my 90-minute massage to work the kinks out from my flight.

A lovely woman called Aria showed me around the hotel and basically gave me a small preview of what I had in store for the weekend and a lay of the land. I have to admit, the highlight was touring the Royal Suite at The Savoy Hotel.

I’ve stayed in and been in a lot of great suites around the world at some of the best hotels on Earth. However, there’s something extra interesting about the Royal Suite at The Savoy Hotel. That’s because it’s patrons read like a laundry list of the most famous and influential people from the past century.

People like Frank Sinatra, Charlie Chaplin, and Judy Garland to name a few celebrities from the golden era. Not to mention heads of state and royalty; the list goes on and on. So the whole time I’m touring the massive, opulent suite, I’m thinking, “If these walls could talk” and admiring the view.

After the tour it was straight to the spa for a 90-minute massage that couldn’t have been any better. I felt relaxed and rejuvenated after the overnight flight. From the spa, it was back to my room for some chocolate shaped like a globe and a suitcase plus a shower and to get dressed for a great night at The Savoy Hotel London.

My Friday night started at the American Bar. The American Bar is one of the most famous hotel bars in the world. It is chic and opulent but sleek and cozy with a piano man playing great tunes all night. I sat at the bar to sample some of the world famous cocktails and its branded ice.

The American Bar doesn’t just have great cocktails but they use the best ingredients and are really innovative and inventive with their house cocktails and their presentation. Not to mention their bartenders will blow you away with their knowledge and skill. Think Tom Cruise in ‘Cocktail’ mixed with a contestant that sweeps the ‘Potent Potables’ category in Jeopardy. Yes I’m a total nerd and watch Jeopardy-a lot!

I tried a few different drinks at the American Bar before I decided I loved the Policeman’s Hook. Aside from it tasting fantastic, it was served in a vintage blue glass on a bed of moss. Additionally, it had edible toasted moss served on top of the drink; which kind of blew my mind and yes I ate it all! After a few cocktails it was off to Kaspar’s for a fine seafood dinner.

Kaspar’s is downstairs past the main tearoom (which totally reminds me of The Plaza Hotel in New York) and the chocolatier. I sat at the James Bond table; which if you know me, you know how much I love James Bond. It’s called the James Bond table because Pierce Brosnan insisted on eating there!

I had a variety of different seafood dishes. Everything I had was excellent to be honest. It’s one of the best fine dining restaurants in London for a reason. I particularly loved the fresh sashimi, tartar, sea bass and burrata starter.

After dinner, I was off again, this time the connected Savoy Theatre for a West End rendition of ‘Guys and Dolls’. I am the first to admit that theatre is not my thing but I enjoyed the show. I’ve never seen it on Broadway before but I did see it as a kid because my sister was in it! So this brought back some memories and it was very well done!

After the show it was back to the American Bar for a nightcap. I honestly couldn’t have dreamed up a better Friday night at The Savoy Hotel London. But I couldn’t stay up too late because I had to get to Emirates Stadium in the morning!

I managed to obtain tickets to the FA Cup match between my favorite team, Arsenal, and Hull City at Emirates Stadium in North London. It was an early kick off so after a quick breakfast in Covent Garden at Chez Antoinette it was up to the Emirates.

I love going to English football matches, especially Arsenal games. I’ve been fortunate to go to many stadiums around the country and around Europe but the Emirates is probably my favorite-although I may be a little biased!

After the game I headed back to The Savoy Hotel to meet up with some friends that live in and were visiting London at the American Bar. If you don’t know, I studied abroad in London in 1998 and have been back probably 60-70 times since then so I’ve made some friends over the years. Much like when I go to Los Angeles, it’s always a balance between working, seeing friends and trying to meet up with readers and fans as well. After a few drinks I took a quick nap, cleaned up, and headed down to the Beaufort Bar.

The Beaufort Bar in The Savoy Hotel is just plain cool. It’s sexy, it’s timeless and it’s a place to see and be seen. Much like the American Bar, the Beaufort Bar has been a hangout for A-List celebrities forever. I was just happy to be able to get a couple of seats at the bar and watch the goings on around me!

The Beaufort Bar is unique as far as I know because of its pop-up menu for its house cocktails. My two favorites were the Epiphany and the Old Blue Eyes. The Old Blue Eyes probably wins in my book because of the presentation on a Frank Sinatra placard with a small bottle of Jack Daniels Single Barrel Whiskey.

It’s served like that because when Sinatra drank there he always insisted on pouring his own whiskey. Frank knew what he was doing when it came to booze so if it was good enough for him it’s good enough for me!

After being joined by my good buddy Charlie, we went out to try the Temptation Wheel in the main tearoom. This is a cute play on dessert and drinks. I’m not going to lie, the salted caramel dessert I had was unbelievable.

After all that eating and drinking I was ready for bed. Especially because I wanted to wake up early to take some photos of Westminster and the Thames at dawn.

Dawn is my favorite time of day in London. I love the quiet and eerie feeling walking around ancient London. Obviously it’s an ultra modern city these days but I like to transport myself back in time a bit and get some cool photos without throngs of tourists and traffic. So that’s what I did before I headed out to Heathrow for the flight back home to New York.

So to me this is a perfect weekend at The Savoy Hotel London. It’s British luxury to a tee and really makes you feel like you’re taking a step back in time but with all the modern comforts. The Savoy Hotel is a landmark in Covent Garden and well worth a splurge to see and feel how the other half has lived in London for over a century!

Disclaimer: This trip to London and my stay at The Savoy Hotel London is part of a larger campaign with Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. I receive financial compensation and was fully hosted for this trip except for the Arsenal game. However, everything I’ve written is based on my experience at The Savoy Hotel London and has not been influenced in any way.

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