Post by Owen on Oct 7, 2020 6:10:25 GMT
1 ~~~ The history of the Savoy Hotel in London, host to the Queen, The Beatles and the 'real James Bond' ~~~
www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-03/savoy-hotel-london-history-celebrity-scandal-spies/12692902 ~ 3 October 2020 ~
When London's Savoy Hotel opened its doors in 1889, no expense was spared.
Its courtyard was flooded to conjure the Grand Canal of Venice. Baby elephants pulled lavish cakes that towered more than 100 centimetres high. Its extravagance attracted so many Americans that it became known as the 49th state.
The first luxury hotel in Britain, the Savoy went on to attract the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Charlie Chaplin, Sophia Loren, Bob Dylan, and the Queen.
Inside its doors, the rich lived like royalty. It was the place to see and be seen; to wine, dine and be entertained.
And amid the opulence and glamour, there was also scandal — and even a murder.
www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-03/savoy-hotel-london-history-celebrity-scandal-spies/12692902 ~ 3 October 2020 ~