Taking a look behind the scenes of The Savoy

The legendary Savoy has sat alongside the River Thames for 130 years.

In that time, it has hosted rock stars and royalty, Oscar winners and world leaders.

Hollywood star Vivien Leigh met her future husband Laurence Olivier in the hotel lobby, while a reception at The Savoy was also the first time that the future Queen Elizabeth II was seen with Prince Phillip.

And now Britain’s most famous hotel is opening its revolving doors to TV viewers, as cameras capture the most dramatic period of its colourful history.

From the incredibly busy winter season to its devastating coronavirus shutdown in the spring, we will get a fascinating glimpse into the lives of those lucky enough to be able to afford this 267-room slice of luxury, and those who serve them and make the magic happen.

Among the characters featured is Head Butler Sean Davoren. He explains what first made him want to work at the property.

“It is the finest hotel in the world.

“I started my working life at company in 1978 and it was always my dream to finish my working life here.

“There is no other hotel of this calibre with its history.

“I would like people to discover that we are a welcoming, friendly hotel. We are not a stuffy hotel. We want everyone to come in and to enjoy this building.

“Our service is for everybody, not for a chosen few.

“We have a lot of history, I want people to see when they come to the hotel they will make history on that day, because that is what we do on a daily basis, make history.”

In tonight’s first episode, there are nerves in the basement florists as one young trainee attempts to create her first bouquet for a VIP guest, and the reception staff greet David ‘The Hoff’ Hasselhoff as he walks through the hotel on his way to his performance at The Savoy Theatre.

Meanwhile, a young butler muddles his way through a pricey cocktail party, as the front-door staff greet regular guests Mr and Mrs Cuming, who have been staying at the hotel for over 26 years and just have arrived for their first visit of 2020.

Finally, there are tensions over at The Savoy Grill when owner Gordon Ramsay drops by to do a menu-tasting.

Manager Thierry is determined not to disappoint, but everyone is on tenterhooks as they wait for the fiery Scottish chef to arrive.

Gordon eventually tries a few of the dishes, but finds one of them, the haddock omelette, disappointing.

“I need twice as much haddock in there,” he shouts.

“This is a bit of a mean-spirited dish… when I put my fork in there, I need to see f***ing haddock.”

The Savoy may be one of the most iconic hotels in the world, filled with glamour, elegance, history and character, but there is always room for improvement.

“Gordon is right, we need to pull up our socks very quickly,” Thierry admits.

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