A history of London hotels If you are planning a trip to London the first thing you want to do is check with your hotel and there is certainly much to choose from. The hotels were a vital part of the city's economy since before the beginning of the 19th century. The tradition came from wealthy landlords to rent a house to spend part of year in the capital and the remainder of the year elsewhere. Shelter is part of the hotel scene, with private housing to remove parts, often headed by widows. Coaching Inns allowed these bus trips to a pit stop to recover before continuing their journey.
The largest of the city was the Langham in 1865 and became the incarnation of the Victoria Hotel. More sophisticated institutions have begun to be developed as the Savoy, Claridge's and the Ritz. The Savoy on the Strand, was opened by Richard D'Oyly Carte 6 August 1889 and was formerly the site of the Savoy Palace for Peter Earl of Richmond. It was burned in the revolt of the peasants and was rebuilt in 1505 on a hospital for the poor, who also suffered from the fire, with the Savoy chapel be enriched by D'Oyly Carte in 1880 as a theater specifically for operas of Gilbert and Sullivan.
Claridge's Mayfair has long been frequented by royalty and was founded as a terraced house built only slowly expanded into other houses. It was sold to a Mr and Mrs Claridge who finally changed the name and began to take on more royal visitors such as the Empress Eugenie and Queen Victoria. Many celebrities have stayed including Audrey Hepburn and Alfred Hitchcock.
The Ritz is located in Piccadilly and was opened by hotelier Cesar Ritz Swizz in 1906. Celebrity chef August Escoffier was the prestigious leader and created quite a stir in Victorian society. It is now owned by David and Frederick Barclay.
Hotels railway emerged around the main stations in London with some of the most famous being St Pancras, the Great Western at Paddington Station, the Great Northern to King's Cross, the Great Eastern at Liverpool Street and The Grosvenor Victoria. If you commute to offices in the Marylebone area , it was once the Grand Central Hotel, now the benchmark.
Posted on September 15, 2010.