Skip to content

The Savoy Hotel auctions furniture from suites

Pro Auction A guest room inside The Savoy Hotel. Floral drapes are across a window. There is a desk and seat facing out of the window. A yellow armchair is in the corner of the room. A large wooden bed has cream drapes behind it. Pro Auction
Silk drapes and curtains from rooms and suites are part of the auction

London's Savoy Hotel is to auction a selection of furniture and fittings from its suites, guest bedrooms and public spaces next month.

The luxury hotel is selling the items ahead of a programme of refurbishments.

Bespoke mirrors, sofas, silk drapery, tables and lighting fixtures will be auctioned at the hotel on the Strand on 11 and 12 December.

Pro Auction, which is running the two-day event, said it was an opportunity to "acquire a little bit of the Savoy’s magic".

Pro Auction A demilune commode with a top inlaid with satinwood and ebonised strung banding, below are three drawers with conforming inlay together with bell flower swags, drapery and an oval fan medallion, on tapered square legs ending in brass capping.Pro Auction
A George III neoclassical mahogany and inlaid demilune commode by Francesco Molon is included in the action

The Savoy has a rich history of hosting royalty, celebrities and cultural icons.

Highlights of the sale include treasures from the Personality Suites, named after some of the most notable figures to have stayed at the hotel, as well as furnishings from the Savoy’s 267 rooms and suites.

Pro Auction A cream and green patterned camel back sofa with three seat cushions. It is in a cream room with other luxury furnishings.Pro Auction
A Chippendale-style camelback sofa by US brand Donghia will also be up for sale

Art from the hotel's walls will also go on sale, including a portrait of Charlie Chaplin created during a stay there.

Chaplin arrived at the Savoy with his family in 1952 and remained for three months, with the hotel almost constantly under siege from crowds of excited admirers.

Pro Auction A Cigclee portrait of Charlie Chaplain in a gold framePro Auction
This portrait of Charlie Chaplin will go under the hammer

Other items include a Chippendale-style Donghia camelback sofa, an Italian neoclassical mahogany and inlaid demilune commode and a rococo cartouche giltwood wall mirror.

A large number of table and floor lamps and silk drapes and curtains will also be up for auction.

Pro Auction A Rococo style cartouche giltwood wall mirror. The mirror has an elaborate pierced rocaille cresting of shells and trailing flowers. Pro Auction
A rococo cartouche giltwood wall mirror is one of the many mirrors that will be auctioned

In 2010, the hotel completed a three-year renovation at a cost of £220m.

The Savoy said the latest refurbishment of rooms and suites was "part of a continued commitment to invest in the property and to ensure the best experience for guests”.

Pro Auction A room inside The Savoy with floral curtains, a wooden desk and yellow armchair.Pro Auction
Numerous silk drapes and curtains will be auctioned

Pro Action said the two-day sale was an opportunity for luxury hoteliers, interior designers and collectors to acquire a tangible piece of the hotel's legacy.

"The Savoy is synonymous with luxury, with history, with prestige, with lifestyle," a spokesperson for Pro Auction said.

"Each item embodies the prestige, history and impeccable craftsmanship synonymous with the Savoy name."

Pro Auction A room in The Savoy with a cream bed with white sheets, a green patterned sofa, wooden bedside tables and pink and green curtains and drapes.Pro Auction
The Savoy said the latest renovations were part of a "continued commitment to invest in the property"

A private viewing of the items will be held on 9 and 10 December.

The auction will be accessible online for international participation.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]

More on this story
Related internet links