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Luxury travel tip, remember the HISTORY of luxury hotels

Boodles-sponsored afternoon tea at The Savoy

Boodles-sponsored afternoon tea at The Savoy

Simply Sunday.  Remember the history of luxury hotels, says the gal.  Arguably the oldest existing hostelry in the world is Red Carnation‘s Ashford Castle, in Cong, Co. Mayo, which claims ‘excellence since 1228, although it seems most of today’s castle-like structure goes back to about 1715.  Fast forward to Thailand, where Mandarin Oriental Bangkok claims 1879 conception. Move to London, to The Savoy, a Fairmont Hotel.  OK, Peter, Earl of Savoy and Richmond, built a palace here 1245, but the current building is 1889.  Its 125th birthday, this coming Wednesday, August 6th, 2014, is being celebrated with a month of events.

Every day, for 30 days, one-off special offers are being put out on social media, and the lucky winners can, for instance, take part in a cocktail class, or learn more about Boodles, the jeweller who also partners with Stoke Park.  Here, at The Savoy, ‘like’ the promotion and you might win afternoon tea-for-two. At the same time, you learn yet more of the history of this great hotel: did YOU know that a century ago a Wall Street financier (yes, they had too much money, even then) deliberately flooded the hotel’s ballroom so that his guests could be floated around in gondolas?