The Savoy

Richard D'Oyly Carte built the Savoy in 1889 with the profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas — and then hired César Ritz as the first manager and Auguste Escoffier as the chef. Monet painted the Thames from Room 524. Kaspar, the hotel's three-foot-high wooden cat, is seated at any table of thirteen to ward off bad luck. The entrance is the only street in Britain where you drive on the right. 267 rooms, the American Bar (operating since 1893), and a position on the Strand between the City and the West End.