The Savoy
London's most famous luxury hotel, opened on the Strand in 1889. A little girl is said to haunt its lifts and Room 502 on the fifth floor, and the 1923 shooting of Ali Fahmy in one of its suites remains one of the capital's most notorious crimes.
Image unavailable
CVB, edited by W.carter (via Wikimedia Commons) · License
Check prices & availabilityon Booking.comThe Savoy at a glance
- Ghosts reported
- The little girl in the lift, Cold spots on the fifth floor, The man in grey
- Most haunted spots
- Room 502 and the fifth floor, the lifts
- Built
- 1889
- Verification
- Verified Haunt
- Reported activity
- ApparitionTemperatureChild Spirit
About
The Savoy was built by the theatre impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte and has hosted royalty, film stars and prime ministers for more than 135 years. Behind the glamour sit a famous murder, a lucky black cat called Kaspar and a ghost story about a little girl who rides the lifts.
The ghosts of the Savoy
The little girl in the lift
Seen: The lifts and Room 502 on the fifth floor
A young girl, said to have died in the building, is reported near the lifts and is blamed for a lift that seems to move on its own. She is also said to appear in the corridor and in Room 502.
Cold spots on the fifth floor
Seen: Fifth floor
Guests report sudden cold spots and unexplained activity on the fifth floor.
The man in grey
Seen: Public rooms
Some ghost writers describe a man in a grey suit and hat who disappears through a wall, and link him to Ali Fahmy, shot dead in the hotel in 1923. This is a recent legend with no early accounts behind it.
Ghost stories and sightings
The girl in the lift
The Savoy's best-known ghost is a little girl said to have died in the building. Guests and staff describe a lift that appears to be operated by her, and she has been reported in the fifth-floor corridor and in Room 502. Londonist suggests checking into Room 502 for a chance of seeing her. The fifth floor is also known for sudden cold spots.
The shooting of Ali Fahmy
In the early hours of 10 July 1923, during a violent thunderstorm, the young Egyptian aristocrat Ali Kamel Fahmy was shot dead in his suite at the Savoy by his French wife, Marguerite. Her trial at the Old Bailey, where she was defended by Sir Edward Marshall Hall, ended in an acquittal. Some ghost writers now link a figure of a man in grey to Fahmy, but this is a modern story rather than one handed down by staff.
Kaspar, the fourteenth guest
In 1898 the diamond magnate Woolf Joel hosted a dinner for 14 at the Savoy. One guest dropped out, leaving 13 at table, and a superstitious guest warned that the first to leave would be the first to die. Joel left first, and weeks later he was shot dead in Johannesburg. The hotel began seating a member of staff at any table of 13. Since 1926 that seat has gone to Kaspar, a carved black cat by Basil Ionides, who is given a napkin and served every course.
History of the Savoy
The Savoy was built by Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from the Gilbert and Sullivan operas staged at his Savoy Theatre next door. It opened on 6 August 1889 and was the first hotel in Britain lit throughout by electricity, with electric lifts its guests called "ascending rooms". César Ritz was its first manager and Auguste Escoffier ran the kitchens.
Claude Monet painted the Thames from its upper rooms, and Winston Churchill was a regular in its private dining rooms. The hotel closed in 2007 for a three-year restoration and reopened in 2010.
Tips for staying at the Savoy
- The Savoy is on the Strand, a short walk from Charing Cross and Covent Garden stations.
- Ask for the fifth floor or Room 502 if you want the ghost story; it is the floor most often linked to the little girl.
- Afternoon tea in the Thames Foyer or a drink in the American Bar are ways to see the hotel without staying the night.
- Ask the staff about Kaspar, the hotel's lucky black cat.
Brave enough to stay at the Savoy?
Check room prices and availability for your dates.
Check prices & availabilityon Booking.comGhost tours in London
Make a night of it: join a guided ghost walk before you check in at the Savoy.
The Savoy: FAQs
Is the Savoy haunted?
The Savoy is said to be haunted by The little girl in the lift, Cold spots on the fifth floor and The man in grey. Reported activity includes apparition, temperature, child spirit.
Which rooms at the Savoy are haunted?
The most reported areas are: Room 502 and the fifth floor, the lifts.
Which room at the Savoy is haunted?
Room 502 on the fifth floor is the room most often linked to the ghost of a little girl, who is also blamed for a lift that seems to move by itself.
Was there a murder at the Savoy?
Yes. In July 1923 Ali Kamel Fahmy was shot dead in his suite by his wife, Marguerite. She was acquitted at the Old Bailey.
Who is Kaspar the cat at the Savoy?
A carved black cat that joins any table of 13 as the fourteenth guest. The tradition goes back to an 1898 dinner after which the host, Woolf Joel, was shot dead in South Africa.
Guest Reviews (0)
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience!
Submit a ReviewSources
See all haunted hotels in Greater London →
More haunted hotels in Greater London
Image unavailable
The Cadogan
The Chelsea hotel where Oscar Wilde was arrested in 1895, built around the former home of the actress Lillie Langtry. Langtry's ghost is said to wander the rooms that were once her house, especially around Christmas.
Check pricesImage unavailable
The Langham
London's first grand hotel, opened in 1865 opposite what is now BBC Broadcasting House, and often called the capital's most haunted hotel. Room 333 is the centre of the legend, with a Victorian ghost said to appear there in October.
Check pricesImage unavailable
The Royal Horseguards
A Victorian riverside palace on Whitehall that once housed the first chief of the British Secret Service. Legend says a heartbroken young woman haunts Room 333, with the soldier she loved still searching the corridors.
Check pricesMore Haunted Hotels in England
The Savoy