Hotel Gossip No 1 - The Savoy Bullet

We've just placed a Christmas private dinner at the Savoy Grill. Tanya Pemberton, who is Gordon Ramsay's Event's person, promised to tell the tale of the Savoy Bullet. At the end of a dull contractural email, she did! Here's Tanya's tale:

When the Savoy was first opened in 1889 the D’Oyly Carte Room used to be a jewellery shop. At the time there was many “firsts” happening; this was the only building in London at the time which was lit by electricity throughout the building, Savoy was the first hotel in the world that had toilets, showers and hot running water in every room, the American Bar was the first bar where they allowed ladies and gentleman to sit together in the same room and was also the first bar where they start mixing spirits and made a cocktail.

So the American owner of the jewellery shop brought over these bullet proof glasses from USA to install for the very first time in the UK. As there was no such thing seen before, no one believed him that a glass can catch a bullet. Later in the years there was very small and unsuccessful armed robbery during which, the shop’s own security guard fired a shot indoors and that shot left the mark on that glass window that overlooks the forecourt. After that, the owner never changed the glass proving to everyone that it is a bullet proof glass. Then the story become so famous and the government now knew where the first bullet proof glass was installed in the UK, this glass become 1st degree listed property in 1998.

That’s the reason it was not changed during the last refurbishment.