Enrobed

Enrobed
in scarlet lacquer and gilt, The Savoy’s
Red Lift caused a sensation when the luxury London hotel opened in
1889. The “ascending room”, as it was dubbed by the property’s
owner, Richard D’Oyly Carte, took a full seven minutes to rise from
the ground floor to the fifth, the lift operator poised to wave
smelling salts under the noses of passengers who found the
adventure a little too dizzying.

For The Savoy’s porter Guccio Gucci, there would have been
plenty of time while conveying luggage to discreetly contemplate
the sheen on a full-grain leather valise; the fine stitching on an
attaché case; the manoeuvrability of a monogrammed trunk.
Inspired, the young man duly returned to Florence, where, shortly
after, he started his own luxury leather goods brand – Gucci. You
may have heard of it?

With a backstory like this, it would take a heart of ice not to
feel joy over the fact that the Italian fashion house, which
celebrated its centenary last year, and London’s doyenne of
high-end hospitality have got into bed together, forging a creative
collaboration that pays homage to their shared history. The
partnership has seen new collection reveals, additional design
features, exclusive guest and client experiences and, in its most
sumptuous iteration to date, a complete takeover of The Savoy’s
flagship Royal Suite, transforming the space into an eclectic,
contemporary and wildly romantic reflection of the Gucci world.

Even the most jaded of A-listers couldn’t fail to feel a
quickening of the pulse on entering the palatial suite, which runs
the length of the hotel’s fifth floor and features covetable
furnishings and objets d’art from the Gucci Décor collection – all
purchasable. The airy, high-ceilinged sitting room is home to a
built-in bar with a Gucci-themed cocktail list (and bar staff on
speed-dial). There’s a six-person dining room, where, against a
crisp white linen tablecloth, a unique projection of Gucci Flora
designs brings an air of Italian summer villa to afternoon tea.
Then, beyond a regal, wood-panelled dressing room with four
cedar-lined wardrobes, there’s the elegant bedroom, the pièce de
résistance of which is a four-poster bed complete with handmade
Savoir mattress, each individual spring wound with cashmere. That
should be enough to ensure the beauty sleep of even the princess of
The Princess and the Pea fame, but in case not, soporific guided
meditation sessions and reactive lighting can be accessed via the
TV.

Throughout, floor-to-ceiling windows frame the same Thames views
that Claude Monet enjoyed during his regular stays at The Savoy –
it was right here, on the fifth floor, that the great impressionist
painted his famous renditions of Waterloo and Charing Cross
bridges.

Not in the mood for painting? Leave the doors of the main
bathroom – a vision in green marble – open, and drink in those same
views from the tub, the warm air fragrant with curated aromatherapy
oils, your bath having been drawn for you, naturally, by your
personal butler.

Wes Anderson would surely smile to see the colourful exuberance
Alessandro Michele has brought to Gucci since he became its
creative director in 2015. Showcased in this heritage setting, it
includes: a decadent melée of bubblegum-pink Gucci candles and bon
bon dishes; tasselled cushions; Gucci perfume bottles; bold,
botanical-print wallpapers; and the odd priceless work of art.
There’s a playfulness to it all that befits The Savoy’s risqué
past, this being the place where, in 1956, Marilyn Monroe created a
scandal by wearing a dress that exposed her midriff – unheard of at
the time – and in 1896, the Duchesse de Clermont-Tonnerre became
the first woman to ever smoke in public, right at her dinner
table.

And now, with the arrival of the recently unveiled Gucci
Valigeria boutique, it is no longer necessary to even step outside
of The Savoy when the urge strikes to run your hand along
butter-soft leather totes, test-drive handsome trolleys or try on
luxe monogrammed duffle bags for size.

Weaving together the artisanal craftsmanship and idiosyncratic
panache that the fashion house has become synonymous with, the
Gucci Savoy collection of luggage and accessories graces an
ephemeral space on the hotel’s illustrious ground floor. Pop in
after breakfast, pre-aperitivo at the jet-black-and-gold Beaufort
Bar or legendary American Bar, or en route to the impromptu
cocktail party you’re throwing in your suite on the fifth floor.
Whenever you go, the collection is sure to inspire your next
travels – just as the jet-set luggage once inspired a young Italian
bellhop, new in town.