“Our reputation is based on the thousands of interactions that we have every day with the guests, but also with each other." – Franck Arnold

Nestled on the Strand, overlooking the Thames, The Savoy has been setting the gold standard for hospitality since 1889. With its Art Deco flair, impeccable service and storied past—think royalty, Hollywood stars and literary greats—it’s more than a luxury hotel; it’s a slice of history.

To explore its past, present and future, Fred Moore welcomed Franck Arnold, The Savoy’s Managing Director and Regional Vice-President, to What The Luxe, hoping to learn the story and all its intricacies from one of the hotel’s great custodians. 

Garbed in tartan, Franck details his eminent career in hospitality—an international hotelier through and through—from Strasbourg to New York to Chicago, DC to Edinburgh and back across the pond to Canada before landing in London. He tells all about the capital’s original luxury hotel—”the place of firsts”—and its singularities; the tradition of driving on the right-hand side in Savoy Court, for example.

Together, Fred & Franck cover every query one could have about The Savoy: its long legacy and modern renaissance; the goings-on in its restaurants, bars and galleries; how they host; how they serve; how they interact—the richness of it all.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts or watch the studio edit on YouTube.