Savoy looks unlikely to reopen this year after revamp
Doubts have been raised about whether the Savoy will re-open this year following a £100m refurbishment, after the hotel's owner admitted it wasn't taking any event bookings for 2009.
The re-opening date has already slipped from May to the autumn and Fairmont Hotels says it is now planning a "phased autumn/winter 2009 re-opening" for the property.
But event organisers that have booked the hotel ballroom for later this year have now been told the venue will not be ready.
A spokesman for Fairmont Hotels said: "We are still on target for a phased autumn/winter 2009 re-opening of the hotel and public areas.
"However, with a project of this magnitude and scope, and mindful of the sensitivity of our relationships with our long-term loyal client base - particularly with the Lancaster Ballroom - we have decided not to accept bookings for events this year in case, for any unexpected reason, a particular event room's re-opening was delayed."
"Hotel refurbishments are notoriously difficult - this one seems to be no different," a source told Caterersearch sister website ContractJournal.com.
"They have a habit of over-running and that usually leads to legal action because the hotel is losing out on revenue every day it is closed."
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By Daniel Thomas
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