Bonhams will hold an auction of around 3000 items of selected content from The Savoy Hotel, London on 18 – 20 December 2007 at the hotel, just days after it closes for a £100 million refurbishment.

Since the Savoy was built in 1889 by the great theatrical impressario Richard D’Oyle Carte, who owned the adjacent Savoy Theatre, The Savoy Hotel has become a name synonymous with luxury and style. For over a century many of its guests have included the world’s most glamorous, wealthy and powerful figures, who have demonstrated a devoted loyalty to a hotel, which has consistently offered a standard of service that meets the most discriminating taste.

The Savoy Sale will feature stylish items of furniture with impeccable provenance at affordable prices. The furniture to be sold, which includes lighting, mirrors, works of art, and silver plate, will all be offered at “no reserve”, which means that items could go for as little as £20. However, some of the more important furnishings are expected to fetch in excess of £15,000.

Bonhams’ Director of The Savoy Sale, Harvey Cammell, says: “The auction presents everyone around the world with a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to acquire an extraordinary range of iconic items from one of the most famous hotels in the world.”

The three-day sale is expected to fetch in excess of £1 million. The majority of lots consist of furnishings from 215 bedrooms and suites, including the famous Monet Suite, as well as The Royal Opera House Suite and The Richard Harris Suite, in which the famous actor lived for a while. In addition, selected items from The Savoy Hotel’s public areas including The Lobby, The Upper Thames Foyer, The Thames Foyer, The Beaufort Room, The River Restaurant, The Manhattan and Parlour Bars and The Abraham Lincoln Room will be auctioned.

A donation from the proceeds of the auction will go to Farms for City Children (FFCC), the charity founded by award winning children's author and former Savoy Writer-in-Residence, Michael Morpurgo.

http://www.bonhams.com/savoy/