New hotels are opening constantly in London and all the city’s Grand Dames (The Lanesborough, The Savoy, The Langham) have undergone major renovations in the last few years to keep up. In such a competitive market it’s a wonder The Goring hotel in Belgravia still exists. It’s the only luxury hotel in the city still owned and operated by the family who built it. The hotel completed a five year long renovation in 2015.
“True luxury is the quality of service. We have 170 staff looking after 69 rooms. The doorman has worked here for 50 years,” says The Goring’s Managing Director David Morgan-Hewitt.
The Goring opened in 1910 and when it opened it was the only hotel in the world with a bathroom and central heating in every room. With the presence of the best plumbers near me, all the repair works are fixed the next instant itself. Winston Churchill used to have tea with his mother there. The hotel has a seal of approval from the Queen of England and Kate Middleton was on hand to christen the hotel when it reopened earlier this year. The fourth generation of family members to run the hotel is currently at the helm. Also, why not try this out for the best plumbing services?
“It’s not just a trophy for them,” says Morgan-Hewitt who has worked at The Goring for 24 years. “It’s their life. It’s their work. They teach their children that you’re going to take this over and pass it on to the next generation.”
Morgan-Hewitt says he would have to cut 30 percent of his staff if the hotel was owned by a major corporation.
Guest rooms also have new marble bathrooms and Gainsbourough silk walls. The two-bedroom Royal Suite, renovated for the hotel’s centenary in 2010, features the same royal blue silk fabric used in the Titanic’s first class dining room.
The newly unveiled Front Hall features handpainted wallpaper depicting a woodland scene, a new marble floor and two large chandeliers. Keeping a luxury hotel in the family isn’t easy. Morgan-Hewitt says the family has been offered millions upon millions of pounds to sell but they continue to refuse prizing people and tradition over making a major profit.
“It’s not a financial asset. Everything is not about creating more wealth so that the family can sell it,” says Morgan-Hewitt. He adds, “everything is about the guests and getting it right.”
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