HOTEL SAVOY

The Hotel Savoy is a beautiful historic hotel situated in downtown Kansas City Missouri. The Savoy has been our home away from home for the last four days. Built in 1903, the Savoy has hosted many entertainers and politicians. The Hotel Savoy served such celebrities as Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Marie Dressler, W.C. Fields, Will Rogers, Lillian Russell, Sara Bernhardt, John D. Rockefeller and finally Ms. Goofy. If these walls could talk they would have some great stories. The restaurant, Savoy Grill’ originally only served men. If an establishment in this time period had ‘Grill’ in its title, it meant Women were not allowed. In Prohibition times the penthouse served as a speakeasy.

Times have changed. Women have been given the right to vote and now are even allowed at the Savoy Grill. It is a good thing because Ms. Goofy loves this place. The interior has imported marble, stained glass, high beamed ceilings and the floors are decorated with Italian tiles. When you walk through the lobby it feels like you are a star in a gala movie. The walls are adorned with pictures of a by gone era. The restaurant has high back mahogany booths. The bar has the original 1903 leather covering that is in pristine condition. This is luxury with elegance from a past era.

The Savoy Hotel has been converted into a bed & breakfast. The Savoy Grill is a separate restaurant inside the hotel. They also happen to prepare the morning breakfast and serve it in a special dinning hall for the guests. This is a white linen affair. You would not believe the breakfast menu. This is not your typical bacon and eggs menu. As a guest you are asked to fill out a menu request the night before. The menu is divided into the categories of Soups (lobster bisque, Seafood Gumbo, Oyster Stew), Eggs (Any style), Lamb (Sautéed Lamb with Artichoke, Grilled Lamb steak, Broiled Lamb chop), Seafood (Kippers & Scrambled eggs, Smoked Salmon and Caviar, Baked Oysters Rockefeller, Crab Meat Crepes, Coquille-Saint Jacques) and the categories of chicken, beef, veal and pork. What a dilemma of having to decide from this massive list of food.

Each day we picked several items to try to sample the whole menu. Home made English muffins and sweet rolls were included with a daily fruit plate. Fresh squeezed orange juice was brought to our table promptly every morning. Needles to say we started each morning with a full stomach. That is important when you are on a mission to eat your way through Missouri.

The Savoy Hotel was a wonderful experience. You would not believe how reasonably priced this bed & breakfast is. The hotel did not have all the amenities of a modern hotel but the food and atmosphere made this experience memorable. I will leave you with images of some wonderful breakfast items. Next up We visit some Kansas City barbeque restaurant favorites.