The Savoy was the London hotel where Andy Warhol and his companions gathered during a July 1979 visit for Martha Graham’s opening at Covent Garden. It functioned as more than lodging: its rooms became a meeting point, a place to record an Interview conversation, and the setting for Halston’s private party. Yet the diary’s account balances the hotel’s glamorous social life against cramped rooms, expense, and a final dispute over service.

London Base

On July 20, the group reached London by British Airways and checked into The Savoy. Martha Graham arrived from Denmark with Ron Protas, while Liza Minnelli and Halston were still expected on the Concorde. The hotel linked a traveling group of performers, designers, and nightlife figures, and the diary records its high cost from the outset: the rooms were small, faced an inadequate courtyard, and seemed expensive for what they offered.

Rooms and Gatherings

The Savoy’s rooms shaped the group’s close quarters. After dinner at the Savoy Grill with Nick Scott, his wife, and Sabrina Guinness, the diarist went upstairs with Sabrina to begin taping Minnelli for her Interview interview. Steve Rubell and Randy had a bedroom and sitting room; Halston’s adjoining bedroom was shared with Victor Hugo, while Dr. Giller occupied a particularly attractive purple-and-white room overlooking the river. Bianca Jagger was in another room with Martha Graham dancer Peter Sparling. These arrangements made the hotel a temporary social hub as well as a place to sleep.

The Covent Garden Party

After Graham’s performance at Covent Garden, the group returned to The Savoy for Halston’s private party. Some guests initially remained upstairs, unaware that the gathering also filled the floor below; once they found the downstairs party, they joined Halston, Minnelli, and Princess Margaret. Victor Hugo wanted the diarist to meet the princess, but the introduction did not happen. He took photographs of the princess and Roddy Llewellyn, and when there was an effort to take his film, Fred Hughes intervened, pointing out Victor’s connection to Halston. The episode places the hotel’s party life alongside the careful management of visibility and access that surrounded its famous guests.

Departure and Disappointment

The stay ended with a sharp reckoning over cost and service. On July 26, after Halston paid the bill, he loudly criticized the hotel’s cleanliness and service. The total was $2,600 for two people in two rooms, without room service orders. Halston defended his tactic of making complaints to keep the hotel staff attentive; the group then left discreetly, resolved not to stay there again, and continued on to the airport. In the diary, The Savoy’s glamour is therefore inseparable from the practical terms of a luxury stay: room arrangements, tipping, service expectations, and an expensive bill.