Long a favourite haunt of the rich and famous, London's Savoy Hotel is preparing to reopen after a refurbishment costing around £220m.

It has been a difficult time for the Savoy recently. So decrepit had the interiors become that what should have been a 17-month closure and refurbishment has ended up taking almost three years.

The bill has soared from a projected £100m, making it the most costly hotel refurbishment in history.

This weekend, though, the nightmare is coming to an end when the hotel finally reopens for business.