George Reeves-Smith

Sir George Reeves-Smith (17 July 1863 – 29 May 1941) was an English hotelier. Hired by Richard D'Oyly Carte in 1900 to replace César Ritz as manager of the Savoy Hotel, he remained in the post until his death four decades later. In addition to running the Savoy, he was general manager of the other hotels and restaurants in the Savoy group and was a director of the Savoy Theatre. He was also instrumental in establishing charitable medical institutions in England and Switzerland.

Early years Reeves-Smith was born in Scarborough, Yorkshire, the son of George Reeves-Smith, whose jobs included running the Brighton aquarium. He was educated at Brighton College and then apprenticed to J. Calvet et cie, Bordeaux wine négociants, after which he trained in the hotel industry. By 1893 he was manager of the Berkeley Hotel, Piccadilly, and four years later he led a management buy-out, with himself as principal shareholder and managing director. In 1904, in addition to managing the growing Savoy hotel group, which included, among other interests, the Savoy, the Berkeley, Claridge's and Simpson's-in-the-Strand, he became a director of the Savoy Theatre.

Reeves-Smith founded the Hotels and Restaurants Association (1910) and was its dominant figure for the rest of his life. He was connected with other catering industry organisations, including the International Hotel Alliance, of which he was president.

Personal life In 1888 Reeves-Smith married Maud Hindle, daughter of a Brighton hotelier. They had one son, who was killed in World War I, and one daughter. Their home was always a suite in one of Reeves-Smith's hotels, first in the Berkeley, then at Claridge's, where Reeves-Smith died of pneumonia, aged 77, survived by his wife.