Claridge's is a 5-star hotel at the corner of Brook Street and Davies Street in Mayfair, London. Claridge's Hotel is owned and managed by Maybourne Hotel Group. History Founding Claridge's was founded in 1812 as Mivart's Hotel, in a conventional London terraced house, and it grew by expanding into neighbouring houses. In 1854, the founder (the father of biologist St. George Jackson Mivart) sold the hotel to a Mr and Mrs Claridge, who owned a smaller hotel next door. They combined the two operations, and after trading for a time as "Mivart's late Claridge's", they settled on the current name. The reputation of the hotel was confirmed in 1860 when Empress Eugenie made an extended visit and entertained Queen Victoria at the hotel. In its first edition of 1878, Baedeker's London listed Claridge's as "The first hotel in London". Acquisitions Richard D'Oyly Carte, the theatrical impresario and founder of the rival Savoy Hotel, purchased Claridge's in 1894, as part of The Savoy Group, and shortly afterwards demolished the old buildings and replaced them with the present ones. This was prompted by the need to install modern facilities such as lifts and en suite bathrooms. From 1894 to 1901, Édouard Nignon was the hotel chef. 19th and 20th centuries The new Claridge's, built by George Trollope & Sons, opened in 1897. It is a Grade II listed building. The hotel has 203 rooms and suites and around 400 staff. After the First World War, Claridge's flourished due to demand from aristocrats who no longer maintained a London house, and under the leadership of Carte's son, Rupert D'Oyly Carte, an extension was built in the 1920s. During the Second World War it was the base of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia's government in exile and home of Peter II of Yugoslavia. In 1996, the foyer was restored by architect Thierry Despont. In 1998, the group of hotels—along with the later-added Connaught—was sold for $867 million to two American private-equity funds, Blackstone and Colony Capital. 21st century renovation and relaunch In 2005, the private-equity owners sold The Savoy Group, including Claridge's, to a group of Irish investors led by Derek Quinlan. The investors later sold the Savoy Hotel and Savoy Theatre and renamed the group Maybourne Hotel Group. The Maybourne Hotel Group includes two other five-star hotels in London, The Berkeley and The Connaught. Between 2016 and 2021, the hotel was renovated and expanded