Toujours L’attaque! — George Goring †2020

( words)

London Hotelier George Goring passed away, taking up his room at the eternal grand hotel which is waiting for all of us. The world has lost a great hotelier in the old school style: a true host who exuded joie de vivre.

George Goring † 2020

LONDON 1910

The Daily Telegraph and Courier London published the following advertisement on Friday, 8 April 1910:

That was in 1910.

51 years later, in 1961, George Goring joined the family business and retired in 2005, handing over the reins of the 69-bedroom property to his son, Jeremy, by passing him the two original keys and walking out of the hotel not to return for the following three months.

The Goring flying all flags half-mast

Last week, George Goring passed away, taking up his room at the eternal grand hotel which is waiting for all of us.

The world has lost a great hotelier in the old school style: a true host who exuded joie de vivre. Anybody who worked for him, was his guest or friend, would know about his extraordinary generosity.
He was certainly one of the last colourful characters this world needs so much.
“He gave up cross country racing aged 70, winning his last event then bowing out. Over the previous 40 years he had broken most of the bones in his body and given this lifestyle nobody ever thought he would be around long enough to have Parkinson’s. Despite this cruel disease he radiated wit, charm and laughter till the end.
“The lessons he left us were to love thy neighbour, and to live for today. RIP Admiral, and as George would say: Toujours L’attaque!”

The hotel has the reputation of being the Queen's favourite, Kate Middleton stayed there the night before her wedding to Prince William, a flock of sheep is scattered throughout the hotel (the first, Barbara - a beautiful carved wooden animal, clad in a snowy-white fleece - was bought by George and placed in the bar, where it became so popular that George placed one in every bedroom, as well as introducing a soft toy sheep on every bed for each guest to cuddle up to).

"Out of all of Dad's crazy ideas, this stupid one has created more PR than anything else we have ever done," explains Jeremy.

„Once, a painting of a nude that George placed in the men's loos brought a letter of complaint, saying that the picture was an affront to women everywhere.“ George framed the letter and hung it on the wall next to the painting.

Jeremy Goring: Despite sharing a wicked sense of humour and closeness as father and son, father and son have never worked together. 

The Goring is A Select Member of The Most Famous Hotels in the World.

https://famoushotels.org/hotels/the-goring