In the world of hotels it was currently stated that,
next to the proprietor, there were three gods at the Grand Babylon
- Jules, the head waiter, Miss Spencer, and, most powerful of all,
Rocco, the renowned chef, who earned two thousand a year, and
had a chalet on the Lake of Lucerne. All the great hotels in
Northumberland Avenue and on the Thames Embankment had
tried to get Rocco away from the Grand Babylon, but without
success. Rocco was well aware that even he could rise no higher
than the ma?tre h?tel of the Grand Babylon, which, though it never
advertised itself, and didn't belong to a limited company, stood an
easy first among the hotels of Europe - first in expensiveness, first
in exclusiveness, first in that mysterious quality known as 'style'.
Situated on the Embankment, the Grand Babylon, despite its noble
proportions, was somewhat dwarfed by several colossal
neighbours. It had but three hundred and fifty rooms, whereas
there are two hotels within a quarter of a mile with six hundred
and four hundred rooms respectively. On the other hand, the Grand
Babylon was the only hotel in London with a genuine separate
entrance for Royal visitors constantly in use. The Grand Babylon
counted that day wasted on which it did not entertain, at the
lowest, a German prince or the Maharajah of some Indian State.
When Felix Babylon - after whom, and not with any reference to
London's nickname, the hotel was christened - when Felix
Babylon founded the hotel in 1869 he had set himself to cater for
Royalty, and that was the secret of his triumphant eminence.
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