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the World Of Hospitality
the ritz london
A Short History of The Ritz London
The Ritz London opened its doors on 24th May 1906
on the Piccadilly site of the Walsingham House Hotel,
formerly the Bath Hotel. Conceived by renowned
hotelier César Ritz, The Ritz owes its architectural
design to the successful partnership formed in 1900
between Frenchman Charles Mewés and Englishman
Arthur Davis.
Together they had designed the Hotel Ritz in Paris
and the Carlton Hotel in London’s Haymarket (now
replaced by New Zealand House) and in 1904 they
began The Ritz in London. César Ritz’s innovations
for the hotel were, at that time, quite unique with
bathrooms for every guestroom, double glazing, a
sophisticated ventilation system, and brass, rather
than wooden, beds. The first steel framed building
of any significance in London, The Ritz was praised
for its brilliant refinement of detail and articulation.
Large copper lions stand proudly at each corner of the
roof while ranks of soaring chimneys and projecting
dormers cleverly break the skyline. With its French
chateau style architecture and Louis XVI furnishings,
the hotel was, according to César Ritz, “a small house
to which I am proud to see my name attached”.
The interior detail of the hotel is as impressive as
its exterior and represents the influence of various
Parisian architectural traditions. It was Mewés’ idea
to carry out all the interiors in one style with the
ground floor dominated by the single Louis XVI
theme. The Long Gallery, a vaulted gallery running the
length of the building and linking a series of elegant
public rooms, was considered a masterpiece in hotel
architecture. Unhindered by either dividing doors or
walls, the eye is drawn along the length of the Long
Gallery to the far windows of The Ritz Restaurant and
through these to The Green Park.
The Ritz Restaurant, often described as one of the
most beautiful dining rooms in Europe, appears to be
permanently ‘en fête’ with its sumptuous chandeliers
joined by gilt bronze garlands around the room.
Diagonal angles of beautifully carved stone run the
Gallery’s length, some opening to give views through
to The Palm Court which epitomized the elegantly
frivolous comfort of Edwardian high life.
The Ritz opened to great acclaim from both the
visiting public and the world’s press and was an
immediate success. Throughout its 109 year history
The Ritz London has attracted the famous and the
fashionable. During its early years, the hotel enjoyed
the patronage of The Prince of Wales, later to become
King Edward VIII, and the English aristocracy. King
Alfonso of Spain and Queen Amelie of Portugal met
in the hotel; Pavlova, the Russian Prima Ballerina,
danced at The Ritz; the Aga Khan and Paul Getty had
suites; and Churchill, de Gaulle and Eisenhower met
for summit meetings in the Marie Antoinette Suite
during the Second World W ar. The Ritz also became
the favourite of Hollywood stars; Charlie Chaplin
required 40 policemen to escort him through his fans
into the hotel in 1921, Nöel Coward wrote songs at
The Ritz and Tallulah Bankhead sipped Champagne
from her slipper during a press conference in the
1950s. And The Palm Court was as popular for
Afternoon Tea as it is today!
WEBSITE: www.theritzlondon.com
In 1995 The Ritz London was returned to private
British ownership when it was bought by Sir David
Barclay and Sir Frederick Barclay’s private company
Ellerman Investments. Almost immediately, a
meticulous and complete refurbishment began on the
Grade II * listed building. Fifteen years later The Ritz
London has been fully restored with no detail, either in
the public areas or behind the scenes, left untouched.
In January 2002, The Ritz London received a Royal
Warrant for Banqueting and Catering Services.
Awarded by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales,
The Ritz London is the first, and only, hotel to have
been honoured with this prestigious award.
More recently in November 2006 The Ritz opened
William Kent House, also Grade II * listed, which is
situated at 22 Arlington Street overlooking The Green
Park and adjoining the hotel. Designed in the 1740s
by the 18th century architect William Kent, from
whom the house now takes its name, the historic
mansion was known as Wimborne House when The
Ritz opened in 1906. Acquired by the hotel owners
in 2005, almost a hundred years after Cesar Ritz
first tried to purchase the house and was rebuffed by
Lord Wimborne, William Kent House underwent an
extensive period of restoration and refurbishment
prior to the re-opening of its magnificent new
reception rooms. In keeping with the guidelines set
down by English Heritage, the exquisite collection
of lavishly decorated private dining rooms and
residential suites have been retained in their original
Italian Renaissance style décor and the majesty of
William Kent House is now resplendently reborn.