RITZ HOTEL |
A famous hotel, known for its luxury and the term Tea at the Ritz
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Visitor Information |
The Ritz has a formal dress code in its public areas. Booking at least 6 weeks in advance is essential to avoid disappointment.
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The Ritz Hotel London is famous for its luxury and the term Tea at the Ritz.
Swiss hotelier César Ritz opened the hotel on May 24, 1906. The
building has a neoclassical style, built during the Belle Époque to
resemble a stylish Parisian block of flats, over arcades. Its
architects were Charles Mewès, who had previously designed Ritz's Hôtel
in Paris. It was the first substantial steel-frame structure in London
and was the first hotel to have all en-suite rooms.
The entrance to the Ritz
Ritz personally managed much of the hotel's operation for many years. He hired world-famous chef Auguste Escoffier
to provide cuisine to match the opulence of the hotel's decoration. He
also placed a special bell in the entrance by which the doorman could
notify the staff of the impending arrival of royalty. The high
standards to which he held his staff and the ultimate luxury which he
provided his guests was at the time entirely foreign to Victorian
Londoners, and it caused quite a sensation in the hotel industry.
Did You Know?
The Rivoli Bar, built in the Art Deco style, was designed in 2001 by
interior designer Tessa Kennedy, to look like a bar on the Orient
Express. A table at the Restaurant still needs to be booked weeks in
advance.
Inside the Ritz
Did You Know?
In 1920 Oswald Mosley was having such a good time at the Ritz that it
completely slipped his mind that he should be marrying Cynthia Curzon
at a nearby chapel. Lady Cunard saved the day when she remarked “I
believe you have just married young man” – he just made it in time!
The hotel was owned for some time by the Bracewell-Smith family.
However, the oil crisis in the early 1970s affected business and
prompted the family to sell their stake to Trafalgar House in 1976, for
£2.75m. In 1995 the hotel was sold again to David and Frederick Barclay
for £80 Million. They spent eight years and £40 Million restoring it to
its former grandeur.
A sign outside the Ritz
The Ritz's most famous facility is the Palm Court,
an opulently decorated cream-colored Louis XVI setting for the
world-famous institution that is "Tea at the Ritz". In the past it has
been frequented by King Edward VII, Charlie Chaplin, Sir Winston
Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, Noel Coward, Judy and Queen Elizabeth,
the Queen Mother.
Afternoon Tea
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