Cesar Ritz and Marc Alan Innes, Pioneers

No novelist could come up with a more intriguing story. Flash back to the hotelier Cesar Ritz, known as “the king of hoteliers and hotelier to kings.” His name became associated with the most renowned hotels of his day, including the Grand Hotel in Monte Carlo, the Savoy in London, and then as manager of The Ritz in Paris, starting in 1898, and The Carlton in London, opened in 1906. Obviously, the Paris and London hotel names combined ultimately for the Ritz-Carlton combination we know.

Cesar Ritz established the benchmark for luxury hotels in Europe. He formed the framework for the Ritz-Carlton service philosophy, with comments like this: “Never say no when a client asks for something, even if it is for the moon. You can always try.”

The Ritz-Carlton’s dining legacy began when Cesar Ritz teamed up with culinary genius Auguste Escoffier. Learning the hotel trade together at the Grand Hotel in Monte Carlo, they later assumed leadership roles at the Savoy in London, with Cesar Ritz serving as General Manager and Escoffier as Head of Restaurant Services. Ambitious though they were, they could not have envisioned their impact on luxury hotels around the world, long beyond their lifetimes.

Insisting on the highest standard of hygiene, Cesar Ritz preferred white walls in guest rooms, so that even a cursory inspection would detect unwanted marks. Not surprisingly, his reputation for excellence and elegance coined new sayings: “ritzy” and “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”