Monday, October 19, 2009
Best of Europe's Hotels: Ritz Paris
The Golden Era Of The Ritz ParisEvery successful concept has a beginning, and in the world of top luxury hotels, it began with the Ritz Paris. JC gets a brief experience of the blue blooded life.
Coloured by time, the Ritz Paris still stands along Place Vendôme, dignified; watching a century of French culture and life past it by in the capital of high society. A priced treasure from the 1890s, this is one of those places that great cities are built around.
The hotel lobby is embellished with hanging chandeliers, precious oil paintings and seasonal fresh flowers; its walkways lead to deliberately partitioned smaller areas, each with its own unique allure. As I entered the archaic dumbwaiter-styled elevator en route to my deluxe room, it felt like I had entered a time machine and was being transported back to the 18th century era of the French revolution.
Prestige Suites And Rooms
Stepping into my room overlooking the Vendôme terrace, everything – from the table lamps to the wall tapestries – was a visual display of rococo charm blended with noble aristocracy. The bathroom is accented in white marble, with a swan’s head for a tap, and rosy apricot coloured bath linens specially chosen by César Ritz himself, who believed they were the perfect complement to female guests’ skin tones.
The hotel has 159 rooms, which includes 56 apartments and six prestige suites, and employs nearly 600 people, making it the highest staff to guest ratio in the French capital. With more than three employees per room, service standards, as you would imagine, is worthy for a hotel of its stature.
Some of Ritz Paris’ most luxurious suites are named after its notable patrons from the past. Throughout the century, these included Ernest Hemingway, for whom a bar in the hotel was named, and F Scott Fitzgerald, King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Iranian leader Reza Shah, Rudolph Valentino, Charlie Chaplin, Elton John, and couturier Coco Chanel, who made the Ritz her home for more than 30 years.
The Hotel’s History
The legend began in 1898, when founder César Ritz imagined an ideal residence offering “all of the refinements that a prince could wish for in his own residence”. Within no time, the Ritz Paris became a meeting place for dignitaries, socialites and well-heeled guests from Europe and across the Atlantic.
The palace hotel was the first in the world to be equipped with electricity on each floor, with a telephone and bathroom in all guest rooms. Keeping in mind that all these were implemented during a time when tourism was at its infancy, César’s foresight made him a pacesetter in the hospitality industry, with the innate ability to grasp accurately the needs and demands of his esteemed guests.
However, while the Ritz Paris was sturdy enough to survived both World Wars, it was on its way to a slow and eventual decline after César’s death and it was not until 1979 that Mohamed Al Fayed – owner of Harrods department store in Knightsbridge and Fulham Football Club – acquired the hotel and set out to restore all of its prestige.
Like César, the Egyptian-born businessman is an art lover, a perfectionist, and driven by a passion for beauty and elegance. Following an extensive nine-year long renovation programme, the legendary hotel reclaimed its grandeur and opulence.
Today, The Ritz Paris consists of the Vendôme and the Cambon buildings with rooms facing Place Vendôme and on the opposite side, rooms overlooking its famous garden. Located near the hotel are key attractions such as the Louvre Museum, Le Tuileries, the Paris Opéra, the Place de La Concorde, rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré, and some of Paris’s most luxurious shops. But despite being situated in the central city district, the ambience in the hotel remains one of tranquility and class.
Gastronomic Successes
Eating breakfast in tasteful Parisian elegance, I found myself constantly captivated by my surroundings. L’Espadon, a two-star Michelin restaurant in Ritz Paris, was first established in 1956 by César’s son, Charles Ritz.
Decorated with a beautiful trompel’oeil ceiling depicting a pale blue sky and white cottony clouds, with velvet banquettes and a profusion of plants and flowers, the setting at L’Espadon is versatile enough to accommodate a hearty breakfast, a business lunch or a romantic evening dinner.
Michel Roth is the ninth chef that the hotel has welcomed in its 111-year existence and the cuisine served at L’Espadon is an embodiment of creativity and originality, whilst respecting conventional principles.
The 21st Century Ritz Paris
César once said, “I dream of a little house to which I will be proud to see my name attached.” This “little house”, an 18th century mansion in the French capital, is today an iconic example for all other leading hotels, one whose legacy has sprung forth to produce many other namesakes throughout the world. The Ritz Paris is truly worthy of its world-class status, bringing together princes of the old world and the masters of the new.
