César Ritz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
César Ritz
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Portrait of César Ritz
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| Born |
Cäsar Ritz
23 February 1850 |
| Died | 26 October 1918 (aged 68) Küssnacht, Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland
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| Resting place | Niederwald |
| Nationality | Swiss |
| Occupation | Hotelier |
| Spouse(s) | Marie-Louise Beck |
| Children | 2 |
César Ritz, born Cäsar Ritz (February 23, 1850 – October 24, 1918), was a famous Swiss hotel owner. He started many hotels, including the well-known Hôtel Ritz in Paris and The Ritz in London. These hotels were the start of the modern Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.
César Ritz was one of the first people to create a chain of luxury hotels. He was known as the "King of Hoteliers, and Hotelier to Kings." The word ritzy, which means fancy or luxurious, comes from his name and his hotels.
Contents
Early Life and Challenges
César Ritz was born in a small Swiss village called Niederwald. He was the youngest of 13 children in a family that didn't have much money. When he was 12, he went to a school in Sion. At 15, he started working as an apprentice sommelier (wine waiter) at a hotel in Brig.
However, he was fired from this job. The hotel owner told him, "You'll never make anything of yourself in the hotel business. It takes a special knack, a special flair, and it's only right that I tell you the truth—you haven't got it." After this, he tried working for a short time at a church. But soon, he decided to try his luck in Paris, especially during the exciting time of the 1867 Universal Exhibition.
Starting His Career
César Ritz spent five important years in Paris. This time included the siege of 1870–71 during the Franco-Prussian War. These experiences helped him grow from a simple waiter into a maître d'hôtel (head waiter), then a manager, and finally a hotel owner.
He started at a small hotel, then worked at a basic restaurant where he was fired for breaking too many dishes. He kept working hard, moving up to become a restaurant manager. From 1869 to 1872, he worked at the fancy Restaurant Voisin. There, he served famous people like Sarah Bernhardt and Alexandre Dumas. He learned a lot about the hotel business from the owner, Bellenger. During the siege, when food was scarce, he learned to serve unusual dishes.
In 1872, Ritz became a floor waiter at the Hôtel Splendide in Paris. This was one of the most luxurious hotels in Europe. He met many wealthy American guests there, which greatly influenced him. In 1873, he worked as a waiter in Vienna during the World's Fair. By then, he had gained a lot of knowledge about the hotel industry and what important people, like the Prince of Wales, liked to eat.
First Time as a Manager
In the winter of 1873, César Ritz began his amazing career in hotel management. He took charge of the restaurant at the Grand Hôtel in Nice. He once said that his "years of wandering in the wake of a migratory society had begun."
While he was managing the Rigi Kulm Hotel in Switzerland, something happened that changed his career. The heating system broke on a very cold day, and 40 guests were arriving for lunch. Ritz quickly changed the menu to hot dishes. He moved a table to a smaller room and heated 40 bricks in the oven. He then wrapped the bricks in cloth and placed them at the feet of each guest to keep them warm. This clever thinking was noticed by Max Pfyffer, who designed the Grand Hotel National in Lucerne. He was very impressed by Ritz's efficiency.
After this, Ritz often moved between hotels, usually twice a year. He would go from hotels in Nice or San Remo in winter to Swiss mountain resorts like Rigi-Kulm and Lucerne in summer. He also worked as the head waiter at the Grand Hôtel in Locarno on Lake Maggiore.
In 1878, he became the manager of the Grand Hôtel National in Lucerne. At the same time, he also managed the Grand Hôtel in Monaco until 1888. Ritz was a leader in creating luxury hotels. He knew how to attract rich customers and quickly became known for his good taste and elegant style. By the mid-1880s, the Grand Hôtel National in Lucerne was known as the most elegant hotel in Europe.
Ritz was the first to say that "the customer is always right." His rule was: "See all without looking; hear all without listening; be attentive without being servile; anticipate without being presumptuous. If a diner complains about a dish or the wine, immediately remove it and replace it, no questions asked."
According to his wife, Ritz also cared a lot about hygiene and cleanliness in his hotels. He decorated rooms without heavy curtains and wallpaper. Instead, he used washable paint and lighter, washable fabrics. In 1887, Ritz bought the Hôtel de Provence in Cannes and other properties in Baden-Baden.
Working with Escoffier
In 1888, César Ritz opened the Conservations Haus restaurant in Baden-Baden with Auguste Escoffier as the chef. The two were then invited to London by Richard D'Oyly Carte to work at the Savoy Hotel. They held these jobs from 1889 to 1897. Ritz gathered what he called "a little army of hotel men for the conquest of London."
The Savoy Hotel, under Ritz, became an instant success. It attracted many important and wealthy guests, including the Prince of Wales and other European royal families. The success of the Savoy was largely due to César Ritz and his brilliant chef, Auguste Escoffier. They introduced the English to the fine and delicate French haute cuisine. Escoffier also invented many famous dishes at the Savoy, like Peche Melba and the thin toast named after the same singer. Before this, aristocratic women usually didn't eat in public. But now, they were seen dressed up in the Savoy dining rooms.
Ritz worked with others to change laws so that restaurants could open on Sundays and stay open later on other nights. In March 1898, Ritz was dismissed from the Savoy. He was involved in some financial issues, and the hotel's auditors found problems. Ritz's wife later said he resigned. However, the Savoy's auditors reported that Ritz, Escoffier, and Ritz's deputy were given dismissal letters.
Ritz thought about suing the hotel, but Escoffier convinced him that it was better to keep the matter quiet. Lady de Grey, a loyal customer, supported Ritz. She canceled her party at the Savoy when she heard he was leaving, saying, "Where Ritz goes, I go." Ritz later started the Carlton Hotel in Haymarket, London, built between 1897 and 1899. This hotel was bombed during World War II and later replaced by a new building.
Ritz's Own Hotels
César Ritz then found investors and opened many of his own hotels. By the late 1890s, Ritz was very busy. He had hotel projects in Rome, Frankfurt, Salsomaggiore, Palermo, Biarritz, Wiesbaden, Monte Carlo, Lucerne, and Menton. He also had plans for hotels in Madrid, Cairo, and Johannesburg. His wife said that "César's suitcases were never completely unpacked; he was always either just arriving from or departing upon a new journey."
In 1896, he formed the Ritz Hotel group with Alfred Beit, a rich South African millionaire. They opened the famous Hôtel Ritz in the Place Vendôme, Paris, in late 1898. Many important people from Europe attended the opening on June 1, 1898, including Lady de Grey and Marcel Proust.
He then opened The Ritz Hotel in London in 1905. This hotel quickly became a very popular meeting place for the rich and famous. The Ritz Hotel in Madrid, which opened in 1906, was inspired by King Alfonso XIII's wish for a luxury hotel to rival the Ritz in Paris. César Ritz had a long and successful partnership with Auguste Escoffier, the famous French chef. Their partnership lasted until Ritz had to retire in 1907 because his health was getting worse.
Later Life
César Ritz slowly stepped back from his many hotel businesses. He sold his shares in hotels in Frankfurt and Salsomaggiore in 1905. He retired from the Ritz Hotel Development Company in 1907, from the Carlton Hotel Company in 1908, and from the Paris Ritz Company in 1911.
By 1912, according to his wife Marie-Louise Ritz, his active life had mostly ended. In 1913, he was admitted to a private hospital in Lausanne. The next year, he moved to another hospital near Lake Küssnacht in Canton Schwyz. He passed away in Küssnacht on October 26, 1918.
Even though he came from a simple background in Switzerland, César Ritz and his luxurious hotels became legendary. His name became a symbol of high-class food and lodging. He is buried in the village where he was born.
Images for kids
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Portrait of César Ritz
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Ritz with his wife Marie-Louise in 1888. They had two sons.
See also
In Spanish: César Ritz para niños
