César Ritz, the art of innovating and creating exclusivity
César Ritz used to say: 'I dream of a house I would be proud to attach my name to.' What would he say today about the latest renovation of the hotel he founded? This man innovated so much in luxury hospitality that he wrote the code for the world of Palace hotels. He was the first to install a bathroom with running water and a private toilet in the rooms of the Ritz Paris. He also equipped the rooms with electricity. On the technology front, he wanted a telephone installed in every room. Within a few years, the hotel was being imitated: it became fashionable to build bathrooms and separate toilets into hotel rooms. Over time, the trend became permanent. Mr. Ritz was a visionary who knew how to see years ahead.
At the time, these innovations in hospitality amounted to an incredible revolution. They even shaped how we live in general. To me, this is one of the fundamental traits of luxury hospitality: knowing how to reinvent yourself and deliver excellence at every level. That also means being able to offer the very best, and to do it before anyone else. A Palace hotel has to be visionary.
On the culinary side, César Ritz partnered with the famous Auguste Escoffier, and together they also innovated in how menus were built. They created the à la carte menu, where guests could choose among several starters, main courses and desserts. It is an obvious thing for us today, but at the time, it was a major change.
Luxury hospitality remains a source of inspiration for the whole hotel industry, and for other sectors too. French Palace hotels are closely watched around the world for the fresh perspective they bring.
So where does the Ritz stand today?
The ability to innovate is therefore part of the Ritz's DNA, or at least it should be. There are ten Palace hotels in Paris today, and new ones will be named in the years ahead.
In this world, it matters to stand out, to bring a different vision of the art of welcome, a different perspective on how a hotel is designed. You have to reinvent yourself within excellence. The latest renovation of the Ritz remains classic and close to the previous one, which dates back to the 1980s. There are many similarities, and the decor is much the same: no change, for fear of upsetting its clientele. Yet that clientele is evolving and aspiring to something else.
France has the good fortune of having many talents across every field and shows remarkable creativity, which is part of its worldwide reputation. The hospitality industry and the world of architects look favorably on what is being done in France. We have the chance to influence the art of welcome around the world.
The Ritz made the opposite choice: staying true to pure tradition and renovating like for like. The hotel was rebuilt as it once was and magnificently restored. They even chose to keep 80% of the furniture (consoles, armchairs, bedside tables, and many other pieces). By contrast, the Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel, brought an exceptional touch of modernity to its historic setting without altering the hotel's soul. The same is true at the Plaza Athénée. It will also be interesting to watch how the new X and Y generations staying in these hotels respond: will they be drawn to a touch of modernity (everything seems to suggest so), or rather to the respect of pure tradition?
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