HISTORY
When The Ritz first opened its doors on 25th May 1906, it was considered one of the greatest hotels in the world. Conceived by the famous hotelier César Ritz with the aim of becoming the ultimate destination for guests looking to stay at the most luxurious hotel in the land, no expense was spared on its opulent interiors and lavish furnishings.
THE RITZ OPENS
Quickly gaining a reputation as London’s most prestigious hotel, it attracted a host of both famous and fashionable guests.
During its early years, the hotel enjoyed the patronage of The Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) who was a loyal client of César Ritz and is reputed to have said: “Where Ritz goes, I go”.
Other iconic figures include Anna Pavlova, the Russian Prima Ballerina who danced at The Ritz in 1912, the Aga Khan and Paul Getty had suites, and Winston Churchill, Dwight Eisenhower and Charles de Gaulle met in The Marie Antoinette Suite to discuss operations during the Second World War.
Lady Diana Cooper, who lived in Arlington Street, recalled that The Ritz was the first hotel, which allowed young unmarried women to go unchaperoned.
The Ritz also became the hotel of choice for Hollywood stars. Charlie Chaplin required 40 officers to escort him through his fans into the hotel in 1921.
English playwright Nöel Coward wrote songs at The Ritz including ‘Children of The Ritz’ and Tallulah Bankhead sipped Champagne from her slipper during a press conference in the 1950s.
Jackie Onassis described The Ritz as being “like paradise”.
Prime Ministers Sir Edward Heath and Harold Macmillan dined at The Ritz.
In 1999, Richard Curtis’s romantic comedy ‘Notting Hill’, starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, featured several scenes shot at The Ritz. These included the amusing scene in which Roberts’s character, film-star Anna Scott, is holding a press conference in the hotel’s Trafalgar Suite, and bookshop owner William Thacker, played by Grant, passes himself off as a reporter from Horse and Hound magazine. Head Hall Porter at The Ritz, Michael deCozar, is featured in the concierge desk scene and recalls the filming taking place over night between midnight and 6.00am and being interrupted on one occasion by a telephone call which came through to the concierge desk from a guest’s relative in Australia!
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother regularly dined at The Ritz and her favourite song to be played on the piano was ‘A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square’.
In 1999, HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall attended the 50th birthday of Annabel Elliot at The Ritz and was the first time they were pictured together in public leaving the hotel.
In January 2002, The Ritz received a Royal Warrant for Banqueting and Catering Services. Awarded by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, The Ritz London is the first, and only hotel to have been honoured with this prestigious award.
On 14 November 2002, Her Majesty The Queen, hosted a party on HRH The Prince of Wales’s 54th birthday in The Ritz Restaurant as a ‘thank you’ to her close family and friends for the success of her Jubilee year.
Sir Roger Moore stayed at The Ritz when he was knighted in 2003.
In 2005, The Ritz bought William Kent House, a spectacular historic mansion designed in the 1740s that adjoins the hotel.
In November of the following year, it was opened to Ritz guests following an extensive refurbishment project that restored the exquisite collection of lavishly decorated private dining rooms and suites to their original Renaissance-style decor. Today, this stunning 18th-century house, designed by famous architect William Kent, is an integral part of The Ritz, providing guests with many magnificent rooms to enjoy.
Her Majesty The Queen held her 80th birthday celebrations in 2006 at The Ritz, which took place throughout the hotel’s ground floor and The Ritz Club. This was the first official event in William Kent House since it was fully refurbished and opened as part of The Ritz.
In August 2015, key scenes for the final episode of the acclaimed television drama Downton Abbey were filmed in The Ritz Restaurant with Lady Edith and Lady Rosamund Painswick, broadcast on Christmas Day 2015. Filming took place overnight and was the final scene filmed with the cast and crew, who all dressed in 1920s costumes to mark the occasion (and Lady Mary was a camera operator for the night!).
In October 2016, The Ritz Restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2017. Commenting on the announcement, John Williams MBE, Executive Chef said: “It is the greatest honour to have been awarded a Michelin star today. This star is testament to the entire team’s dedication to delivering excellence to every guest dining in The Ritz Restaurant daily. I am extremely proud to receive this recognition for the first time as part of the culinary history of this great hotel”. The Ritz Restaurant has continued to maintain its Michelin Star.
In January 2002, The Ritz London was granted a Royal Warrant for Banqueting and Catering Services by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, making us the first and only hotel to receive this prestigious award. 22 years later in May 2024, we are delighted to announce that a Royal Warrant has been granted To The Ritz London by His Majesty King Charles III. This recognition is a great honour for us and acknowledges the continued services we provide to the Royal Household.