In recent times, I’ve been writing a series about some of the world’s luxury hotel groups, both big and small. This includes everything from Airelles to Four Seasons.
In this post, I’d like to talk broadly about Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts. Okay, just about everyone knows what Ritz-Carlton is, as it’s one of the world’s most well known luxury hotel brands. That being said, is it really all it’s cracked up to be, and how will it evolve over time? Let’s start with a bit of background, and then I’ll share my take…
In this post:
The history of what ultimately became Ritz-Carlton goes back over 125 years, to the late 1800s. The brand began with Swiss hotelier César Ritz, known in the industry as the “king of hoteliers and hotelier to kings.” He’s the person behind The Ritz Paris and The Carlton London (the former has no association with modern day Ritz-Carlton, and the latter is no longer open).

The specific Ritz-Carlton brand was first used in the early 1900s, when Ritz-Carlton restaurants were opened onboard ships, though that only lasted for a year, until World War I broke out. Ritz also died in 1918, though his wife continued the tradition of opening hotels named after him.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on One Mile at a Time.


