THE STORY BEHIND THE BRAND

Practically Valedictorian for the School of Hard Knocks, César Ritz never let a single stumbling block stop him from creating one of the most globally celebrated stays in luxury in all of the world. One could say that growing up in a poverty-stricken household alongside your 12 siblings might make you a little bit of a pessimist, but it seemed to do the opposite for young César. Even when he was fired from his job at 15 years old and told he would never make it in the hospitality industry, he pulled up his bootstraps and sought out to create a singular brand rooted in warmth, generosity and the ultimate convergence of all things indulgent. Enter: The Ritz Paris. 

Independent of the Ritz Carlton brand smattered across big cities du jour, this Place Vendome palace retains all the charm and conviviality of Hemingway's Paris. We have César to thank for many of the modern conveniences expected in all hotels these days. Think: telephones, bathtubs and electricity in every room. In addition to these once-upon-a-time luxuries, he peppered each room with special touches like maid + valet cords, golden keys as light switches and peach-colored bath linens ("to enhance the complexion," bien sûr). 

César Ritz may not have grown up attending dinner parties studded with A-listers and aristocrats, but he certainly knows what can make a person feel like royalty. It's only fitting that the Ritz has gained a sparkling reputation from its long-term romance with luminaries like the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Coco Chanel, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Marcel Proust, Charlie Chaplin and of course, dear Ernest. It even courted Audrey Hepburn, appearing in films from Funny Face to Love in the Afternoon to How to Steal a Million.

And then there's the bar. Much ado has been made about this bar that Ernest Hemingway himself liberated from the Nazis at the end of WWII. Legend has it that he spared not a second before downing 51 cocktails in a row - a snippet of history we're quite happy to suspend belief for. Now called Bar Hemingway in his honor, it's cozy and study-like in ambiance, featuring memorabilia collected by cocktail barman Colin Field. There are original Ritz letterhead notes from Hemingway to his wife, framed LIFE magazine portraits, rifles, passports and so many more curiosities.

Come 1970, the hotel was sold to Mohamed al-Fayed for $30m. If his name sounds familiar, it might be because you recognize him as the owner of Harrods at the time, but it's much more likely that you're thinking of his connection to Dodi al-Fayed (his son and Princess Diana's last boyfriend). The ill-fated duo shared their last meal at the Ritz Paris, in the Imperial Suite, in fact. 

Through the years, the Ritz Paris has undergone a number of top-to-bottom refurbishments... the last of which happened in 2016, when it closed its doors for 3 years to let acclaimed architect + designer Thierry Despont work his magic. $450 million later, the Ritz is as stunning as ever. Textbook opulence without the stuffiness. Truly, their service standard is the one to beat! 

Photos courtesy of Ritz Paris