The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company is one of the premier hotel management companies in the world today. Their goal of providing world-class service to its guests is rooted in tradition.
History
The Ritz-Carlton tradition begins in the early 1900s in Europe. Caesar Ritz a well-known hotelier transformed the Ritz Paris and the Carlton in London into the redefined standard of luxury hotels in the early 1900s. Caesar Ritz died in 1918 but his wife continued the expansion of hotels bearing his name (http://corporate.ritzcarlton.com/en/About/OurHistory.htm).
The first American Ritz-Carlton opened its doors May 19, 1927 as the Ritz-Carlton Boston. Edward N. Wyner a local Boston businessman had initially started developing an apartment complex when he decided to change directions and build the luxurious Ritz-Carlton Boston. Mr. Wyner knew of the reputation of the aforementioned European hotels and sought permission to use the Ritz Carlton name for his envisioned luxury hotel. The Ritz-Carlton Boston was considered a private club for the wealthy and was route and formality until the 1960s. Dress codes were enforced and women were not allowed to dine alone in The Café. Unescorted women were not allowed to enter The Ritz Bar until 1970. The dining cuisine was as superb as the hotel service (http://corporate.ritzcarlton.com/en/About/OurHistory.htm).
Although Mr. Wyner died in 1961, a land development company and Gerald W. Blakely a major shareholder owned and managed the hotel until 1983 when William B. Johnson purchased the rights to the Ritz-Carlton name. This was the start of the modern-day Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company (http://corporate.ritzcarlton.com/en/About/OurHistory.htm).From the humble beginning of the Ritz-Carlton Boston to 1994 when the Ritz-Carlton operated 25 hotels in the United States and abroad, the Ritz-Carlton declared its position in the luxury hotel market. Flash forward 20 years present-day, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company