InfoBritain

 

The Ritz, London

In the nineteenth century provision of food, drink and rest, previously the sole province of inns, was divided between establishments that became known as restaurants, pubs and hotels. Hotels as we think of them today began in the Napoleonic wars, providing accommodation for officers on leave. They were generally run by French refugees. From these rather humble beginnings hotels became more extravagant. Continental Europe was ahead of Britain in the provision of hotels, with fine hotels established in Paris, Lucerne and Monaco. Cesar Ritz, a Swiss hotelier, worked in the best of these, before opening his own hotel, the Paris Ritz, in 1898. In 1906 the Ritz Hotel London, opened in Piccadilly, fittingly on the former site of the Old White Horse Cellar, one of London's most famous coaching inns.

Hotels are a reflection of the industrial society in which they grew up. Generally speaking coaching inns tended to offer a fairly uniform standard of accommodation. The industrial age depended on aspiration, and in many industries a system developed where designers created gradations of product. There was a ladder of quality, with people encouraged to strive towards moving up the ladder. This happened early in the hotel business, where people could translate their social aspirations into better rooms. Cesar Ritz knew how to appeal to wealthy customers, making his hotels "ritzy", with plenty of decoration and expensive service to show off his clients' money. He aspired to create hotels at the top of the ladder, and was patronised by King Edward VII, who called Ritz "hotelier to kings and king of hoteliers."

The London Ritz was very successful and of course many rich and famous people have stayed there. During World War Two the small dining room known as the Marie Antoinette Suite was used for meetings between Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower. And yet even today in the world of aspiration personified by the Ritz, there are echoes of those humble hotel beginnings: the military origins of hotels remain in the structure and organisation of their kitchens, where the staff are still known as "brigades". The decorative themes in Ritz hotels were and are French, an interesting echo of the very earliest hotels, run by the French refugees of the Napoleonic wars.

For most people the Ritz can be experienced by taking afternoon tea in the Palm Court. This to me is the most attractive of the public rooms. There are five sittings everyday, at 11.30am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm, 5.30pm, and 7.30pm. In the original English afternoon tea ceremony tea would always be served at 5pm, so for a particularly authentic experience go for the 5.30pm sitting.

The Ritz is a formal environment, and there is a dress code for public areas. A jacket and tie are requested for the gentlemen. No jeans or training shoes are permitted. Booking for afternoon tea is essential. There is usually a six week wait for a table.

 

Address: The Ritz, 150 Piccadilly, London W1J 9BR

Directions: The Ritz is at 150 Piccadilly, London. Click here for an interactive map centred on the Ritz.

Contact:

telephone: 020 7300 2345

fax: 020 7493 2687

e-mail: tea@theritzlondon.com

web site: www.theritzlondon.com/tea

 Share