Did you know that the Ritz Paris is featured in over a hundred literary works? Discover all the secrets of this Parisian hotel

The Ritz Paris is everywhere. In the cinema in certain lines, in the theater for the unfolding of certain scenes, in the lyrics of certain music... Arnaud Leblin has made this observation. Installed for the interview in one of the salons at 15 Place Vendôme, the Director of Institutional Affairs and Heritage at the Parisian palace explains: "The Ritz Paris is thought to be the most cited hotel in Western literature. We haven't finished listing all these quotations, but we're already up to 150 novels and plays set at the Ritz or directly inspired by the Ritz. "

He also notes that the hotel has appeared in The Devil Wears Prada, a James Bond opus, in the Emilie in Paris series, but also where it's less expected. "In Amélie Nothomb's autobiographical novel Pétronille, for example. There's a passage in which her heroine drinks champagne from the Ritz," smiles the director. "And in a 1985 volume of the X-Men comic strip, one of the characters sleeps at the Ritz Paris."

In English, the term "Ritz" is synonymous with chic. It first appeared in the 1920s, and musicians used the word in their music, such as Fred Astaire and Ella Fitzgerald's "Puttin' on the Ritz", followed by Taco in 1982 and, more recently, rapper Eminem's "Ritz".

To understand the hotel's presence in culture, we need to look at the history of this landmark establishment.

Caesar Ritz, visionary of his time

The Ritz Paris is the fruit of a collaboration between César Ritz, his wife Marie-Louise and many other personalities, including Auguste Escoffier, who was in charge of the hotel's kitchen.

A former waiter, maître d'hôtel and hotel manager, César Ritz decided to open his own establishment in 1898. He raised the funds from customers who had appreciated his service, and bought the Hôtel particulier 15 place Vendôme in Paris.

He soon realized that to be successful, he would have to "create a buzz by getting people talking about the hotel", says Arnaud Leblin. As soon as he opened, he decided to invite influential personalities, "in the image of today's celebrity guests."

He identified the leading artists of the moment. To attract them, César Ritz imagined an innovative establishment. He scoured the world's fairs in search of the latest technologies. He picked up on Thomas Edison's electrical discoveries and decided to equip his establishment with them. The Ritz Paris was the first hotel with bedside lamps, running water on every floor, an elevator and a private bathroom in every room. "He wanted to create an event, and it's a success: people are curious!" relates Arnaud Leblin.

Writers inspired by the ambience

French writer Marcel Proust attended the inauguration. He appreciated the place for its prestige, freedom and inspiration. "He often sat in the corner of what is now the "Salon Marcel Proust". He'd watch people go by, listen to the discussions and then go home to write", explains Arnaud Leblin. In 1913, when asked by a journalist why he visited the establishment, he replied: "The Ritz is Paris, Paris is the Ritz".

In a nod to the writer, Ritz Paris pastry chef François Perret offers sweets from our childhood, such as madeleines, petits buturres, a revisited rice pudding and more.

Nobel Prize winners such as Mario Vargas Llosa and Ernest Hemingway have also found inspiration while staying at the Ritz Paris. And in 1990, Barbara Cartland, "the world's best-selling author after Agatha Christie, wrote a love story which she entitled Idylle au Ritz", explains Arnaud Leblin. Recently, Philippe Colin's Le barman du Ritz made the best-seller list. "The author did a lot of research and we worked with him."

Customer comfort

To ensure that their establishment appealed to the aristocracy and haute-bourgeoisie of the day, César and Marie-Louise Ritz aimed for perfection. In collaboration with Christofle, they designed bespoke silverware. "126 years later, the Ritz Paris still works with this great House." Specific cutlery for certain dishes, for example, is made. "A shovel to eat asparagus specifically, one for artichokes, etc." In the rooms, guests can turn all the lights on and off with a simple key, a technological gem.

A family atmosphere

When Marie-Louise and César Ritz bought the Hôtel particulier at 15 Place Vendôme, they wanted to create a place where the bourgeoisie could feel at home. The layout of the establishment was retained: a long corridor leading to different rooms on either side. "The reception is discreetly positioned to the side to give the impression that the guest is entering a house and not a hotel."

The Ritzes rented and then bought number 17 Place Vendôme and did the same with the building on Rue Cambon, behind the hotel, as well as the garden. The brand was also exported abroad, and six hotels were created in London, Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon and Budapest. But all have now been sold or destroyed.

Marie-Louise Ritz, the pioneer

On the death of her husband, Marie-Louise took over the reins of the Ritz Paris for 40 years. A first for a woman at the time. From 1900, she organized dinners on the hotel terrace where women could come alone to drink, smoke and chat. Marie-Louise Ritz also installed hairdressers in the rooms.

"For the construction of the grand staircase at the hotel entrance, each step height was calculated so that customers could climb up easily with their large dresses, unencumbered and presenting themselves with elegance."The Ritz wife also added a hook on the side of the seats for hanging handbags. A trailblazer, in 1913 she imagined a shopping arcade within the hotel itself, "the gallery of temptations". Today, tea, coffee and luxury clothes are on sale.

"As early as the 1920s, Vogue US magazine explained to its readers that to understand what French fashion was all about, you had to sit in the Ritz Paris and watch people go by," recounts the Heritage Director. Today, Anna Wintour often appears on social networks, leaving the Place Vendôme hotel. Numerous fashion shows are also organized, including some by Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Versace and others.

The Ritz Paris is a catalog of the different styles of the French eras. To decorate the establishment, Marie-Louise drew inspiration from visits to Versailles, the Élysée Palace and Fontainebleau. She blends different styles, with a major emphasis on the Louis XV style. "It's a lot of opulence, maximalism, plant motifs, blue and black with inspiration coming from the kings and queens of France," explains Arnaud Leblin.

She learns that as a child, Louis XV (1710-1774) would visit the Hôtel particulier at 15 place Vendôme. He would watch military parades from the window of what was then the reception room. Today, the "Imperial Suite" is available for reservation from 38,000 euros per night.