Chronicle No. 2 · People

César Ritz — The Man Who Invented Luxury Hospitality

He began as a waiter and became the "King of Hoteliers and Hotelier to Kings."

César Ritz began as a waiter and eventually became known as the "King of Hoteliers and Hotelier to Kings."

His innovations included:

• Private bathrooms in luxury rooms.
• Electric lighting when many buildings still used candles.
• Fresh flowers throughout the hotel.
• Personalized service for every guest.

Every detail — from the lighting to the flowers — was chosen to make each guest feel like royalty. Standards we now take for granted in every fine hotel began as his radical ideas.

“The customer is never wrong.”

Lesson: His philosophy laid the foundation for today's luxury hotel standards.