Who Owns The Ritz London?

The Ritz London was conceived by Swiss hotelier César Ritz, who had previously managed the Savoy Hotel in London and opened the Hôtel Ritz Paris in 1898. Ritz identified a prime site on Piccadilly in London's West End and secured financial backing to develop a luxury hotel that would surpass the existing competition in service and elegance.

Construction began in 1904 after the simultaneous purchase of the leasehold for the Walsingham House Hotel and the adjacent freehold estate of the Bath Hotel for £250,000 in 1902. Both existing buildings were demolished to make way for the new hotel. The architects were Charles Mewès, who had previously designed the Hôtel Ritz Paris, and Arthur Davis, with engineering by Swedish engineer Sven Bylander. The building was one of the earliest substantial steel-frame structures in London, constructed in the neoclassical Louis XVI style to resemble a stylish Parisian block of flats, with arcades consciously evoking the Rue de Rivoli.

César Ritz opened the hotel on 25 May 1906. The opening dinner was attended by representatives of major British and international newspapers, reflecting Ritz's understanding of the importance of press coverage for establishing the hotel's reputation. In its early years, the hotel was not immediately fashionable among the London elite, who initially considered it somewhat vulgar, and it was not immensely profitable in its first decade.

The hotel's fortunes improved significantly through the 1910s and 1920s as it became a gathering place for high society, royalty, and celebrities. The Palm Court became famous for afternoon tea, a tradition that has continued to the present day. The hotel hosted numerous notable guests throughout the 20th century, including members of the British royal family, heads of state, and cultural figures.

During World War II, the Ritz served as a meeting point for wartime figures and remained open throughout the conflict, maintaining its role as a social hub in London despite the difficulties of the period.

In the post-war decades, the hotel's standards declined as London's social landscape changed. By the 1970s, the hotel was in a turbulent period, with occupancy rates falling to approximately 45 percent and the Ritz Grill Room closed. The Bracewell-Smith family, who had owned the hotel, sold their stake to Trafalgar House on 5 April 1976 for £2.75 million.

In October 1995, David and Frederick Barclay of The Ellerman Group of Companies purchased the hotel from Trafalgar House for £80 million. The Barclay brothers undertook an eight-year, £40 million restoration program that returned the hotel to its former grandeur. Under their ownership, the Ritz received the Royal Warrant from the Prince of Wales for banqueting and catering services in 2002, the first hotel to receive this distinction.

In March 2020, the hotel was sold to Abdulhadi Mana Al-Hajri, completing the transition to its current Qatari private ownership. The sale price was not publicly disclosed. Under Al-Hajri's ownership, the hotel announced the £300 million renovation and expansion program in 2022, representing a significant long-term investment in the property's future.