The first Ritz-Carlton in America — The Ritz-Carlton, Boston — opened in 1927, playing host to jazz great Cole Porter, playwright Tennessee Williams, Winston Churchill and the like in its early Gilded Age days. Bolstered by the reputation of its European big sisters — The Ritz Paris and The Carlton in London, both managed by hotel legend Cesar Ritz — the hotel helped Americans first experience the meaning of luxury and style in travel and dining, and then came to define it. 

The Ritz-Carlton, Boston, which was operated by Edward Wyner, revolutionized hospitality and set the golden standard: private baths in each guest room, formal uniforms for the staff, fresh flowers, à la carte menus, a focus on innovative dining, intimate lobbies and more. The hotel was committed to customer service on an unprecedented level. Whole rooms would be redecorated to suit a famous guest’s taste. The hotel employed a craftsman in-house whose sole job was to paint the gold stripes on the hotel’s furniture. The upholstery in Churchill’s guestroom was upgraded to red linen in advance of his arrival — the Prime Minister’s favorite color.

This attention to detail and dedication to service became the brand’s signature, and remain at the core of every crisp fold, exceptional meal and curated guest experience at a modern Ritz-Carlton hotel or resort.  

A NEW ERA

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC, formed in 1983, signaling a new era of expansion for the iconic lion and crown across the United States. The company footprint tripled in two years to include The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead; The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta; The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel; and The Ritz-Carlton, Naples. 

By 1992, that number had grown to 23 properties. Meanwhile the brand maintained its commitment to reaching new heights in quality and service, earning its first Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The following year, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, became the brand’s first property in Asia.

Today, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company sets itself apart as a global leader in luxury and service-oriented hospitality in the world’s most desirable destinations as part of Marriott International, with more than 100 hotels and resorts — and more on the way. Meanwhile, innovation continues:

• In 2000, The Ritz-Carlton Residences opened their first property in Washington, D.C., followed by their first Destination Club property, Aspen Highlands, Colorado, in 2001.
• In 2008 the company opened the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve property, offering a private sanctuary experience in Phulay Bay, Krabi, Thailand.
• In 2022, Evrima, the first yacht in The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, set sail for the first time.