Ritz Hotel, Madrid

Hotel Ritz

Principal entrance on the Plaza de la Lealtad

The Hotel Ritz by Belmond is a five star luxury hotel located in Madrid, Spain at No. 5 in the Plaza de la Lealtad, Retiro district, next to the Prado Museum and opposite the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. It celebrated its 100-year anniversary in October 2010 and was renovated in 2013.^[1] It was built by King Alfonso XIII in 1910 to model a royalty hotel.^[2] It belongs to the Belmond hotel chain, and is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.

History

The hotel was built at the behest of King Alfonso XIII who, returning from a tour of Europe, realized that the Spanish Court lacked a hotel with enough pomp for European royalty and other illustrious visitors. His idea was for Madrid to have such a hotel to equal the likes of The Ritz London Hotel and Hôtel Ritz Paris. His own marriage to Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg was another excuse to give Madrid a luxury hotel, the first in the Spanish capital. The king himself contributed part of the capital, along with other members of Madrid society, and he instructed the Ritz Development Company that it would be designed and built under the personal supervision of César Ritz.^[3] Although Ritz initially intended to be involved in the project, he was unable to do so because of depression. Although there was an expressed desire of Alfonso XIII supporting the hotel's construction, some of the politicians of the time showed strong opposition to the project, alleging that the projected height of the building was not permitted by zoning laws for this area. Eventually, however, the project was able to proceed.

The chosen site was once an area occupied by barracks belonging to the Hippodrome Circus and the gardens of the old Theatre Tivoli, and was formerly owned by Jardines del Buen Retiro de Madrid.^[4] The hotel's grand opening on 2 October 1910 was officiated by King Alfonso XIII in the company of ministers and representatives of the mayor of Madrid.^[5] The hotel quickly became one of the leaders of the social and cultural life of the capital. The first board was chaired by Luis de Cuadra y Raúl Marquis de Guadalmina. The first hotel manager was Antonio Mella, who had previously managed the Ritz Hotel in Paris and London. His wife helped him in hotel management taking over guest services and laundry rooms.

Architecture and fittings

The building was designed in 1908 by French architect Charles Mewès and built in the period 1908-10 under the direction of Luis de Landecho. This was one of the first buildings in Madrid that used reinforced concrete in its construction, which was completed on 14 May 1910. Notable Spanish and foreign companies were hired to decorate the rooms. The carpets were woven in the Royal Tapestry Factory, linens was commissioned to Irish firms, the furniture was commissioned to Lissarraga y Sobrinos, and mirrors were by Pereantón. The china was by Limoges and cutlery was imported from The Goldsmiths.

References

Bibliography

• Díaz, Lorenzo (1996). Jockey: historia de un restaurante. Tusquets Editores. ISBN 978-84-8310-507-8. 
• Fernández, María Ángeles (2003). Hotel Ritz, Madrid: 90 Years of History. Grupo Stanfer de Comunicación. 
• Serrano, Felipe (1 February 2010). Hotel Ritz: Un siglo en la historia de Madrid (in Spanish). Ediciones La Libreria. ISBN 978-84-9873-065-4. 

External links

• Media related to Ritz Hotel, Madrid at Wikimedia Commons

Coordinates: 40°24′56″N 3°41′34″W / 40.4156°N 3.6928°W / 40.4156; -3.6928