In this list there is no ranking order, it's simply a group of 10 legends.
1. Cesar Ritz
If there was ever a name that was synonymous with the very best of hotels it’s Ritz.
And the man responsible for this was hotelier Cesar Ritz.
Born in Niederwald, Switzerland, to a farming family, he began his career at Le Splendide, a hotel in Paris and was maître d'hôtel at Chez Voisin.
In 1878, he became the manager of the Grand Hôtel National in Lucerne and held the same position, in parallel, at the Grand Hôtel in Monaco until 1888.
Ritz’s strength was his ability to understand the needs and desires of wealthy customers and this led to him pioneering the foundations of what we would come to know as luxury hospitality.
In 1888, he opened a restaurant with Auguste Escoffier (thought of by many as the father of modern French cooking) in Baden-Baden, and the two were then invited to London by Richard D'Oyly Carte to become the first manager and chef of the Savoy Hotel.
Ritz is quoted as saying that he put together "a little army of hotel men for the conquest of London".
Under Ritz, The Savoy went from strength to strength and royalty, extremely rich clientele and the powerful could be seen frequenting the hotel and its supper rooms.
In 1898, he opened the celebrated Hôtel Ritz in the Place Vendôme, Paris, France. He went on to open The Ritz Hotel in London, United Kingdom in 1906, which became one of the most popular meeting places for the rich and famous.
The partnership lasted until Ritz had to retire in 1907 due to deteriorating health. Ritz died in Küssnacht, near Lucerne, Switzerland at the age of 68.
Many of the touches that Ritz introduced to his hotels are still standard practice in today’s modern luxury hotels. That is why he has secured his place in the Top 10 Legendary Hoteliers.
2. Conrad Hilton
Who hasn’t heard of Hilton? That’s right, nobody. And while some of today’s generation may first think of his blonde granddaughter, hoteliers conjure up the legend that was Conrad Hilton.
Hilton developed his entrepreneurial flair while working as a young boy in his father’s general store in New Mexico.
He purchased his very first hotel in 1919, a 40-room property called Mobley Hotel in Texas.
The purchase of the property was a matter of chance, as originally Hitlon planned to invest his money in a bank, but the plan fell through.
Luckily it paid off, as the hotel business boomed and he expanded his portfolio across the state.
His first high rise hotel was the Dallas Hilton which he opened in 1925 before expanding into New Mexico.
However, trouble loomed and when the Great Depression hit, Hilton was forced to sell some of his hotels to avoid bankruptcy.
Despite this he was retained as manager of the hotels and bought them back when the economic climate improved.
In 1946 he formed Hilton Hotels Corporation followed by Hilton International Company in 1948.
Fuelling American’s desire for travel and business on a global scale, Hilton became the first international hotel chain, a truly remarkable feat.
He passed away in January 1979 but his legacy is still thriving as the multitude of international lodging companies vie for opportunities in every corner of the world.
3. Bill Marriott Jr.
Now there was certainly an argument to be had as to whether to put his father in the Top 10 hotel Legends list.
However, despite J. Willard being the founder of Marriott and the hotel group’s mentor, it was his son ‘Bill’ who took the company and turned it into the hospitality giant it is today.
His leadership spans more than 50 years and he has taken Marriott from a family restaurant business to a global lodging company with more than 3,100 properties in 67 countries and territories.
Known throughout the industry for his tireless work ethic and his attention to detail, it was his decision to follow a franchise model that allowed the company to compete on the global stage.
His business innovations and ability to oversee a company that is consistently honoured as being a top company to work for firmly establishes his position on the list.
