The Ritz Hotel in Madrid closes its doors

It was 1910 when the doors of the Ritz Hotel first opened to the public. At a time when Madrid lacked a hotel of sufficient standard to accommodate European royalty and other illustrious visitors.

Taking advantage of his marriage bond with Victoria Eugenia de Battenberg, King Alfonso XIII found the perfect excuse to equip the capital of his kingdom with the first luxury hotel. Today, after 108 operations, the Ritz Hotel closes its doors for a year and a half to be renovated and continue to provide for many more years the great service it has given to its customers to date.

History of the Ritz Hotel

PTo build the hotel in Madrid, the London hotel chain Ritz Development Company chose a site located in one of the most elegant areas of the capital, the Plaza de la Lealtad, where the Tivoli Theater and the Hippodrome Circus used to be.

The project was commissioned to Charles H. Mewes, who was based on the construction of a luxurious hotel in the style of the French and English Ritz. The design of the Ritz Hotel in Madrid has a clear Parisian influence from the early XNUMXth century.

Although King Alfonso XIII supported the construction of the building, some of the politicians of the time such as Francisco Largo Caballero showed his opposition, claiming that the height of the future building was not allowed by the urban planning laws stipulated for the area. However, the project succeeded.

The sumptuous building was built between 1908 and 1910 by the most famous national and foreign companies of the time. A garden was added to the enclosure, surrounded by a fence, which according to the journalist Pedro de Répide belonged to the City Council until it was transferred to the hotel.

The Royal Tapestry Factory with its beautiful rugs, The Goldsmiths with the silver cutlery, Limoges with the crockery, Lissarraga and Sobrinos made the furniture and Pereantón the mirrors contributed to the decoration of its rooms.

As a curiosity, during the Civil War, the Ritz Hotel was converted into a Blood Hospital and some of its employees performed hospital functions. It also hosted in 1991 some meetings parallel to the Middle East Peace Conference in Madrid. Also, in 1999 the Ritz Hotel was considered one of the ten best hotels on the planet.

Ritz Hotel Location

It is located in the 'Art Triangle', an area that has the best museums in the city: the Prado Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Reina Sofía Museum.

Reform

Since it opened its doors in 1910, the Ritz Hotel has provided its clients with a service characterized by excellence, comfort and glamor. Many anecdotes have occurred within its walls and over the years it has hosted politicians, aristocrats, celebrities and businessmen.

The extensive renovation to which it will undergo for a year and a half will improve its facilities while preserving its character and aesthetics typical of the Belle Époque. The Spanish architect Rafael de la Hoz will take care of its exterior appearance, while the interior and rooms will be done by French designers Gilles & Boissier, respecting its classic residential style but giving it a new and contemporary touch. As for the suites, there will be several rooms that will have unique designs inspired by Madrid, the hotel and Spanish culture.

The reform of the common spaces will focus on the restoration of the architectural elements inside the hotel and will incorporate valuable artistic pieces from the Ritz collection such as sculptures, frescoes, paintings or crystal chandeliers.

On the other hand, in the center of the hotel a glass cover will be reinstalled that will allow natural light to flood the room in the same way as it did when the hotel was inaugurated in 1910.

Regarding the main restaurant, it will be moved to its original space and will have access to the wonderful garden terrace of the Ritz that will provide an elegant and quiet environment for those who wish to have lunch or dinner in the open air.

Among the new facilities that the renovation will include are a full gym, an indoor pool and a spa. Services that will allow the client to relax during their stay in Madrid.

What will happen to the Ritz employees?

The nearly 200 employees that make up the staff of the Hotel Ritz will return to their jobs after the restoration works and in the meantime they will participate in various training programs or will be provided temporary assignments in other hotel establishments of the Mandarin Oriental group, who acquired it in 2015.

A year and a half of closure may seem like a long time, but the Ritz Hotel will return to the forefront with new services and many improvements.