The Group: The chain has 71 properties located across the globe. The history of Ritz Carlton begins with the celebrated hotelier Cesar Ritz, the "king of hoteliers and hotelier to kings." His philosophy of service and innovations redefined the luxury hotel experience in Europe through his management of The Ritz Paris and The Carlton in London. The naming rights were bought by William B Johnston in 1980; he assembled a four person team to create what we know today as the Ritz Carlton. The Ritz Carlton Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Marriott Hotels International.

The first Ritz Carlton in Boston redefined hospitality in America when it opened in 1927 through creating a luxury hotel setting which included the following features: private bath in each guest room, A La Carte dining, intimate, small lobbies for a personalized experience for guests. The hotel was had a reputation for pleasing its elite guests and often went above and beyond. The Ritz Carlton was very exclusive and only frequented by Boston's elite. The hotel has maintained its own upholstery ever since, its own craftsman constantly maintain the gold paint on the furniture.

The Ritz Carlton hotel group expanded from America and Europe into Asia in the early 1990's. It began to design hotels and resorts that reflected their surrounding location and culture. For example, The Ritz Carlton Bali Resort and Spa's luxury villas have thatched roofs; outside dining and allow guests to experience the natural surrounding beauty.

The List:  70 hotels located worldwide in 24 countries. These countries are: Bahrain, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, U.S. Virgin Islands and the United States.

New Hotels:  North America: Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage, The Ritz Carlton Paradise Valley, The Ritz Carlton Toronto, The Ritz Carlton Los Angeles.

Caribbean and Latin America: Ritz Carlton Cap Cana, Molasses Reef A Ritz Carlton Reserve

Asia Pacific: The Ritz Carlton Shanghai Pudong, The Ritz Carlton Macao , Studio City, The Ritz Carlton Hong Kong, The Ritz Carlton Bangalore

The Middle East: The Ritz Carlton Dubai International Financial Centre, The Nile Ritz Carlton Cairo, The Ritz Carlton Abu Dhabi.

Amy Schmahmann 3/4/10