César Ritz

César Ritz (23 February, 1850-26 October, 1918) was a famous Swiss hotelier and founder of several hotels, most famously The Ritz Hotel. His nickname was "king of hoteliers, and hotelier to kings," and it is from his name and that of his hotels that the term ritzy derives.

Ritz worked as the first manager of the Savoy Hotel before he opened the Hôtel Ritz in Paris, France in 1898. He went on to open The Ritz Hotel in in London, United Kingdom and the Hotel Ritz Madrid in Madrid, Spain.

Ritz was born in Niederwald, Switzerland, and died in Küssnacht, near Lucerne, Switzerland.