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History 1909 : On Christmas Eve, 1909, the six founders formed The Carlton Hotel Company of Montreal Limited. It would be administered for businessmen by businessmen. But strangely, it would never be required to make huge profits. “The mere accumulation of wealth cannot bring enjoyment to any properly constituted mind. But there is satisfaction in using wealth for the promotion of things that add permanently to the world’s progress.”
– Charles Homer, Ritz-Carlton Hotel Founder 1910 : The New York architectural firm of Warren & Wetmore designed the hotel. Its other achievements include Grand Central Station, as well as the Biltmore, Vanderbilt and Ritz hotels in New York City. A neoclassical building in the palazzo style, the hotel was inspired by the architecture of brothers Robert and James Adam. 1911 : Swiss hotelier César Ritz, a friend of one of the founders, gave the hotel permission to use his name on certain conditions: there had to be a private bathroom in every room, a kitchen on every floor, a 24-hour valet service, a resourceful concierge, and a sweeping staircase where guests could make a spectacular entrance. 1912 : Since its grand opening on New Year’s Eve, 1912, with original construction costs of $3 million, The Ritz-Carlton, Montreal has offered respite, warmth and wonder to stars, royalty and very important people hailing from the four corners of the world, while time and again being called upon to document and celebrate history. 1913 : Montreal’s only luxury hotel founded between 1880 and 1940 that is still in operation, The Ritz-Carlton attests to the economic power of the city’s elite of this era, which was concentrated in the Golden Square Mile. 1919 : Since Edward, Prince of Wales began staying in the Vice-Royal Suite in 1919, royalty has regularly frequented the hotel, including Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and the Queen Mother in 1988. 1940 : The Ritz-Carlton, Montreal played host to charity balls that quickly became social institutions, like Le Bal des Petits Souliers, a ball that raised money to buy shoes for underprivileged children, and Holt Renfrew’s twice-yearly fashion shows, which drew crowds of up to 400. 1956 : A 10-storey lateral wing was added in 1956, in the same style as the original building. It is today known as the Annex. “The fifties at The Ritz-Carlton were lovely – full of life and constant movement. There was always so much going on.”
– Yvonne Contat, the Parisian wife of General Manager Jean Contat 1960 : The beloved ducklings in the Ritz Garden pond were treated as royally as guests. In cooler weather, the birds’ nightcap was cognac-laced milk or Napoleon brandy – neat! Their morning meal came from the previous night’s leftovers, which always included the best croissants, muffins, sweet rolls, Danish pastries and vegetables dressed in champagne sauce, before they were returned to their freshly cleaned pond. 1964 : At 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 5, 1964, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were married in the Royal Suite, after giving the room service waiter, Peter Ryles, only two hours’ notice! Other leading figures of the 20th century who have stayed at The Ritz-Carlton include Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, Richard Nixon, Golda Meir, the Shah of Iran, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, George Bush Sr., Charles Aznavour, Harry Belafonte, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Celine Dion, Douglas Fairbanks, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Bill Cosby and Catherine Deneuve. 1970 : “The key to running a good hotel can be found in three things – service, service and service. And it must never cease to be exquisite... and you must always see that morale is high, because the attitude of the staff makes all the difference in the world.”
– Fernand Roberge, the first French-Canadian General Manager at The Ritz-Carlton, Montreal, and, at age 36, the youngest ever. (Currently President of the Advisory Committee at The Ritz-Carlton, Montreal.) 1972 : “To be a Ritzman means you have to anticipate and be prepared to do a little, sometimes a lot, more than other places will do.”
– Denis Laganière, Ritz-Carlton Concierge “This conservative, small hotel on Montreal’s Sherbrooke Street is as ritzy as its surroundings... and its concierge department is one of the best and most efficient in all the world.”
– Denver Post 1980 : The hotel’s first computer was used to store guests’ needs and keep them at the touch of a button. Information stored included their preferred rooms and suites, room service expectations, their favourite meals and restaurants and how they liked their food prepared. 1987 : “If we can’t find a moment to do something special for someone else, after all, our life will never be worth living.”
– Sophia Mascoutis, Ritz-Carlton Housekeeper, who had a complete set of cooking pots delivered to Sophia Loren’s suite, so the actress could cook homemade pasta for her husband and teenage son in between filming on the set of Angela. 2010 : After a transformation that repositions the original Ritz-Carlton hotel among the world’s leading hotels, our Grande Dame of Sherbrooke Street reopens her doors to the public, and to the first generation of Ritz-Carlton homeowners. The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Montreal are not owned, developed, sold or operated by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. Golden Square Mile Holding Inc. uses The Ritz-Carlton marks under a licence from The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. Artist’s conceptual illustration. Developer reserves the right to make modifications.