The Ritz has always been a favourite stay for Hollywood Bohemians. In 1921, Charlie Chaplin required 40 police officers to get to the hotel through the live barrier of his fans. And in 1950, a famous actress Tallulah Bankhead was drinking champagne out of her shoe at a press conference here.

At the end of the 20 century the name of the Hotel was especially popular around the world, due to the filming of the legendary Notting Hill (1999) by Richard Curtis, when Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant spent many hours in the luxury Trafalgar Suite. And up to now, some visitors keep sending in a special request: "Please, we would like the suite where Julia Roberts was filmed”.

The members of the British Royal family have been holding official receptions at the halls of The Ritz more often than at their official residence, Buckingham Palace.

Since its opening, the Hotel on famous Piccadilly has not ceased delighting its guests with its majestic and unique style while not forgetting to change with the times. So in 2001, during the complete reconstruction all rooms were refurbished and the Interior was restored to gain its original appearance: antique Louis XVI-style furniture, gilding and magnificent carpets...

"What is it that allows us to maintain the brand of prestige for more than 100 years?" - Sal seems to be willing to answer this question again and again. In fact, you don’t even need to ask...

There are two attendants for one visitor here, but services are provided in a very decent way, they are extremely professional and unobtrusive. Ladies and gentlemen serve ladies and gentlemen - this phrase perfectly reflects the essence of the services. Here everyone has his own character – everybody, from butlers to waiters. The communication here has nothing to do with servility; it is more of a dialogue of equals, with an emphasis on the needs and wishes of the client, which will be executed with impeccable precision.

You can see tributes to traditions and nobility everywhere. So, at The Ritz, in order to enjoy gourmet meals in the Royal interiors of one of the most beautiful restaurants in the world, you need to look respectable: gentlemen are required to wear a suit and a tie. For those who have forgotten to observe the dress code, there are free rental jackets and neckties.

Attention is paid both to the appearance of guests and to the cooking facilities. Recently, The Ritz invested 1 million pounds into the renovation of the kitchen and equipment and it has become more technically advanced and environmentally friendly. Now it will be even easier for Chef John Williams MBE to maintain traditions, once introduced in The Ritz by famous chef Auguste Escoffier.

People play an enormous role in creating impeccable comfort and services.

"Our talented personnel mean everything to us," - says Sal and introduces me to the Hotel Head Concierge Michael De Cozar - a man who has spent at the reception 45 years! His father worked for the hotel in Room Service and his brother has been working by his side for 38 years. Michael is a real jewel of The Ritz, to watch him working is a real pleasure – a courteous and aristocratic professional wearing an impeccable uniform where every button glitters and shines, full of willingness to solve any problem of guests – you just can't stop admiring.

I just started working as a pageboy; it was my first Christmas at the hotel. It was very quiet.  And when at 10 o’clock in the morning a telephone call came, I picked up the receiver, not knowing who was calling – those days no phones were showing us names of our guests, - recalls Michael. - I answered the phone and heard Mr. Wellington’s voice. He came to the hotel not long ago. He asked me for a favour. And then a request followed which I will never forget. He asked me to come up to his room and take ... his canisters, which I had to fill up with seawater at Brighton and bring them back to his room.

Mr. Wellington wished to take his Christmas bath with seawater ... And I did arrange that.  And in a couple of hours our guest was having a bath. When my boss found out what I did, he praised me and told me that I was going to make a wonderful career of a Concierge.  And it did happen”.

Since then, Michael has had many interesting requests from hotel visitors. So, one day a client was eager to buy a traditional red London double-decker and he got what he wanted. Another customer was building a medieval castle in Australia, and he asked Michael to buy him a British Knight's armour, which he wanted to put onto his castle.

“We found him a suit of armour and sent it to Australia. I bought a first class seat for it on an airplane, because that was cheaper than to send such a huge parcel by post. It looked as if someone had died and was sent home in a sarcophagus. He put the armour on top of his Castle and wrote on it: "Bought in London by The Ritz Head Concierge, Michael De Cozar, in the year 2014”. Thus, I was immortalized” (Michael is laughing).

Michael said that the greatest pleasure for him is when the hotel guests are happy with the service. "You know when you've accidentally got two tickets for a performance, and then some guest will come up and say: ‘Michael, how have you managed it? How did you manage to get on the performance day such seats that right behind us there were the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and his wife sitting?’  They look at me as if I am a wizard or a magician...

My job is to remember the names and faces. When guests come to our reception, we give them their keys. In the Hotel, we still use conventional keys, instead of plastic cards. And I can say why. Because it makes the service personal, they come here and we get the possibility to have a word and to give a few tips. Sometimes our guests complain that they could not get a table at a good restaurant. And I say: ‘Wait a minute’, - and I call my friend Jessica...  And then they get a table! This is how it works. And if it were not for the keys, it just would not have happened”.

Michael notes that The Ritz becomes more and more popular over time. When he started working here, the afternoon tea was only once a day, now there are 5, and they are not enough.  Also, the security system has become more complex and reliable and Michael says it is one of the best systems in the world...

“Clients are becoming more demanding, but I like it. They have got planes and Caribbean houses, but they can't get a table at Gordon Ramsay or tickets to some show in London. But it's not their problem, it's our problem. They are paying thousands of pounds a night to get the services we provide. And we will be happy to do it. Our guests are special, and we allow them to feel it at most”.