Cesar Ritz, born in the Swiss village of Niederwald on 23 February 1850 - the son of a humble goat farmer in Niederwald - a tiny village hidden away in the Swiss Alps. He began his hotel career at the age of 15 in Paris, just before the Prussians laid siege to the city. He learnt his trade in the French capital, finding a job at the finest restaurant in town and later as the maître d’ of a hotel just off the Champs-Elysées. He then worked in resorts throughout Europe and managed luxurious hotels like the Grand National in Lucerne and the Grand in Monte Carlo. He opened his own properties, including the Hotel Minerva in Baden-Baden and the Hotel de Provence in Cannes.