European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 11, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                On the Ritz famous parisian hotel has storied history by Suzy Patterson the associated press in the bar of the Ritz hotel in Paris of i Scott Fitzgerald once offered an Orchid Corsage to a pretty stranger and when she refused it ate the petals one by one. Marcel Proust brooded in his own Corner of the restaurant watching the world go by. Coco Chanel lived and died there. Ernest Hemingway Quot liberated Quot the bar in 1944 and downed a Martini or two while Allied troops rolled into Paris. Did the Duke and Duchess of Windsor drop in from time to time but of course. So did the Czar of All a a the russian when there was one. The Ritz May not be the oldest hotel in Paris but it is certainly the richest in Glamour legend and Aura. It was founded by Cesar Ritz a Swiss Hotelier who died 75 years ago on oct. 26,1918. His name has entered the lexicon As a synonym for the High life. Quot we commemorated quietly Quot said Claude Roulet assistant to the president and the hotels unofficial historian. The restaurant offered a few dishes in turn of the Century style. Cesar Ritz born in a Swiss Village in 1850 to a Middle class family had a rough beginning in the Trade. His first employer said he had t the flair to be a Good Hotelier. But he persisted working in Paris Vienna Monte Carlo and Cannes storing up ideas. He finally made it to the top in the 1890s, As manager of the Savoy in a London then found the Money and a site on the place vendome for his dream hotel. Ritz and his wife Marie Louise strove to make their establishment a Paragon of technology As Well As service. It was the first in Europe to be completely lighted by electricity. It also was the first to equip every room with a Bath. That incensed Oscar Wilde who preferred his hot water wheeled in according to custom. A the great and grand generally admired the Ritz and remained faithful however Boni de Castellane a French _. A multimillionaire fired his chef after a delicious first dinner at the Ritz. After Cesar died it 1918, Marie Louise carried on until her own death in 1961. The Ritz s clients and bar flies propagated its Fame. Fitzgerald s ultimate accolade was the title of his Novella a Diamond As Bigas the Ritz. Chanel the Couturier moved in after the crash of 1929 and. Carried on there with a German general during the world War ii occupation. Hemingway stayed at the Ritz several times after the War discovering in the course of one sojourn that his current wife wanted a divorce. Quot he took her picture threw it in the toilet and shot it with a pistol he had on him Quot Roulet said. Since it was bought in 1979 by Mohamed Al Fayed an egyptian financier who also owns the harrods department store in London the hotel has been restored to Belle Poque grandeur at a Cost of $150 million. Security has been tightened since five men rushed into the lobby at Dawn in 1991, smashed some jewel cases with baseball bats and escaped in a red Ferrari. \ there Are several ritzes in the world but Only one descended from Cesar Ritz and his tradition of doing just about anything to please one guest was provided with a grand piano at Midnight. The sheets were changed twice daily for three employees per guest is the Ritz minimum for coddling the Rich famous and eccentric. At rates ranging from $500 a night for the lowliest room to $8,000 for the grandest suite few other types come by. Imagination runs wild at Las vegas resorts by the new York times motifs from ancient Egypt Robert Louis Stevenson and Hollywood Are the inspiration for three new Las vegas resorts All of which offer visitors considerably More than a comfortable room and a weekend of gambling. Luxor Las vegas which opened on oct. 15, is a 30-Story Pyramid encased in Glass. The hotel s egyptian theme is reflected in the decor of its 2,526 rooms and 100,000 Square foot Casino. Guests travel by boat along the River Nile from the registration desk to the elevators which climb the Pyramid at a 39-degree Angle. Other features include an obelisk that projects a laser Light show in the Pyramid s Central atrium seven themed restaurants and an entertainment Complex offering High tech interactive Quot adventures Quot into the past present and future. Double rooms at the Luxor 3900 Las vegas blvd. South Are $59 to $99. Reservations 1 -800-288-1000. A Rolls Royce drives pass the landmark hotel the Ritz. A venerable resident with Blue dyed hair who slathered her skin with Cream. Three employees per guest is the Ritz minimum for coddling the Rich famous and eccentric. At rates ranging from $500 a night for the lowliest room to $8,000 for the grandest suite few other types come by. ,. Institutions do change including the Ritz and some old customers grumble about crowds of bodyguards and fans when a guest such As Madonna arrives. But the staff s vigilance does not change. When a team of hotel employees rushed into the Garden recently it was not to fix the Power or the plumbing. Some american guests had seen a baby Sparrow fall from its nest and called for help. Treasure Island which opened on oct. 26, is modelled after Robert Louis Stevenson s classic tale. The Centrepiece is Buccaneer Bay a theme Park designed to look like an 18th-Century port. Every hour stuntmen dressed As pirates and British sailors engage in Battle on two 90-foot frigates. In addition to its 2,900 rooms nine restaurants and Casino the hotel has a 1,500-seat theater where the Canadian Cirque Dusoleil performs nightly. Double rooms at treasure Island 3300 Las vegas blvd. South Range from $45 to $189. Reservations 1-800-944-7444. The 5,005-room Mem Crand hotel Casino and theme Park which is scheduled to open on dec. 18, Bills itself As the Quot largest hotel and Casino in the  an 88-foot reproduction of the Mem lion serves As the Gateway of the Complex which includes a Casino that is the size of four football Fields. Double rooms at the Mem Crand 3799 Las vegas blvd. South Are $49 to $159 a night reservations 1-800-929-1111. Best personalized books the Best Christmas present you can give a features child s name on every Page a superbly illustrated a creatively written a bold easy to read Type a washable hard covers a unique family Keepsake a enhances your child s self esteem and sense of identity Best personalized books Combine imagination and education Check with your Luh stars and stripes sub bookstores Sopea magi in november 11, 1993