The Ritz-Carlton, owned by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and a subsidiary of Marriott International, is one of the world's most prestigious luxury hotel brands, singular in its level of service, design, and amenities. The name originates from César Ritz, a Swiss hotelier who founded the venerable Ritz Paris and the now-shuttered Carlton Hotel in London in the late 1890s. In fact, his name is where the term "ritzy" was coined.