Each time a Lion’s Tail Agave blooms at The Ritz-Carlton, we are reminded of the tale of a true lion, César Ritz, famously known as the “King of Hoteliers and Hotelier of Kings”.

Founder of the Hôtel Ritz in Paris and The Carlton in London, Ritz is credited with the design of the original world famous Ritz-Carlton lion.

Agave attenuata, native to central Mexico, is extremely rare in the wild, and each will only flower once in its lifetime. If you are lucky enough to pass a Lion’s Tail Agave in full bloom, with its noble arching raceme of flowers, it is said you must close your eyes, think of your greatest ambition, and ask the King of Hoteliers for good fortune!

Watch this fascinating documentary to learn how a peasant boy from the Swiss mountains becomes the “Emperor of the most famous hotel in the world.”