Paris Ritz To Build ‘Discreet’ Exit

PARIS The Ritz Hotel here is seeking a new, more discreet exit for famous guests in order to avoid a repeat of the car chase that ended in the death of Princess Diana in 1997. The hotels owner, London-based Mohamed al-Fayed, is the father of Dodi, Diana s companion who also died in the crash along with driver Henri Paul. Al-Fayed has asked an architect firm to study the possibility of a lift between the hotels lobby and a public, underground parking lot just outside. The Ritz has only two above-ground exits, a main one on the exclusive Place Vendome and a back entrance on the smaller Rue Cambon. It is difficult for guests to go unnoticed from either exit. The hotel does not have its own underground parking lot, but there is a public lot underneath the Place Vendome. A lift leading down to it from inside the Ritz could shield personalities from outside view, but it s not a guarantee. (12/28/00) Source: Reuters