Chapter 236: Hotels

As the release of Schindler's List expanded, the reputation of the film continued to grow, and it attracted increasingly more attention.

Despite the continuous praise, the movie also faced criticism from some Jewish people who felt that the film overly glorified Oskar Schindler.

However, Arthur did not pay too much attention to Schindler's List. Long before filming, Arthur had already signed a formal compensation contract with Steven Spielberg.

At that time, no one believed the movie would make money, and Spielberg didn't want to profit from such a film either. They signed a donation agreement to establish a Holocaust foundation with a $3 million contribution in Spielberg's name.

Otherwise, under a standard contract, Spielberg's payment would be much higher, even though he would likely donate it to Jewish organizations.

But Arthur could not tolerate his money being given to these 'vampires'. The initial support for Spielberg's filming of Schindler's List had the donation conditions stipulated.

In an open-air cafe on Laguna Beach, Orange County, Arthur was reading the British financial newspaper The Financial Times about the sterling pound crisis that had put the Quantum Fund in the spotlight.

Particularly, the tabloid under their Galaxy subsidiary, The Daily Mirror, had unabashedly raked the Quantum Fund over the coals, depicting its leader, George Soros, as a greedy financier recklessly manipulating markets and disrupting foreign economies.

It also forecasted that the Quantum Fund would continue to launch attacks on the currencies of other countries next.

"Arthur, is this true?" Vivian asked as she flipped through the Fortune magazine, which also covered the sterling crisis.

Arthur nodded, "It's true," and casually set the newspaper aside, feeling a bit of buyer's remorse.

After all, he had enjoyed the gains from being George Soros' sidekick, but now his newspaper was slamming Soros - maybe it wasn't quite right?

Yet, when Arthur thought about the percentage he gained compared to what U.K. lost, he immediately felt better - it wasn't enough.

Then, Arthur smiled and pulled Vivian onto his lap, "How about the house in Vancouver? Did your assistant check it out?"

"Should be soon. I will stop by when I go to San Francisco," Vivian Chow had gone to New York for an event the past few days and then stayed in Los Angeles.

"By the way, when will you go to San Francisco?" Arthur asked.

"In two or three days, then I'll go to Vancouver before returning to Hong Kong for my new album promotion," she reminded.

"Let's go back to the hotel," Arthur said, standing up.

They stayed at the Ritz-Carlton hotel.

"The Ritz-Carlton in Hong Kong is also opening next year," Vivian casually mentioned upon their return to the hotel.

"Hong Kong is getting a Ritz-Carlton?" Arthur was stunned. "Ritz-Carlton is currently only in the United States. Hong Kong "

The Ritz-Carlton originated from the Hotel Ritz Paris and later entered the U.S. During the Great Depression, all Ritz-Carlton hotels closed except for the Ritz-Carlton, Boston.

In the '80s, William Johnson bought the Ritz-Carlton, Boston, and established the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, managing more than twenty Ritz-Carlton hotels in the U.S. through expansion.

"I remember there's also a Peninsula Hotel being renovated in Beverly Hills, opening next year. The Peninsula only has one in Hong Kong, right?" Arthur asked.

"There is one in Manila, Philippines. Los Angeles will be the third," Vivian explained. 

Arthur nodded, hugging her as they entered the hotel suite, seemingly having thoughts about hotels.

Currently, the Ritz-Carlton hasn't been acquired by Marriott and remains an independent brand. Most Ritz-Carlton hotels are franchises, except for the Ritz-Carlton, Boston.

The '90s was a development period for high-end hotels, and the Ritz-Carlton brand was quite good.

Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., and other major cities didn't have Ritz-Carlton hotels yet. There was only one in the entire state of California, in Laguna Niguel.

"Having my own hotel would indeed be much more convenient," Arthur thought, instinctively touching his face. After all, he frequently dated different women, so having his own high-end hotel would be beneficial.

"Well, you are about to go back, so we need to cherish the time we have," Arthur said, wrapping his arms around Vivian's waist.

*****

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