Ritz-Carlton launches loyalty program

Beginning September 15, 2010, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. will introduce its highly-anticipated luxury frequent guest stay program – The Ritz-Carlton Rewards.  Creation of The Ritz-Carlton Rewards is based on strong customer feedback and demand for a world-class loyalty program that goes far beyond providing complimentary stays and airline flights, and recognizes its members with a broad selection of unique travel experiences.


“No other luxury hotel company comes close to providing such a full range of opportunities to earn and redeem points and experience some truly exceptional and exotic adventures,” said Herve Humler, president and chief operating officer, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.  “We have already brought together some of the most exclusive names in travel and retail including world class travel provider Abercrombie and Kent; fashion icon, Vera Wang; National Geographic Expeditions photography workshops; and Neiman Marcus, one of the top luxury retailers in the U.S.  This is just the beginning.  We will continue to add global partners offering our members the very best in customized and one-of-a-kind memorable experiences.”


The Ritz-Carlton Rewards’ partners offer unique access available only to members, including Abercrombie & Kent members-only tours in locations such as China, Turkey and Egypt; special customer events and a half-day personal shopping experience with fashion experts at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman featuring a private consultation, fashion presentation, lunch, facial and make-up application and the opportunity to redeem points toward wedding gowns and other select products from the world of celebrated designer Vera Wang.  Another special opportunity for members will be four-day photography workshops with National Geographic’s renowned photographers at Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts in locations such as San Francisco and Miami. Members will also be able to redeem points for flights on 30 of the world’s major airlines and luxury cruise lines, including Crystal Cruises, The Yachts of Seabourn and Silversea.


Membership will be complimentary and guests are invited to enroll by going online at ritzcarltonrewards.com; visiting any Ritz-Carlton hotel front desk; calling toll free reservation at 1.800.241.3333, or, by contacting The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Guest Services at 1.866.922.6882.

As the premier luxury brand in the Marriott International, Inc. (MAR:NYSE) portfolio, The Ritz-Carlton Hotels will lead the high-end luxury hotel segment by offering a rewards program that enables guests to access benefits at more than 70 Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts, plus enjoy the full portfolio of Marriott brands worldwide – nearly 3,300 properties.


The Ritz-Carlton Rewards will partner with the award-winning Marriott Rewards program, whose members will now be able to earn Marriott Rewards points at The Ritz-Carlton hotels.  Elite Marriott Rewards members will also receive special benefits when staying at The Ritz-Carlton’s properties. 
For complete program details, visit www.ritzcarltonrewards.com. 



Source : HNN
 [tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Q&A - What will be the impact of Indonesia's hotel bomb attacks

Bomb blasts ripped through the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta's business district on Friday, killing nine people and wounding dozens in attacks that could dent investor confidence in Indonesia.

Police stand guard in front of the damaged Ritz-Carlton hotel after an explosion in Jakarta July 17, 2009. (REUTERS/Dadang Tri)

A car bomb also blew up along a toll road in North Jakarta, police said without giving further details. Indonesia's Metro TV said two people had been killed. An unexploded bomb was also later found at the Marriott, police said.

The apparently coordinated bombings are the first in several years and follow a period in which the government had made progress in tackling security threats from militant Islamic groups, bringing a sense of political stability to Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

Some analysts have already cast suspicion on remnants of the Jemaah Islamiah group, blamed for previous attacks including a car bombing outside the Marriott in 2003 as well as bombings on the resort island of Bali the previous year that killed 202 people.

Here are some questions and answers on security in Indonesia:

IS THIS UNEXPECTED?

Yes. Indonesia had made enormous progress in containing the threat from militant group JI which security officials and analysts said was behind several fatal bomb attacks on Western targets including hotels and bars in Jakarta and the resort island of Bali.

The Indonesian authorities, with help and training from their Australian and U.S. counterparts, have increased security and surveillance in recent years.

Indonesia's security forces have detained hundreds of militants and killed several during shoot-outs, carrying out numerous sweeps, even in recent weeks.

HOW COULD THESE NEW ATTACKS HAPPEN, HAS SECURITY BEEN RELAXED?

There are no outward signs security measures have been relaxed in Jakarta. The security presence was stepped up around the time of the presidential elections on July 8, which passed peacefully.

All the major hotels in Jakarta have security checks outside to reduce the risk of car bombs, although checks in many are not particularly thorough, with a security guard just poking his head in the window to look at who is inside the car.

Although the Marriott and Ritz were known for exceptionally tight security barriers and checks, including for those entering the hotel on foot, from the damage at the scene of the blasts it appears the bombs exploded inside the hotels, and were either brought in by suicide bombers or planted inside and set off by timers.

IS JEMAAH ISLAMIAH BEHIND THIS?

Several analysts are already saying these attacks have some of the hallmarks of JI, which in the past has chosen high-profile targets such as Western hotels and bars frequented by foreigners.

JI has used car bombs in the past, but barricades and layout changes as well as other measures at the best-protected luxury and Western hotels in Jakarta and Bali have made it harder for that kind of attack.

DOES THIS MEAN JI HAS RECOVERED AND IS A THREAT AGAIN?

If it is indeed JI, this suggests they still have bomb-making capability and operatives, despite having lost many of their trained and skilled members.

IF IT ISN'T JI, WHO ELSE COULD IT BE?

In 1998, when former autocratic President Suharto was desperately trying to retain power, some elements within the military were accused of stirring up social unrest and riots in an attempt to cause widespread panic and destabilise Indonesia.

There have been other instances in Indonesia's history when military elements were suspected of being behind unrest in order to have an excuse to clamp down on civilians.

The country has also sporadically seen violence including bombings attributed to various separatist groups, political organisations, and criminal gangs.

WHAT LONG-TERM IMPACT COULD THIS HAVE ON INDONESIA?

It's certainly a blow for Indonesia's security forces and the country's risk profile, particularly coming so close on the heels of peaceful elections in the world's third-largest democracy.

Indonesia had begun to stand out among its Southeast Asian peers as a stable democracy that was making real progress in tackling corruption in order to attract foreign investment.

These attacks could make some investors think twice before committing to any new, long-term, strategic investments in areas such as natural resources or infrastructure.

That said, however, the market reaction has been relatively muted.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

PHOTOS of Bombs explode at Jakarta Ritz Carlton & Marriott hotels

Smoke billows out of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel following

a blast in central Jakarta, July 17, 2009.

People run following a blast at the Marriot Hotel in central Jakarta

Police stand guard in front of the damaged Ritz-Carlton hotel after an explosion



olice stand guard in front of the damaged exterior of the Ritz-Carlton hotel after an explosion

Windows at the Ritz-Carlton are blown out after Friday's blast.

Damage to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel can be seen following the blast.

A photo posted on Twitter purportedly shows smoke from the Ritz-Carlton in Jakarta

Indonesian police stand guard in front of the Ritz Carlton Hotel after an explosion in Jakarta on Friday.(Dadang Tri/Reuters)

At least six people, including several foreigners, have been killed and 10 injured when explosions ripped through two luxury hotels in downtown Jakarta on Friday, police say.

South Jakarta police Colonel Firman Bundi said some of the bodies had been taken to a hospital.

The facade of the Ritz-Carlton was blown off in one blast and another explosion hit the Marriott, police said. The explosions rocked the area about 8am local time (11am AEST).

The head of the Health Ministry crisis centre, Rustam Pakaya, said at least two people were seriously injured, including one New Zealander.

One hospital emergency room said it was already treating 15 people.

Debris and shattered glass littered the street outside the neighbouring hotels, which are in an upscale Jakarta neighbourhood, and ambulances raced to the scene

Herald on the scene

The Sydney Morning Herald's Indonesia correspondent Tom Allard said one bomb was reportedly detonated inside the Ritz-Carlton.

"I'm looking at it now, you can see all the windows punched out on one side,'' Allard told 2UE radio from outside the back of the hotel.

"[I've been told] the bomb actually went off inside the restaurant at the time people were actually sitting there to have their breakfasts.

He said he could see what appeared to be dead bodies being pulled out of the building and badly injured people being helped out as well.

An Australian man called Jim told 2UE his son was injured in the explosion at the Marriott.

The man said his son phoned him from Jakarta, where he was working, and told him he was on his way to hospital.

His left leg was bleeding and he'd lost hearing in one ear but he told his father he was OK, the man said.

Witness reports

A man jogging by the hotels said he first heard a loud explosion at the Marriott. Five minutes later, a bomb followed at the Ritz.

Alex Asmasubrata said he saw four bodies inside the Marriott. An Associated Press reporter saw three injured people taken away from the Ritz.

Security guard Eko Susanto told AFP: "I heard two sounds like 'boom, boom' coming from the Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton. Then I saw people running out."

Witness Intan told TV One one of the explosions wrecked the lobby of the Plaza Mutiara building.

"I was having breakfast on level 16, I heard an explosion and went down to the first floor and it was a mess. I saw foreigners all bloody, about three to five of them, badly wounded," she said

A witness, who gave her name as Mery, told ElShinta: "I saw some people being carried into a Mercedes. There was a lot of them in there, they were having trouble closing the doors."

Dow Jones Newswires reported witnesses who heard three explosions in the Mega Kuningan business precinct.

"I heard at least three explosions and now white smoke is billowing," a fund manager at a foreign securities company told Dow Jones Newswires on the phone.

JI warning

The bombings come a day after an analyst warned that Indonesian terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah, dormant following an effective police crackdown resulting in the arrest and execution of some members, was on the rise again and set to strike.

The Marriott hotel was attacked in 2003, when 12 died. Jemaah Islamiah was blamed for that blast.

The Department of Foreign Affairs was aware of reports of an explosion and was in contact with the Australian embassy in Jakarta to investigate what happened, a spokeswoman said

Embassy staff were urgenty seeking to identify whether any Australians were injured, the spokeswoman said

Anyone who has concerns for the welfare of family and friends overseas should try to contact them directly first. DFAT's 24-hour consular emergency centre is also available on 02 6261 3305 or 1300 555 135.

It is five years since the Australian embassy in Jakarta was bombed, killing 10 people and wounding 161 in September 2004.

Source : SMH CNN Reuters
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Bomb Blasts in Ritz Carlton & Marriot Hotels Jakarta

Bombs have exploded at the Ritz-Carlton and Marriott hotels in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, killing four people and ripping the facade off the Ritz, say reports.

Leading Indonesian news channel, Metro TV, has reported four people have died in two separate explosions in central Jakarta on Friday.

"There were explosions heard from two separate places, one the JW Marriott, the other in the Ritz Carlton. We are still trying to check because right now we are still helping the victims," said South Jakarta Police Chief Firman Santyabudi.

Witnesses at the scene told Metro TV that the injured, including Indonesians and foreigners, were seen being taken away in ambulances.

"Some windows of the Ritz-Carlton building have been shattered, mostly on the lower section. I'm looking at it from my office," said Myra Junor, who works at a nearby building.

A man jogging by the hotels said he first heard a loud explosion at the Marriott. Five minutes later, a bomb followed at the Ritz.

Alex Asmasubrata said he saw four bodies inside the Marriott. An Associated Press reporter saw three injured taken away from the Ritz.

Police, however, would only confirm four people were injured.

Jakarta's five-star JW Marriott hotel has been bombed before, with 12 people killed in a 2003 car-bomb attack.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, has a history of bloody terrorist attacks, including the Bali bombings of 2002 which claimed 202 lives including three New Zealanders and 88 Australians.

Eleven people were killed, including a suicide bomber, in a car bomb attack on Australia’s embassy in Jakarta in 2004.

Source : Stuff
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

Ritz prepares new look; Traditional vibe gone in lobby, public areas.; Hotel wants to attract younger clients but hold on to loyal customers.

The lobby features Chippendale sideboards hand painted in gilded platinum, colorful contemporary art hanging over a museum-like white sofa and deep espresso walls that seem black to the casual eye.

This is not your grandfather's Ritz-Carlton.

In a move to better capture the next generation of affluent travelers, the Ritz-Carlton, one of the nation's toniest and most traditional hotel chains, has ditched the venerable country club look in the lobby and public areas of its downtown location for a more sleek contemporary appearance.

Gone are the overstuffed chairs, caramel-colored anigre wood paneling and hunter greens. They've been replaced by deep blue upholstered settees, pillows with splotches of red and black and lighting built into seating.

It's a gutsy move, say industry observers. Like most hotel chains, the Ritz-Carlton, once headquartered in Atlanta, is trying to keep pace with the public's ever changing tastes without alienating longtime customers.

"Any major shift from the core of what people think you are is a risk," said Paul Breslin, managing partner at Panther Hospitality and former hotel general manager. "Their clients are changing and they recognize it. It's more transitional."

Ritz-Carlton spokeswoman Sandra Ryder said the $20 million changes are threefold: invest in the evolution of the Ritz-Carlton, attract a newer demographic while retaining current customers and increase bar business.

The bar, which has been christened Lumen, opens June 16, but Ryder said, "We have already experienced a 30 percent increase in business over the past 60 days while the space was in various stages of redesign."

The hotel is moving with caution, however. While the lobby and public areas, including the meeting rooms, have been changed, the remainder of the building has remained true to its heritage, Ryder said. And there are no current plans to make changes at the chain's Buckhead location.

"The new design is a modern interpretation of elegance and appeals to people with a sense of style," Ryder said. "So we believe we will continue to appeal to our loyal customers, and attract a younger, trend-conscious guest."

Tim Mescon, president of Columbus State University, applauded the tweaks. Even those with strong brand identity need to make sure they don't get left in a time capsule.

"They may be exposing themselves to a greater risk by sticking with the status quo," he said.

Source : HotelsMag
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]

The Ipod Butler at Ritz Carlton

The iPod has reached almost every corner of the globe since its launch in November 2001. This week Apple announced it had now sold 100 million iPods.

So perhaps it's not altogether surprising that it has penetrated the Ritz-Carlton, Bali Resort & Spa where guests enjoying the Ocean Beach pool can summon the resort's music-on-demand service.

Called iPod Butler, the service involves guests being offered an iPod Shuffle on a silver tray by a uniformed butler as they lay on pool loungers next to the 80-metre square natural beach pool, which overhangs the Indian Ocean from a 10-metre-high vantage point.

All iPods are fully pre-programmed with a selection of different musical styles, from cool jazz to Japanese pop, chill out, R'n'B and easy listening.

"iPod Butler is the perfect complement to the Ocean Beach Pool as it combines the latest personal lifestyle technology with revolutionary construction concepts incorporated into the design of the pool," said resort general manager David Wilson.

Source : TravelMole
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel vmy2007]

Ritz Carlton's Introduces New Boutique Resort Brand - The Reserve

Ritz-Carlton will introduce an exclusive new boutique resort brand - The Reserve, with the 2008 debut of Molasses Reef, a 125-room boutique hotel on the secluded island of West Caicos, in The Turks and Caicos Islands.

Other select destinations around the world are under consideration for future The Reserve brand locations. "A departure for Ritz-Carlton and size and scope, The Reserve brand will feature signature, one-of-a-kind boutique resorts located in choice settings, each with a distinctive personality and sense of place, said Simon F. Cooper, president and chief operating officer.

A refuge from the expected, The Reserve is for travelers seeking to discover a singular location and peerless resort that, through its design and services, has a distinctive personality that blends together the culture, history and heritage of its setting. The Reserve brand will be distinguished from other award-winning Ritz-Carlton resorts by offering guests' exotic, hand-selected "hideaway" destinations; a relaxed, casually elegant atmosphere; and an even greater level of individualized service through a higher staff to guest ratio.

"With some of the most sublime, virgin beaches and brilliant azure water in the Caribbean, a 500-acre natural wildlife sanctuary, unspoiled natural beauty, and reachable only by boat, small plane or helicopter, West Caicos is a natural choice for the first ‘The Reserve' resort," said Cooper. "For the first time in 100 years, West Caicos will open its shores to a new settlement - Molasses Reef, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. Our guests will be among the first to discover this new destination in the Caribbean." To ensure the island remains unspoiled, approximately 90 percent of the acreage will stay permanently undeveloped, preserving this sanctuary for generations to come.

The design of each "The Reserve" resort will be individual and unique, with an exceptional sense of place that marries location and heritage.

With a site-sensitive, eco-conscious design approach, Molasses Reef will feature groupings of low-density, intimate oceanfront cottages, spread over a half-mile of beach. Designed by noted architect Scott Lee of SB Architects, Molasses Reef will combine barefoot luxury with minimal environmental impact, with spa bungalows, verdant garden courtyards, and secluded plunge pools winding throughout the resort grounds.

The resort will also feature oceanfront Molasses Reef Island villas, private home sites, a full-service marina and other exclusive residential options for purchase by those who seek a Caribbean refuge reachable only by boat, small plane, or helicopter. Real estate prices begin at $2.7 million. Complete information on Molasses Reef, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, is available at 649-941-7480.



Source : 4Hotelier
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel vmy2007]

How Ritz-Carlton Maintains its Mystique

The luxury hotel chain reinforces customer-service values among employees by investing in daily training that revolves around storytelling

When you think of luxury hotels, a few brands come to mind. Among them is the Ritz-Carlton. The hotel has established a worldwide reputation for treating guests like royalty. Walk into any Ritz-Carlton hotel in the world and you will be greeted by a staff that works at making customer service an art. Every employee, from the valet to the front desk attendant to the waiter to the housekeeper, is warm, friendly, gracious, courteous, and genuinely seems eager to make sure your stay is a memorable one.

As I learned recently during an interview with Ritz-Carlton president and chief operating officer Simon Cooper, the company's mystique relies primarily on the Ritz-Carlton's 35,000 employees who create "unique and memorable" experiences for their guests. According to Cooper, "It's all about people. Nobody has an emotional experience with a thing. We're appealing to emotions." The goal, Cooper says, is to develop such a strong emotional engagement between the hotels' staff and their guests that "a guest will not consider staying anywhere else, if they have an option."

Living the Service Values

Every manager and front-line employee of the Ritz-Carlton carries a laminated card with 12 service values guidelines that are intended to help employees create the mystique that attracts luxury travelers. For example: I build strong relationships and create Ritz-Carlton guests for life (No. 1), or: I am proud of my professional appearance, language, and behavior (No. 10). The Ritz-Carlton is not alone in creating rules or guidelines to keep employees focused on the company's values and mission, but the Ritz-Carlton does stand apart in how it reinforces those values with every employee, every day.

Each day at every Ritz-Carlton around the world, employees from every department gather for a 15-minute meeting, known as a "lineup," to review guest experiences, resolve issues, and discuss ways to improve service. These lineups are unlike most meetings held on any given day in most corporations. Once basic housekeeping items are out of the way, most of the rest of the time is spent reinforcing one of the 12 service values. How is it done? By employing the most powerful communications technique available: storytelling.

Telling Wow Stories

Stories have the power to inspire, motivate, and reinforce a company's culture, vision, and values. During the lineup, someone reads what is known as the "wow story" of the day. The same story is shared across hotels in 21 countries, so a waiter in Boston will hear the same story as a concierge in Bali; a housekeeper in Shanghai will hear the same story as a doorman in Hong Kong. The stories single out a staff person who went above and beyond—offering exemplary service to help create the mystique that turns luxury travelers into repeat guests.

The stories are amazing. One family staying at the Ritz-Carlton, Bali, had carried specialized eggs and milk for their son who suffered from food allergies. Upon arrival, they saw that the eggs had broken and the milk had soured. The Ritz-Carlton manager and dining staff searched the town but could not find the appropriate items. But the executive chef at this particular resort remembered a store in Singapore that sold them. He contacted his mother-in-law, and asked that she buy the products and fly to Bali to deliver them, which she agreed to do. Of course the family was delighted. After an experience like that, do you think this particular family would even consider staying somewhere else?

The stories have two purposes: First, to recognize an employee's commitment in front of his or her peers and second, to reinforce a service value. In the above case, the Bali story was intended to reinforce service value No. 7: Use teamwork to meet the individual needs of our guests. According to Cooper, "It's the best way to communicate what we expect from our ladies and gentlemen around the world. Every story reinforces the actions we are looking for and demonstrates how each and every person in our organization contributes to our service values."

Experiencing a Lineup

After my interview with Cooper, I observed two lineups—a general one and a more specialized meeting for the housekeeping staff on the morning shift. What struck me about both was the enthusiasm. These men and women had far more energy and excitement than I have observed among employees at many other companies. Employees were eager to discuss the stories, the service values, and how they can do better at incorporating those service values in their roles. The stories were used as teaching tools.

Now do the math. Two 15-minute lineups across 61 hotels, 365 days a year. The hotel is literally offering thousands of hours of training to its employees. No amount of training would be effective, however, without making an emotional and memorable connection with the trainees. Sharing cultural stories is the best way to do it. The Ritz-Carlton does this each day.

In his book on leadership analysis, Leading Minds (HarperCollins, 1996), author Howard Gardner writes, "Stories speak to both parts of the human mind—its reason and emotion." Stories, he says, "constitute the single most powerful weapon in the leader's literary arsenal."

Take a cue from the Ritz-Carlton and use stories to improve your service across all levels of your organization.

Source : BusinessWeek
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel vmy2007]

Ritz Loosens up its Tie to Change with the Times

For generations, Ritz-Carlton has been known for over-the-top luxury: old-money guests, crystal chandeliers and in-your-face service.

But old-world stuffiness doesn't play well with today's jet-setters. They're arriving in jeans and T-shirts, toting iPods and laptops, often checking in with kids. They don't want to wear a jacket and tie to the hotel dining room, or have the bellman carry their wheeled bags to their room.

So rather than risk becoming irrelevant to future generations, President and COO Simon Cooper is broadly re-inventing the famous brand. In doing so, the venerable chain's joining Hyatt, Hilton, Holiday Inn and other less-expensive chains also trying to keep up with changing tastes.

It hasn't been easy. Cooper says he initially found some resistance from hotel managers who, by most measures, ran successful hotels.

"That's when it's really hard to explain to an organization that you have to change," says Cooper, a former professional yacht captain and amateur rugby player.

But he knew changes were crucial, because "our customers are changing."

Customers such as Scott McKain, a frequent traveler and author of What Customers Really Want, say the overhaul is long overdue.

He's found Ritz staff to be cloying and insincere with their robotic replies. He also dislikes when staffers have insisted upon escorting him to a room he'd asked about, no matter how close it may be.

Ritz-Carlton's strategy has implications for each of its 63 existing hotels and its future hotels, including its most traditional, Cooper says. Nothing is sacred. He scrapped Ritz-Carlton's famous customer-service rules that required staff to say, "Certainly, my pleasure," to each guest request.

Even the generations-old tea service, traditionally served on delicate English floral bone china, now arrives on square, minimalist Asian china.

"Twenty years ago, being consistent was a plus," says Cooper, who took over shortly before the 9/11 attacks in 2001 after founder Horst Schulze left. "Today, it's almost completely the opposite."

Cooper didn't take over Ritz-Carlton expecting to overhaul its image. At the time, it wasn't necessary. The chain was performing well financially, scoring high with customers and growing. Since taking over, Cooper has overseen the opening of 23 hotels, and another 24 are scheduled to open from now through 2009.

Worldwide, Ritz has 17% of the luxury hotel rooms, putting it on par with the rival Canadian chain Four Seasons, he says.

Yet, the emerging culture clash was hard to miss during the steep post-9/11 travel downturn, when all hotels were struggling to retain business and survive.

In the past two years especially, Cooper's priority has turned from expansion to culture and design.

"We knew we needed to re-evaluate," Cooper says. "We know that we have a traditional perception. It's not negative, but it is also something over time we need to evolve."

Key to Ritz-Carlton's makeover:

•Design. New Ritz hotels no longer resemble European chateaus, as was common for those built before 1997.

The modern Ritz in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C., was built with the remains of the city's former incinerator, with an unusual meeting room at the base of the old brick smokestack. Cooper jokes that when rival Four Seasons turned a former jail in Istanbul into a luxury hotel, "I looked for something worse."

The New York Battery Park hotel has a contemporary art collection inside and out. The Tokyo hotel, set to open in March, looks modern on the outside, yet very traditional on the inside to appeal to its Japanese guests.

•Mood. Mozart concertos no longer set the tone 24/7 in Ritz lobbies, as was the case just two years ago. Today, you'll likely hear a soulful jazz ballad by singer Lizz Wright or the mellow backbeat from electronica band Thievery Corporation. Ritz hotels will change playlists according to time of day to reflect the mood, a technique used by hip boutique hotels.

Ritz has also moved away from huge, overbearing floral bouquets, in favor of smaller, more artistic designs, another sign the chain's striving for more low-key elegance rather than old-world opulence.

•Restaurants. The chain is closing down most of the Ritz dining rooms and replacing them with destination restaurants that often involve well-known chefs such as Gordon Ramsay. The old, formal dining rooms, though well-loved and often critically acclaimed, were rarely profitable, Cooper says. Ritz also started letting hotel owners contract out restaurants.

•Service. Ritz can no longer justify its rates simply by offering in-your-face service. So last summer, the company retrained employees to read guests' body language before addressing them. Cooper says staffers are more spontaneous, too. At the traditional Sarasota, Fla., hotel recently, he says, they threw a five-course dinner for 200 inside a sand castle constructed by expert sand-castle builders.

The evolution will take time.

"Everyone had to stop and take a good hard look at how they do business," says Pamela Malkani, a partner at Millennium Partners, a New York-based real estate firm whose hotel portfolio includes six Ritz-Carltons.

Malkani likes the changes. Today at Ritz hotels, "People are a lot more relaxed, a lot more casual," she says.

Source : ehotelier
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news]