philfna

Ritz Carlton seems to be heading more towards Hyatt and Hilton in their design and customer service...

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/hotel...ton-usat_x.htm

Not a fan..I prefer the old world feel and great refined service...

bocastephen

Bad move. People who want the ambiance of a Hilton, stay at a Hilton. People who want the ambiance and service of a Ritz Carlton chose that brand because of its reputation for quality and consistency.

You know, they can loosen their tie abit without having to strip off their shirt and dance half naked. A little fine tuning would have been more than sufficient.

I have no interest in paying Ritz C prices for Hilton/Westin ambience. I will take my Ritz luxury fix to the Four Seasons and keep my lower priced less fancy stays with Starwood. At least I only have to pay Starwood prices to get Starwood ambiance and service.

philfna

I agree, and the problem with their strategy is that it destroys the ambiance and feel of RC. By trying to widen their appeal I think they'll lose their core customer.

Caber

Couldn't have put it better myself. I rarely do this but i just now put pen to paper to the manager of the Ritz Carlton Central Park. It takes so long to build up the kind of traditions and reputation that they have and so short a time for a moron such as Cooper to erode that.

philfna

What I don't get is why they are doing this? They are fearing becoming irrelevant? I think this move will make them irrelevant...Phil

Blumie

I think you guys are misreading RC's change in strategy; I personally give them a big ^ .

My biggest complaint about RC properties historically has been their stuffiness. There are many examples of hotels that demonstrate that superior customer service does not have to be stuffy. By way of example, in Dallas compare the FS to the Mansion on Turtle Creek: the FS offers typically great FS customer service, friendly and accommodating without being intrusive; at the Mansion, on the other hand -- and please excuse my crassness -- I always feel like I can't go to the bathroom without someone running up to wipe my (fill in the blank).

I presently am wrapping up a four night stay at the RC Key Biscayne. Although we have encountered numerous wonderful staff members, in general the staff is robotic in how they address customers (e.g., saying "my pleasure" instead of "you're welcome": it's nice if it's sincere and not programmed; you hear it 100 times in a day, however, and it loses its nice touch). In the mean time it took two phone calls and 35 minutes to get a room service menu (when of course there should have been one in the room to begin with); it took two phone calls to get turn down service one night after I asked the maid to return in 5 minutes and she never came back; and another night we asked for turn down service in one of our rooms as we were leaving for dinner, and instead of turndown service they simply dropped off fresh towels, without removing the used ones or otherwise tidying the room.

So forget about programming the staff to be robots. Instead, let them be spontaneous and personable, and train them that the little things like this distinguish good hotels from great hotels.

Kettering Northants QC

I thought the Ritz Carlton Singapore started down this track when it opened about 8 years ago. Generally agree with what they are trying to do, BUT I do think it important, and I'm sure their managers do as well, that they stil offer something above what you can get cheaper down the road.

demiurg

I am also in the camp that welcomes the new direction. I actually avoid most RCs because they feel much too stuffy and formal for my taste. Take Hong Kong for an example, just from looking at their webpage the RC looses any chance of me staying there, properties like the LMO (and several others in the city) are much more attractive to me - and they offer great service. Obviously all this comes down to personal preferences, but I assume that they did their market research before making the decision.

I did like the RC Battery Park - and I guess this is already along the lines of the "new style". It certainly did not feel like a Hilton to me.

ngfan

Another vote for a change here. I always dreamed of staying at a RC when I was a student. After I finally made it to stay at different locations worldwide RC quickly lost its appeal on me as it felt much too stuffy in most instances (mainly due to its English clubby atmo and interior design). Just one reason why I never got convinced to stay at RC Berlin for example. Stuffiness may still appeal to older traditionalists (and old money) but they may loose their connection to younger generations. And although being far less stuffy than others RC Battery Park is still way behind what I consider as modern (at least when it comes to room design).

Although being in the most bizarre location for such a great business hotel the RC Wolfsburg is my role model for a decent new approach (modern design, great beds, excellent soundproof, sophisticated food) while keeping their service agenda "ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen" to stay above Hiltons, IC's, Hyatts etc...

Taiwaned

They are going to have to be very careful how they do this.
I have good memories of the Ritz in Osaka, Japan. If they go too far the way of the Hilton, Starwood, IC then why should we pay for the extra price?

Blumie

Let's be clear about this: they are not going "the way of the Hilton, Starwood, IC" or any other business class chain; to suggest that that is what they are doing is a complete misreading of the article.

If you think that the only difference between an RC, on the one hand, and a Hilton, Starwood or IC, on the other hand, is that the service at the RC is stuffy and at the other properties it is not, then I can't believe you already are willing to pay the higher prices for the RC. If that were the only difference, I'd be willing to pay a higher price not to stay at an RC.

Rest assured that when all is said and done, RC will continue to have superior properties, superior service, superior food options, superior beds, superior recreational options, superior spas, etc., compared to any Hilton, or Sheraton, or Westin, or IC, or Hyatt. Believe it or not, you can have all that stuff without the stuffiness.

philfna

A couple of issues here:

1. Change any change is risky -- although the rewards I think have been weighed. My concern is that they will get too friendly. One thing that has always set RC apart is its formality -- some of us like it.

2. How can they guarantee the quality of food if they are willing to subcontract out. While some will be great with the celebrity chefs coming in not all locations will. I am afraid those locations may become sub par. The article mentions that many were no profitable. This goes back to money...its like the service department of most car dealers a cost of doing business.

3. I enjoy the relaxed elegance of their clubrooms ... I don't know what I'd do if they get all "W" trendy like furniture...its a refuge. I welcome change, but not at the cost of tradition.

Phil

bocastephen

I think there is a difference between the changes the article points out (and its suggested change in product perception) and the changes embraced by supporters on this thread.

There is nothing wrong with RC loosening its tie abit - making staff less robotic and more spontaneous (while delivering consistent service across the brand), for example.

But a "clubby, formal" (perhaps stuffy) atmosphere *is* the Ritz Carlton brand. They can't change too much without morphing into a competitor. Keep up the high level of quality and service in a slightly less formal setting and what do they become? Four Seasons. There is already a successful FS hotel chain. The marketplace might not support two.

If they go too far, their product would end up looking too much like a good quality Westin or perhaps a "Waldorf Collection" Hilton. Unfortunately, those properties can be had for 25-65% less per night than a Ritz Carlton. I feel many customers would leave Ritz Carlton in droves because the brand identity that attracted and kept them would be gone.

A hotel can make small, subtle changes that keep it with the times without losing its brand identity, quality or consumer perception. Case in point, The Breakers in Palm Beach remains every bit as much the luxury (and stuffy appearing) hotel today that it was 50 or 100 years ago - but at least now I won't get chased out of the lobby for not wearing my jacket and tie after 4pm and a screaming child running through the lobby won't cause widespread panic and fainting. Small changes, keeping with the times without losing its identity.

Since posters have pointed out that some RC properties do appear to be a tad more progressive in their appearance and service delivery, it sounds like evaluating that approach for other properties (based on market) would have been a better decision and permit customers time to offer feedback, rather than the new approach which appears to say "the heck with all this stuffiness, let's strip down and party!".

francophile

The Ritz-Carlton can start by improving their web site. It's not as user friendly as the Four Sesaons web site, nor is it as informative or updated as often.

philfna

This point I will agree its basically a marriott site with a few nice pictures...