quality at the ritz carlton hotel company case study solution

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Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. – Case Solution

The "Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co." case study describes the launch of a brand new hotel, concentrating on the initial mixture of leadership, quality processes, and values of self-respect and dignity, which are required to produce award-winning service.

​Sandra J. Sucher; Stacy McManus Harvard Business Review ( 601163-PDF-ENG ) March 20, 2001

Case questions answered:

Case study questions answered in the first solution:

• Evaluate the effectiveness of Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co.’s training and development system. To what extent does the system create the leadership, values, and culture of the Ritz? What specific aspects of the training program help new recruits understand what it is to be a Ritz employee?
• How do you balance quality standards against the need to empower employees to customize their responses to specific situations? Give specific examples as they relate to the Ritz.
• Do you think this training approach would work in other service industries? Why or why not?

Case study questions answered in the second solution:

• Why is it important for Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. to insist that employees not think of themselves as servants but rather as ladies and gentlemen?
• In what ways does Ritz-Carlton engage in relationship marketing?
• Is quality at Ritz-Carlton cost-effective? Even if it costs $2,000 an incident?
• Should Ritz-Carlton attempt to move toward the president’s goal of 100 percent customer satisfaction? Why or why not?
• How could the Ritz-Carltons’ credo and principles of customer service be applied to (a) haircare salons and (b) banks?

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Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. Case Answers

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1. Evaluate the effectiveness of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co.’s training and development system. To what extent does the system create the leadership, values, and culture of the Ritz? What specific aspects of the training program help new recruits understand what it is to be a Ritz employee?

The effectiveness of Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co.’s training development system can be analyzed using Kirkpatrick’s and Philip’s frameworks.

Starting with evaluating reactions , Ritz’s training system uses an event, “Day 21”, where employees have the chance to discuss their training experience, whether it has lived up to expectations, and give general feedback.

Some may argue that 21 days might not be enough for an employee to benefit from the training system and provide good feedback properly.

For instance, based on the work experience I have undertaken so far, I believe that at least a month is needed to understand the general working environment, especially in big organizations.

Despite this, the 7-Day Countdown training is appealing, as it builds motivation by extraordinarily welcoming employees. The learning process is articulated by high-ranking executives, such as McBride and Schulze, inciting higher confidence in the process.

Gold Standards and Service Philosophy are conveyed with conviction by illustrating them with real-life examples and brochures such as the “Paper Palm.” Schulze himself observed training progress and helped struggling employees, a notable way to show new recruits the way work is done at Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co.

The company’s motto, “We are Ladies and Gentlemen, Serving Ladies and Gentlemen,” influences orientation, which is delivered in a respectful manner, building on the culture of the Hotel.

Testimonials from employees provide even stronger evidence of the general consensus that talent is respected. Also, having hands-on mock trials enables employees to use the knowledge acquired during the training through trial and error.

On the contrary, measurement of pre-training performance is absent, which doesn’t allow the post-training evaluation to identify if employees had overcome difficulties such as previous work experience interference.

Even though the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. has earned well-known awards for its performance and quality, it…

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The Ritz-Carlton Hotel: Company’s Dilemma

Welcome to our sample essay on the Ritz-Carlton hotel company case study! Learn more about the hotel’s operations management with us.

Ritz-Carlton Case Study Analysis Introduction

Ritz-carlton hotel company case study summary, existing practices in ritz-carlton, strong points of ritz-carlton, issues with ritz-carlton, evaluation and discussion, potential solutions, conclusions.

Ritz-Carlton is one of the oldest hotel companies in the world. Having been established in 1893 by Cesar Ritz, it became one of the most renowned and appreciated hotel chains in the world. As it stands, the company is owned by Marriott, which is the largest hotel chain. Ritz-Carlton operates in more than 30 countries, offering a new level of luxury service. Its properties include 130 hotels with more than 40,000 people in employment.

The company’s revenues exceed 3 billion dollars a year. It is known not only for the highest quality of service and tremendous amounts of respect and adoration towards the customers but also for the perfect amalgamation of business-driven and employee-driven practices. The company’s motto is “We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen.” The employees are treated with a healthy amount of respect.

At the same time, the competition for the workplaces in Ritz-Carlton is very steep, and the expectations for the employees are high. The company employs the Seven-Day-Countdown framework to train new employees and prepare new hotels for service. It includes two days of company orientation and 5 days of employee training. However, questions have been raised on whether this framework is efficient in terms of speed and the quality of training.

With the opening of a huge multi-level facility as part of the Millennium Partners Project in Washington DC, the demands for quality and efficiency are even higher. The case study analyzed in the scope of this paper focuses on potential improvements to the Seven-Day-Countdown framework. The purpose of this paper is to offer potential solutions to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel dilemma.

In this case study, the student is required to decide for James McBride, who was appointed as a general manager of the newest Ritz-Carlton project in Washington, DC. This project is a part of a much larger effort made by the Millennium Partners Project, which has invested over 700 million dollars in Ritz-Carlton’s six hotels over the past years.

The new project presents a 225-million dollar effort in creating a large hospitality complex, which includes 162 luxury condominiums, a sports and golf court, street-level restaurants and retail centers, and a 300-room hotel. James had experience in establishing Ritz-Carlton hotel chains in Asia and Asia-Pacific, having received numerous awards, including the “Best Business Hotel in Malaysia” by the Business Asia Magazine. Mr. Collins, who is a representative of the Millennium Partners, and has a considerable influence on the project, is calling the tried and true instruments used by Mr. McBride into question.

It is up to McBride to investigate whether Mr. Collins’ concerns are reasonable and evaluate the system to find an optimal balance between training efficiency, costs, time limits, and hotel occupancy. The bottom line is that Ritz-Carlton should find a way to operate their hotels at 80% capacity from the opening day, to achieve maximum efficiency when compared to their competitors. One of these competitors includes the Four Seasons hotel chain, which has greater overall average daily rates as well as higher revenues per available room, despite scoring a little less in the overall occupancy rates.

Ritz-Carlton’s practices towards the preparation and training of employees are encompassed in the Seven-Day-Countdown strategy, which enabled it to train and prepare its employees at an incredibly high speed. The training provided has an emphasis on respect towards the employees and customers, the high value placed on the excellent quality of work, and constant self-improvement.

The program takes advantage of high employee motivation, competent HR selection process, and the use of Six Sigma practices to improve the quality of work. The demands towards managers are extremely high, and while the employees are tasked with making the customers feel good about themselves, the purpose of managers is to make money by increasing efficiency and money spending wherever it is possible. Ritz-Carlton focuses its HR strategy on improving retention rates, reaching an impressive 25% turnover, while the rest of the hotel industry suffers from 70-100% yearly turnover rates. Improved retention ensures employee satisfaction, desire to grow and improve, and the overall excellence of service.

Also, the company practices various psychological motivators to build up team spirit and ensure that all employees are reminded of the company’s mission and purpose. According to the provided case study, Ritz-Carlton dedicates the first two days of orientation to get the potential employee-inspired about the culture and values of the hotel and making them feel welcome as part of the new team. Only once the recruit had internalized and accepted the idea of being a Lady or a Gentleman serving other Ladies and Gentlemen, may the practical training begin. The created sense of purpose and belonging helps the company retain and promote their talents to higher positions.

As it stands, Ritz-Carlton’s Seven-Day-Countdown HR strategy has several strong sides to itself, which are as follows:

• Employee selection, recruitment, and retention. This part of strategic HR management is extremely important, as enables saving money on recruiting and training personnel while retaining talent and having them contribute to the company. As it was stated in the case study, the recruitment rates for Ritz-Carlton are comparable to those of Harvard. This helps create additional value for the position held by the individual employee. Employment at Ritz-Carlton is not just an “another summer job.”
• Six Sigma and economic feasibility. Ritz-Carlton implements standardization to achieve a uniformity of high standards across their hotels and eliminate the possibilities for failure. Instead of focusing just on the systems or the personnel, Ritz-Carlton focuses on both, achieving a high quality of care as a result. Besides, as it was stated in the case study, the costs of implementing the Seven-Day-Countdown strategy are extremely low, which helps achieve the necessary results without wasting money or resources.
• High Speeds. The majority of competing hotels spend around 3 weeks preparing their employees for work. Ritz-Carlton does so in one week while staying competitive in terms of quality. It allows the company to open its hotels quicker and achieve greater exposure.
• Employee Motivation. As evidenced by the examples of various exercises and team-building practices, Ritz-Carlton’s strategy helps motivate employees to a great degree. Various ways of employee motivation include financial compensation, promotion, and the dignity and respect of working in a high-class establishment.

As it is possible to see, the Seven-Day-Countdown strategy managed to serve Ritz-Carlton well, which is why Mr. McBride managed to use it with success in opening a multitude of hotels across Asia. These hotels typically opened at 50% occupancy rates to protect their employees from being overwhelmed during the first month. In the next half a year, the expectations were gradually increased to 80%. The Seven-Day-Countdown proved effective for that model.

To quote a phrase from the case study, “If you do not improve, you become worse.” Mr. Collins, the representative of the Millennial Partners group, voiced the issues with Ritz-Carlton’s approach. The main complaint is about the starting occupancy rate during the first month of the new hotel opening. He points out that Ritz-Carlton places a lot of effort into attracting individuals to their hotels. They work with event organizations, conduct rallies, and invite people to grand hotel openings that are bound to attract the attention of the public. Therefore, the attendance rates at the hotel during the first month are expected to be high. At the same time, their occupancy policy limits it to 50% during the first month, missing out on revenue.

This major contradiction is a direct result of short timeframes, during which Ritz-Carlton trains its employees. As it was already mentioned, other hotel chains spend 2-3 weeks on average in training new employees, and about 2 weeks on training their managers. The company in question spends 5 days on training employees and four on training managers, as per the Seven-Day-Countdown policy.

No matter how good or intensive the training program is, no matter how motivated the employees are, the majority of skills implemented at the hotel business are learned and perfected through repetition. Without enough training, new employees at the company are simply incapable of handling large numbers of customers during their first month of work, especially if the training conditions are poor and timings are barely passing under the wire.

The last issue is directly related to the concept of rapid response HRM. The case study does not mention any utilities or plans made for transferring employees and managers from one region to another. Ritz-Carlton exists in a globalized economy and has hotels opened up in many countries around the world. Nevertheless, it pursues a strictly ethnocentric strategy without actually providing any accommodations for it.

The company uses staff members hired locally with expatriate managers. However, there is no mentioning of utilizing strategies to train and prepare said managers for the conditions and cultures of different regions. It is likely that such training is not accounted for, as the amount of time and resources spent on training staff, in general, is extremely small. Rapid response HRM is not used by Ritz-Carlton as much as it could have been, which would have helped solve the dilemmas surrounding staffing and opening new hotels.

Based on the information provided in the case study, it could be concluded that the Seven-Day-Countdown policy was not as efficient as it presented itself. The idea behind it was to create the most loyal and the most well-trained employee base using the least amount of time and money. This is an impossible notion, as one week is just too short to accomplish all of these goals. As a result, although officially Ritz-Carlton had negligible expenses in the training budget, it had to pay with underwhelming results in the first few months after the opening of the hotel.

They had to artificially cap their occupancy rates for the first 5 months, gradually growing them from 50% to 80%, rather than opening up with 80% occupancy. This loss of profit constitutes a hidden cost of the poor amount of training received by the newly appointed managers and employees.

It is unclear why the Seven-Day-Countdown system is even used when the questions of staffing new hotels arise. Constructing properties is a long-term venture. It is not a sudden development that urgently needs to train employees and staff members under a short deadline.

The company should be aware of future issues the moment they sign the construction contract. Therefore, there is plenty of time to prepare. The Seven-Day-Countdown system may be useful in training employees in the already established hotels. These hotels typically have skeleton crews of well-trained veteran members, who can shoulder the burden while the individuals fresh out of the training grounds are adjusted to the realities of their work. Such an approach should not be used in new hotels, where the number of trained and experienced staff is limited.

The inability to be able to open up hotels at their maximum capacity negatively affects the company’s relationships with shareholders. Although the CEO of Ritz-Carlton said that the company puts “employees first, customers second, shareholders third,” the interests of shareholders must not suffer from inefficiencies of the HR management systems. This already became an issue in 1995, when a court charge came from one of the owners of Ritz-Carlton properties, who accused the company of mismanaging his properties and not delivering the revenues expected from his hotels. Thus, a change strategy should be aimed at ensuring the satisfaction of shareholders, better use of newly constructed properties, and training or preparation of employees to fill out these vacant spaces.

To solve the dilemma presented before Mr. McBride, an analytical approach must be taken. In a globalized economy, it is impossible to create a standardized solution to solve all problems, no matter the scope or location. The Seven-Day-Countdown system is such an approach, which, as it has been already discovered, has many hidden flaws and costs imposed on the company. Therefore, the goals of the proposed intervention are as follows:

• Fill the vacancies for the new multi-use facility with experienced and highly-capable workers.
• Ensure that the facility opens at an 80% occupancy rate.

These goals can be achieved in a variety of ways. One of the novelty solutions to the dilemma is allowing Ritz-Carlton to train and form a strategic reserve of managers and employees, that would be capable and willing to deploy in the newly constructed facility for a limited period.

Each of the currently owned properties could contribute to forming such a reserve. These individuals would be familiar with Ritz-Carlton standards of service and have actual working experience behind their belts. Training to navigate through the new facility would not take much time. As a result, the new complex built by the Millennium Partners would be fully staffed before opening and will be capable of operating at an 80% occupancy rate from the first day.

After having formed a skeleton crew from experienced expatriate workers, it would be possible to slowly replace them with locally hired labor, by utilizing the Seven-Day-Countdown approach. This process would likely take about a year and could be increased during the winter, as the hotel occupancy rate has been shown to naturally fall down to 50% during the cold seasons. Ritz-Carlton should invest in preparing the strategic reserve and provide cultural training to employees and managers, to help them adjust to the cultural norms prevalent both inside and outside of the country.

Lastly, Ritz-Carlton should revise its Seven-Day-Countdown approach and potentially increase the number of training days dedicated to training new recruits. The majority of other hotel chains are forced to have short training schedules because of the increased turnover rates, which is something that Ritz-Carlton does not have an issue with due to an intelligent HR policy towards the employees. With high retention, it could afford to spend more time training its employees. The quality of labor will rise, resulting in greater customer satisfaction rates.

Ritz-Carlton has a history of successfully opening new properties both inside and outside of the USA. Its strategy and its dedication to employee relations have made the company one of the best places to work. However, the Seven-Day-Countdown system, which is hailed to be extremely efficient in saving money and time on employee training has had many hidden costs, which resulted in reduced occupancy during the first 5 months of property operation.

It is likely to be the reason why Ritz-Carlton has been falling behind the Four Seasons hotel chain for the past few years. The new demands placed by the Millennium Partners group require Ritz-Carlton to be able to operate at 80% capacity from day one. The proposed solutions require forming a strategic reserve of mobile employees and creating alterations in the HR strategy so that there would not be a need to train employees one week before the opening.

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The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company Case Study Solution

Introduction.

Statement of the Challenges faced by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company

Challenges are one sure way to determine the performance of a business, the Ritz company is faced by some challenges that threaten its performance unless acted upon and correctly. Some of the challenges that the company faces includes the following; the method of recruiting candidates is expensive. Secondly, to entice their guest they use expansive method in order to ensure a perfect hotel and resorts experience and the last challenge faced by the company is related to the management and is strictness

            In accordance to (Chung, 2000) a lot of resources and plenty time is allocated in order to ensure perfect training and orientation of the new and current workers. Ritz-Carlton makes use of Talent+ Recruitment Firm strategy for employment purpose in order to ensure that it only hires candidates who are highly qualified in their position. Training is highly conducted for the employees to ensure that they are competent in their field. A team of highly qualifies managers is selected weekly to evaluate the performance of the employees. Goals are set yearly and every employee is motivated and geared towards achieving the goals. In case one of the employee is not performing in accordance to the company’s expectation, an immediate training is conducted and he is encouraged on better service delivery. Motivation of the employees through rewarding is a key point in the performance evaluation of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company Employees

Cause of the Problem and what should be done

            The legacy which is highly drives the Ritz Carlton hotel has of late been shaking due to some of the problems that it is facing unlike in 1992 where it won the top excellent industry prize for its services and qualities. The demand of values by customers is high. This is calling for a rapid improvement in order to meet the high customers demand. Externally, competition is rapidly growing which is threatening to see the Ritz Carlton Company downgraded. However, there are some measures that the company has taken in order to be outstanding. In that it is employing qualified workers however this is through an expensive method that should be rectified. In the employment process let the hotel company conduct cheap employment process and education services. This will save a lot of cash that could be used for the expansion of the company

Decision criteria and alternative solutions

In order for the Ritz Company to solve the managerial challenges that it is facing, it can do the following.

• Reduce the recruitment capital
• Increase the employees’ salaries
• Increase the level of employees training
• Provide better working conditions

Implementation and Recommendation

In order for the Ritz Company to continue being the best, new plans should be strategically set and every member of the board and the works shown the importance of adhering to them. For instance, the recruitment process involves wastage of money and resources therefore new amends to see less use of money and resources should be put across. Despite rewarding the employees as a motivation and encouragement to work hard, the company should also see that that employees need the company and the customers need the company and the employees too therefore make the employees feel as if it is their business they are managing. The salaries of the employees should be increased from time to time. This will create good and conducive working environment since they will be able to coincide with the organizations revenues . The targeted market by the employees under hospitality is tourism. To enhance better education and service delivery of the employees, the teaching and training programs should be adjusted in that they be flexible. This will enable the workers to use extra knowledge which they will have acquired (Kandampully, 2007).

Sufficient amount is set aside by the company to see the hiring process of candidates. Better training is carried out in order to enable the candidates offer the best services and to empower them in realization of the company’s goals, missions and aim. This has highly ensured the success of the company. Chances of promotions are always available on this has encouraged the workers better their level of education. The working conditions is favorable and this has enabled the employees to understand their roles in the company. This has also created a certain perception in the mind of the workers that they are not only working for the company for money or for certain duties but to better their lives and enhance their skills (Chung, 2000).

Business are highly involved in making decisions which are based on facts and evidences. This evidences enables the company to move ahead in making further decisions. Below is a case study of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. The foundation of the hotel is traced back in 1983 by Cesar-Ritz in Atlanta after United States trademark and Ritz Boston where sold. The company has expanded dramatically to over 26 countries. Their mission has been one appealing in that they provide the best services to their customers and for the works is to enhance oneness and also to appreciate the company’s development. According to Nikheel Advani, initially the business grew rapidly and under the management of James. Nikheel further refers James as a talented in how he manages the business ( The Ritz-Carlton Washington, 2001).

            However, the culture of the Ritz Company has been a challenge especially to the workers. The management is strict and this has made most candidates fear working with the organization. The expensive process of recruitment and a costly method which are used to entice the guests in the effort of making sure that they have the most memorable experience in the hotels is a tactic that despite being expensive has seen the company perform best. The recruitment process which involves high wastage of money and resources should therefore be amended in order to see less resources and money usage. In accordance to (Sucher, 2001), Ritz-Carlton’s process of recruitment is professionally done by a board of highly skilled personnel and the applicants with the highest qualifications in the sector of hospitality are highly absorbed since they got they possess quality and have acquired the best skills that can only be as good as the staff and for the company to attain the Gold Standards. Therefore the company is determined to see that it employs the best and right kind of employees. The company later equips its employees them with the necessary input such as training through seminars and workshops. Recruitment of the new candidates is specially done through some methods such as a prolonged observation of the candidates on their ability to learn and service delivery. Besides, the working environment is best with luxury and comfort facilities. This has enabled the employees to understand their responsibility and instills a perception that they are not in the company to play certain roles only and this has made the Ritz Company to outstand as a world’s best hotel company ( Kandampully, 2007).

References:

• Chung, K. Y. (2000). Hotel management curriculum reform based on required competencies of hotel employees and career success in the hotel industry. Tourism management , 21 (5), 473-487.
• Dev, C. S., Thomas, J. H., Buschman, J., & Anderson, E. (2010). Brand rights and hotel management agreements: Lessons from Ritz-Carlton Bali’s lawsuit against the Ritz- Carlton Hotel Company. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly , 51 (2), 215-230.
• Devi Juwaheer, T., & Lee Ross, D. (2003). A study of hotel guest perceptions in Mauritius. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management , 15 (2), 105-115.
• James J. Eyster, “Hotel Management Contracts in the U.S.: The Revolution Continues,” Cornell Hotel and Restaurant
• Kandampully, J., & Hu, H. H. (2007). Do hoteliers need to manage image to retain loyal customers?. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management , 19 (6), 435-443.
• Rutherford, D. G., & O’Fallon, M. J. (2007). Hotel management and operations . John Wiley & Sons.
• Sucher, S. J., & McManus, S. E. (2001). The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company . Harvard Business School.
•   The Mystique: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company , L.L.C. Employee Newsletter, Winter 2000.
• The Ritz-Carlton Washington, D.C., 2001 First-Year Monthly Budget Summary

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The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company Harvard Case Solution & Analysis

Home >> Management Case Studies >> The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company

Statement of the Problem

            This case focuses on the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company and the launch of one of the new hotels for the company. The main emphasis of this new hotel was to create quality in service for the customers on the basis of dignity, values of self-respect, quality processes and a unique blend of the leadership of the owners of the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company. All the newly hired employees of the hotel were transformed in Gentlemen and Ladies within just seven days to serve the Gentlemen and the Ladies. However, the main problem faced by the company was to determine the relevant measures through which the quality of the hotel could be continuously improved and how to effectively measure the launch success of the hotel both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Causes of the Problem

            As identified above in the problem statement, the main issue that was being faced by the owners of the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company was that how to effectively measure the quality level of the service of Ritz Carlton Hotel Company. The level of quality and its measurement could be a challenge in any industry because the customers are not purchasing any tangible good but they are basically purchasing an intangible experience and they expect that the experience which they would receive exceeds all the expectations.

            As the management of Ritz Carlton Hotel Company lacks all the tools or method to quantify the quality of the launch of the hotel, therefore, the management of the hotel is unable to generate the required evidence through which they could alter or improve the experiences of the customers so that all the dynamic demands of the customers could be met(Bremner, 2006). The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company had also won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award however, it was unaware the core factors on the basis of which it was awarded this award.

            Another issue here was that the name of the company was strongly associated with one of the luxurious hotel in the industry, however, the demands of each of the customer varies. However, there was to mechanism through which the exact demand of the customer could be measured at the new hotel(Reichheld, 1990). Furthermore, the seven day countdown for the launch of the new hotel company had never been evaluated at Ritz Carlton Hotel Company and there seems to be no specific reason. Along with this the training period at the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company for the new hires was just limited to seven days however, the management did not consider that whether this time frame was enough or not.

            The next issue was with the investment made for the seven day countdown and now it might result in profit and even loss. Collins had already questioned the validity of the seven day countdown as an investment of around $ 700 million had been made. There seem to be no specific metrics in place through which the management of the company could measure the success or failure of the hotel opening. Furthermore, the company had opened the hotel with a lower occupancy at a level of 50% and expects to reach to a level of 80%. However, based on the data as provided in exhibit 8 it could be seen that in January the revenue at an occupancy level of 57% is around $ 1.6 million where as in May the revenue would be $ 2.2 million at an occupancy level of 76%. This shows that the hotel is losing money. All these issues need to be addressed to make the launch of the hotel successful.

Decision Criteria & Alternative Solutions

            The management of Ritz Carlton Hotel Company needs to implement immediate strategies to counter all the issues as highlighted above. Since the hotel has been launched therefore, the time for the implementation of the alternatives below is limited. The management might also have to make some investments to make the alternatives work. Some of the alternative solutions for the management of Ritz Carlton Hotel Company along with their pros and cons are described below.

Alternative 1: Evaluation of Seven Day Countdown

             The first alternative available to the management of the company is to fully evaluate the seven day countdown. Collins has been recommending some changes to be made to the seven day countdown, however, despite that the management of the company needs to first evaluate it. The profit should not be considered as the key measure to evaluate the success of the seven day countdown however, the management needs to focus on the job performance of the employees and the satisfaction of the new hires...............

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The Complete Guide to Ritz-Carlton

Ramsey is a freelance travel journalist covering business travel, loyalty programs and luxury travel. His work has appeared in Travel+Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Reader's Digest, AFAR, BBC Worldwide, USA Today, Frommers.com, Fodors.com, Business Traveler, Fortune, Airways, TravelAge West, MSN.com, Bustle.com and AAA magazines. As someone who flies more than 450,000 miles per year and has been to 173 countries, he is well-versed in the intricacies of credit cards and how to maximize the associated perks and services.

Meghan Coyle started as a web producer and writer at NerdWallet in 2018. She covers travel rewards, including industry news, airline and hotel loyalty programs, and how to travel on points. She is based in Los Angeles.

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

Table of Contents

About The Ritz-Carlton

Is the ritz-carlton part of marriott, the ritz-carlton credit card, best ritz-carltons in the world and u.s.a..

Synonymous with luxury, The Ritz-Carlton brand offers reliability, top-quality service and the benefits of the Marriott Bonvoy hotel rewards program.

Initially started by César Ritz, who opened the Hôtel Ritz in Paris in 1898, today there are nearly 100 Ritz-Carlton locations and 50 residential properties in more than 30 countries and territories.

Under The Ritz-Carlton brand, there are also Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties and the new Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. All Ritz-Carlton resorts and hotels follow high standards, with a focus on being elegant without pretension.

Beyond Michelin-starred dining venues and elaborate spas, the brand is known for its Club Lounge product. Guests can pay to book a Club-level room directly or ask at check-in if there is a fee for an upgrade.

There are more than 80 hotels and resorts that offer a Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge stay. The level comes with a dedicated Concierge, access to a private Club Lounge, unique in-room amenities and five food and beverage presentations (breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, hors d’oeuvres and cordials) featuring local cuisine, plus all-day refreshments.

Access to the Club Lounges is not available for free upgrades to Marriott elite status members .

Other interesting features at Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts include its Ritz Kids program, which offers supervised activities for young guests, and its Ambassadors of the Environment program.

The latter partners with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society and local organizations to give guests the chance to learn about the environment of their destination through nature-based and cultural experiences.

What is The Ritz-Carlton credo card?

As a reminder of the brand standards for The Ritz-Carlton, all team members carry a small card in their pocket with the credo and brand standards. Technically, the card is a key part of the employee uniform. It includes reminders about brand tenets like using guest names and being creative when solving problems.

This call to be creative is actually one of the aspects of The Ritz-Carlton service promise that sets it apart from other luxury brands: To solve guest problems and improve their overall stay, each employee is empowered to "rescue" guest experiences with permission to spend up to $2,000 per incident. This could be used, say, for helping guests acquire a clothing item they forgot or for having a special birthday or anniversary gift delivered to the room.

The company is currently a subsidiary of Marriott International. When Marriott International added The Ritz-Carlton brand, which had been previously independent, to its portfolio, it significantly elevated the overall value of the program for travelers who earn and redeem Marriott points.

Even so, the suite of which Marriott Bonvoy elite status benefits are available to guests might disappoint.

While the brand recognizes hotel elite status, the list of perks per Marriott Bonvoy's Elite Guarantee is not as extensive as at other Marriott family hotels. Don’t expect guaranteed room types or complimentary Club Lounge access.

Here is what Marriott elites can expect during a stay at The Ritz-Carlton:

Ultimate reservation guarantee.

Guaranteed welcome gift (1,000 points per stay).

Enhanced room upgrade.

Bonus points.

Late checkout. 

The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card is no longer publicly available, but for some Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit cardholders, there may be a workaround.

If you have the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card , it is possible to switch to The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card from Chase after at least one year of card membership.

on Chase's website

Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after spending $1,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card.

Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card!

The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card's $450 annual fee includes three upgrade certificate s to a Club Level accommodation, but you must reserve a special rate directly through Marriott to use it.

» Learn more: The best hotel credit cards right now

If you’re curious to try out the Ritz-Carlton experience yourself, these are some of the top Ritz-Carlton locations out there.

Marriott charges dynamic prices for award stays, which means the number of points you need for a redemption night will depend on the date of travel.

The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands

(Photo courtesy of Ritz-Carlton)

The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands uses modern architecture to wow its guests. There are no thatch-roofed overwater bungalows, as traditionally found in the Maldives.

The overwater villas have steps that lead directly into the Indian Ocean, and guests can expect excellent dining options, an overwater spa and access to several water sports activities.

» Learn more: NerdWallet's Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands hotel guide

The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes

(Photo courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton)

Adjacent to the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes and not far from the Walt Disney World Resort parks, The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes benefits from great restaurants and lovely swimming pools. Guests also have access to the lazy river pool at the neighboring JW Marriott. Guests can bike, walk, jog or relax in hammock swings along the lakes fronting the property.

This location provides several kid- and family-friend activities that double as an alternative to visiting the nearby amusement parks.

» Learn more: Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grand Lakes review

The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans

The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, located on Canal Street — which is famous for its Mardi Gras parades and proximity to the French Quarter — is one of the best Ritz-Carltons in the U.S.A. From live jazz in the lounge to an in-house Voodoo ritual in the spa, this hotel leans heavily into local experiences.

Ritz Kids is in full swing here, too, and when families check in, kids receive a special welcome packet. An in-house scavenger hunt rewards budding sleuths with a prize at the end.

The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami

The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami is on a 5-mile-long barrier island off the coast of Miami. Guests have access to a beautiful beach, swimming pools, a Caribbean-inspired spa and a tennis center. With direct access to the ocean, guests have numerous water sports activities they can enjoy, too.

The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo

The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo towers above the city with views of the both the city skyline and Mount Fuji on clear days. Its lobby is located on the 45th-floor in one of the city's tallest buildings.

Its Club Lounge experience includes daily food and beverage presentations in one of four spaces, including a library and a garden terrace.

The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto

Around this unassuming property, guests of The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto will find more than 400 works of original artwork in a hotel that showcases Japanese art, textiles and design principles. The accommodations have traditional Japanese-style bathrooms with wooden wash areas with showers and separate soaking tubs.

The hotel was built on a site popular with Japanese nobility centuries ago for its riverside gardens. After dining on local Michelin-starred menus, guests can hop on one of the hotel’s bikes to explore the area.

The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui

The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui in Thailand was built on the site of a former coconut plantation. Today’s guests have 58 acres of island space to enjoy the Gulf of Thailand. The suites and private pool villa accommodations are spread along the hillside, giving unending views of the water.

There is also a private beach, pool area and spa. As is common at The Ritz-Carlton properties, there is a long list of local experiences that guests can undertake, such as Muay Thai boxing, cooking classes and kayaking through the many coves of the bay.

The Ritz-Carlton, Amman

The Jordanian capital has no shortage of Marriott brands, from a W and Marriott to a new St. Regis. But The Ritz-Carlton, Amman is one of the most prestigious addresses in town with the largest accommodations in the country.

The concierge team can organize visits to landmarks like the Dead Sea, the Roman Amphitheater, the Citadel and even Petra. Back on property, its outdoor swimming pool provides relief from the heat. Up on the rooftop, the hotel's Italian restaurant offers excellent views of the city.

Recently opened or coming soon properties

The brand is not slowing down. It is planning several new properties that have already opened or are on the horizon, including:

Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Saudi Arabia (coming soon).

The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas (open).

The Ritz-Carlton, Portland (open).

The Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka (open).

The Ritz-Carlton, Baku (open).

Rissai Valley, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve (open).

The Ritz-Carlton Rabat, Dar Es Salam (coming soon).

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

2x-17x Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card. 2X points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

150,000 Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card!

1x-14x Earn up to 14X total points for every $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® and 2X points on other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains). 1X point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

30,000 Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after spending $1,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card.