Ritz loosens up its tie to change with the times

0 Comments | USA TODAY, December, 2006 | by Barbara De Lollis

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...