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Ritz-Carlton at the City Center A New Marketing Direction
Posted on Thursday, January 24 @ 09:21:04 EST by jfbailey
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The Morning Edition, Filed 1-23-02, 9:30 AM EDT:The Ritz-Carleton interest in establishing a Ritz presence in White Plains is part of a strategy of ringing key metropolitan areas with their luxury presence to cater to the upscale business traveler. The first edition of these 21st Century Ritz-Carletons opened in Boston last August.
No longer the pompous hushed retreat for the Brahmin Bulls, the Ritz-Carleton organization, renowned worldwide as the premier luxury hotel operating company embarked on a new strategy within the five years: opening luxury hip hotels for the newly rich and famous.
The first of these nouveau Ritz-Carletons opened in Boston last August
as the Ritz-Carleton at Boston Common.
Prototype for City Center?
The Ritz-Carleton at Boson Common has 193 rooms (the City Center concept envisions 175), and anchors the new Millennium Place. It is a prototype of the "non-traditional" hotels the Ritz is strategizing to establish for America's business travelers. The hotel gloms on to an upscale retail/entertainment complex, similar to that envisioned by the City Center.
A state-of-leisure destination for the determined and demanding
The R-C at Boston Common creates an insulated atmosphere of opulent leisure complimented by state-of-the-art wired accommodations, business-oriented facilities. It provides appealing places to play, too.
The new Boston R-C furnishes the Sports Club/LA, the restaurant Jer-ne and a bar dedicated to a movie theme, called "The Back Lot," ringed with seven large-screen TVs.
Ritz-Carleton is "hands-on."
The parent Ritz-Carleton organization supplied over 60 trainers to prepare new employees before the debut new Ritz-Carleton opened in the Hub last September. This attention to detail of staff and service is the Ritz-Carleton management trademark. The Ritz-Carleton "Luxury Police" come in and oversee every detail of service technique, design, food, entertainment and architectural style with their corporate owners.
Can White Plains look forward to these amenities?
At the time of its opening the Ritz-Carleton at Boston Common planned to feature a guitarist playing classical guitar in front of the fire-place in the lobby, though at the Ritz, with a champagne cart tastefull and unobtrusively nearby for new guests to toast their arrival. Just what I need after a hard day covering City Hall!
Look out Westchester Arts Council!
The new Boston Common Ritz-Carleton is decorated with $1 million worth of art, according to its manager. If the new dream of a Ritz-Carleton Residences at White Plains crystalizes at the City Center, there may be a cultural transformation of the downtown that will dramatically set a new tone and legitimacy for the Fine Arts Theater and Community Theater Mr. Cappelli has committed to build in the City Center.
The Prix Fix for staying at the Ritz-Carleton in Boston?
Amenities (let's not call them "rooms"), start at $495. For an extra $100, you can cool down on the " club floor," which provides its own exclusive lounge, butler service, and a start-your-day call that calls you, Mr. or Ms White Plains. You wake up to coffee or tea brought to your door. If you do not want to leave your bed, you can swivel the television by remote control.
What Ritz-Carleton may have in mind:
Obviously, the luxury-obcessed at the Ritz-Carleton have thought of other refinements in rich and powerful pamperage since they opened the Ritz-Carleton at Boston Common. They have just been waiting to play White Plains.
Other "perks" at the new Boston Ritz on the Club Level: a butler spiffs up your shoes, unpacks your carryon, or personally makes reservations for you at the Loews Theater in the Millenium Place "mixed-use" mall beneath the R-C at B.C. One can almost feel oneself ask "Montcalm," my R-C valet to make reservations for a Robert Kahn, Joan Charischak or Susan Katz production in the Community Theater at the new City Center as I write this.
Oh, yes, the views!
The R.C. at B.C. provides the Presidential Suite with terrific panoramas of Boston Common. Could a Ritz-Carleton Cappelli may have a Cappelli Suite, perhaps on a pinnacle tower viewing North to Albany and South to New York City? Perhaps even a third tower?
The price tag on The Presidential Suite: $4,000-a-night. Talk about upscale!
Development Chief is Intrigued with White Plains
According to James M. Erlacher, the Vice President North American Development for Ritiz-Carleton, "Marriott agrees that the Westchester market could potentially support a Ritz-Carleton Hotel and Residences and that the White Plains City Center site and overall development would be conducive towards the development of a luxury hotel and residences."
He wrote this state in a letter to Louis Cappelli Wednesday.
Ritz-Carleton the star.
However, the architectural role and prominence and integration of the Ritz-Carleton White Plains will assume in the City Center is now a new issue the Common Council will be grappling with, beginning this evening at 7 PM.
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