The Ritz Carlton has increased its development pace with 2007 hotel openings in global capitals including Tokyo, Moscow, Beijing, and Dublin -

Its success in meeting consumer demand for exceptional surroundings, matched by service delivery, has been recognized with a virtual "sweep" of prestigious number one rankings in recent surveys by J.D. Power, Consumer Reports, The Market Matrix, and Luxury Institute.

At the same time it has grown its portfolio to 66 hotels and resorts round the world, the company has plans to add even more locations, including private residential developments and fractional ownership projects in some of the most desirable urban and resort destinations. While the future sites are under construction, with openings planned through 2010, The Ritz-Carlton and its owners have invested more than a billion dollars in capital improvements to upgrade properties from St. Thomas to Palm Beach, and Shanghai to Maui, where a $110 million renovation will transform the Hawaiian resort into a showcase of tropical casual elegance. A three year capital improvement plan for all hotels will include in-room enhancements from flat screen televisions, higher thread count bedding, to gourmet coffee makers and wireless capability.

"The luxury hotel business has never been more competitive than in the current economic climate. We are experiencing a significant growth in global travelers from many new markets such as Russia and China. It is critical for The Ritz-Carlton to retain today's loyal customer, while still attracting the next generation of business and leisure travelers. Their expectations of a hotel experience have helped our brand evolve from one known for elegant formality to one of more relevant and relaxed luxury," said Simon F. Cooper, president and chief operating officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.

Recognizing that with a subtle shift in design philosophy towards a more casually elegant feeling, the delivery of Ritz-Carlton's legendary levels of service needed to also embrace some equally understated changes, the company introduced a new set of "Service Values" in 2006 to encourage its ladies and gentlemen to offer guest service relying upon their instincts rather than a more scripted response.

"We listened to our guests and they told us a warm smile and timely offering of services was their definition of how they wished to be treated by hotel staff." As described by The Market Matrix Hospitality Index, which ranked Ritz-Carlton number one in the luxury category, "For nearly 25 years, the hotels of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company have been consistently rated among the best in the world….guests most often rave about the personal treatment they experience."

Among the many enhancements planned in most Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts are world-class spas operated by renowned names including Six Senses, ESPA, and La Prairie, celebrity chef restaurants created by culinary legends Eric Ripert, Gordon Ramsay, Dean Fearing, Heinz Winkler and Wolfgang Puck. "These are the types of features we believe will continue to position The Ritz-Carlton as an iconic brand preferred by the sophisticated and affluent travelers of the world," explained Cooper.

Commenting on the impressive winning array of top honors, including the recently recaptured J.D. Power 2007 North America Guest Satisfaction Index Survey number one ranking, Cooper paid-tribute to the 36,000 ladies and gentlemen serving Ritz-Carlton guests. "It is their commitment to always exceeding the expectations of our customers which insures that no matter how large our company may grow around the world, we will never forget service is what we built our reputation on as a hotel company, and our commitment is to grow the service quality along with the portfolio of hotels which should reach 100 by 2010," said Cooper.