Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly

http://cqx.sagepub.com/ Putting up the Ritz : Using CUlture to Open a Hotel

William E. Kent Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 1990 31: 16 DOI: 10.1177/001088049003100307 The online version of this article can be found at: http://cqx.sagepub.com/content/31/3/16.citation

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The Center for Hospitality Research of Cornell University

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Hotel

Operations

Putting up
hotels—with an

Ritz: the

Using CUlture to Open a Hotel

Opening a new hotel is at once exciting and trying. Heres how Ritz-Carlton opens its emphasis on instilling its culture in the staff
Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City during the seven days prior to its opening. In this article, I will explain how Ritz-Carlton spreads its corporate culture through its pre-opening activities by encouraging each employee to &dquo;buy into&dquo; the values of that culture. My story starts seven days before the opening.
men

by William E. Kent
EVERY HOTEL FIRM has its own specific methods for opening a new property. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company employs the usual tools of critical-path planning, scheduling matrices, detailed procedural

conferring near the entrance.

men

descended upon my the door, took my bags, cab, opened and welcomed me to the RitzCarlton. While this kind of welcome is typical of Ritz-Carlton, I soon learned that I had not been
The three

manuals, and other task-oriented

methods. But Ritz-Carltons management also spends substantial amounts of time teaching new employees about the Ritz-Carlton mystique and credo-in other words, its culture. In May 1990, I was invited by Ritz-Carlton president Horst Schulze to be at the

Day Seven: Walking the Property

Seven

William E. Kent, Ph.D., is director of the hotel-restaurant management program at Auburn

days before the Pentagon City property opened, I arrived at

the hotel at 8:30 AM. As my cab swung into the front drive, I could see Horst Schulze and three other
16

University. Auburns program is focused on the lodging industrys premium-service segment. The author acknowledges the assistance extended by the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.

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As with all Ritz-Carlton Hotels, the front desk of the Ritz-Carlton Rancho

Mirage sets the tone for the guests visit.

robe is
ounce an

greeted by doormen-in-training, but by the hotels general manager and two corporate vice presidents.
Horst also welcomed me and invited me to tour the facility. We were accompanied by the &dquo;doormen&dquo; : Bob Warman, general manager of the hotel; Sigi Brauer, regional vice president; and Owen Dorsey, vice president for human resources; as well as project director Martin Carlson. As we moved quickly through the public spaces of the hotel, Horst remarked on the color of the marble floor, noted that the rest-room flxtures were silver rather than brass,

commented that the carpet color

was light, and offered quick reactions to myriad decor details. It seemed, however, that no matter what Horst commented on, Bob had an immediate, knowledgeable response. This general manager, it seemed, knew something about every aspect of the hotel. Even though he was taking in every detail, Horst never failed to greet warmly any employee he encountered. During the tour of the guest spaces, Horst examined everything, including the terrycloth robe hanging in the guestroom closet. Bob explained that the

upgraded version, 24-

too

terry rather than 16-ounce, with a rolled collar and a more detailed logo sewn on the breast. Pausing in the lounge, Horst, Owen, and Bob discussed issues pertinent to the food-service operation. Will the level of cuisine, for instance, be too upscale to bring in shoppers from the new mall adjoining the hotel? How will the hotel resolve the problem of the early shift? The shift begins at 5:30, but Washingtons rapid rail system doesnt arrive until 6:30. The men also discussed staffing levels. Of 440 employees needed,

17

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the hotel has hired 410. Horsts eyebrows went up when he learned there were 3,000 applicants. Bob commented that the labor pool was

multi-national, an advantage in the sophisticated I~.C. market. After the stop in the lounge, the inspection party moved on to the
back of the house. The Ritz-Carlton organization calls it the &dquo;heart of the house.&dquo; The boiler was down, in need of a part. Moreover, nothing could be dry cleaned. Employee meeting. As 11:00 approached, Horst was scheduled to talk to half of the opening staff of the hotel. He has done so at every Ritz opening to date. Horst considers these talks extremely important, because he is convinced that &dquo;people are the soul of a hotel&dquo; and he feels it is his personal responsibility to &dquo;reach&dquo; the new employees and begin the process of converting them to the RitzCarlton way of thinking. A second meeting for the remainder of the staff was scheduled for 3:00 PM. In the ballroom, half the 410

Next, Horst reached the core of the companys service philosophy: &dquo;You are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen,&dquo; he said. I often heard that refrain around the hotel, and it is imprinted on a card that each employee is to carry at all times. Horst reviewed the three steps of service: (1) a warm and sincere greeting, (2) anticipation of and compliance with guest needs, and (3) a fond farewell. To make the point that guests remember the employees more than the product, he evoked mental images of the poor service that everyone has experienced and can recall bitterly:

appeared to be excited, seemingly sparked by Horsts sincerity and enthusiasm. At the later session,
Horst covered much of the same ground, but he added a few points, too. &dquo;There are three words to forget when you enter the hotel,&dquo; he said. &dquo;They are hi, folks, and OK. Here we say Good morning, madam, and It will be my pleasure, sir.
&dquo;

Horst concluded: &dquo;If a guest

surly, impersonal, indifferent,

absent-minded. He urged the employees to be pleasant to one another and to see their supervisor when they have a problem, rather than gripe to each other. At the conclusion of the first half of his talk, Horst said, &dquo;If you want to be part of making this hotel successful, come back after the break. If you dont think we are for you, you may leave and there will be no hard feelings.&dquo; Credo. I noticed no empty seats when employees came back after the break. &dquo;When you came back, you committed yourself to our Credo,&dquo; he said. The Credo, too, is printed on the card that employees carry with them. Horst later told me that considerable care and thought went into writing the Credo. Closing the meeting, Horst told the employees: &dquo;We dont want you to work for this company. Instead, we want you to be a pccrt of this company. Our common goal is a hotel of excellence. We will dominate the top segment of the hotel industry worldwide, but I need your help to bring this about. The future of this hotel is in your hands.&dquo; The meeting closed with enthusiastic applause. The employees 18

complains, apologize and rectify the problem.&dquo; Department heads. After the second employee meeting ended, Horst still had another meeting scheduled, this one for department heads, at 5:30 PM. Horst readily agreed with Owen Dorsey that casual dress was appropriate. As he talked with Owen, he closed his eyes and said with intensity, &dquo;I must get through to them. I must
reach them.&dquo; Horst is a man possessed by a vision of excellence, consistency, and the possibilities of a world-wide network of hotels with which he hopes to dominate the top 5 percent of the lodging market. But he realizes that none of this is possible unless his employees, his department heads, and his vice presidents buy into the Ritz-Carlton Credo. In the Ritz-Carlton organization, no one assumes that rank or seniority immunize you from further indoctrination. For instance, all trainers (borrowed from other Ritz-Carlton hotels) were required to attend one of the newemployee orientation sessions.

employees were waiting. Precisely at 11:00, Bob introduced Horst to the group. Greeting the audience, Horst joked for a few
new

moments to relax everyone. But he

quickly turned serious. &dquo;Success is doing whatever you are doing right now extremely well,&dquo; he said. &dquo;Money, cars, and houses are tangible rewards of success, but the key to success is what you do here
and now.&dquo;

Having sat in on a jillion semiclasses, and speeches, I was a jaded listener. But I was impressed. Horst has a manner, pace, and intensity that commands attention. He obviously believes in what he is saying. &dquo;We dont just hang a sign on a building and call it a Ritz-Carlton Hotel,&dquo; he continued. &dquo;It is our people who make a Ritz-Carlton a Ritz-Carlton, not our artwork, our carpeting, or our furniture.&dquo;
nars,

Visiting general managers were required to attend both sessions.

When you consider the extent to
a general manager is steeped in Ritz-Carltons value system, you could forgive the GMs for thinking &dquo;Ive heard all that before.&dquo; The fact is, yes, they have heard it before, but theyre going to hear it again and again. Not surprisingly, then, the 5:30

which

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session for department heads included a command appearance by the visiting general managers and vice presidents. The seminars title was &dquo;Foundations of the RitzCarlton.&dquo; At that meeting, which began promptly at 5:30, Horst chastised a vice president for being one minute late. His comments were good-natured, but the point was made: we strive for perfection in every detail, and it has to start at the top. Seminar attendance numbered perhaps 100. The presentation was professional, complete with flip charts and posters. Although Horst introduced material on how managers differ from leaders, most of the evening was a discussion of Ritz-Carlton basics. He later conceded that he believes in repetition of important points-no matter how senior or intelligent the listeners are. That approach seems to work. Corporate values are openly discussed in the company and anyone from the president to a housekeeper can tell you what the company stands for. One of the main points in the final minutes of the seminar was managing service. Horst implored the department heads to greet employees warmly, to be role models, to teach one new subject each day, and to repeat, repeat, repeat. The session ended with enthusiastic applause, with many department heads lingering afterward to speak with Horst.

tours of the

hotel, and a myriad pre-opening details. Department heads and even general managers were flown in from other Ritz-Carlton properties to act as trainers. They wore white lab coats so they could be readily identified. Training schedules and materials covered not only what is to occur and when, but also the
of other

The
&dquo;The Ritz-Carlton Hotel is a place where the genuine care and comfort of our guests is our highest mission. &dquo;We pledge to provide the finest personal service and facilities for our guests who will always enjoy a warm,

subjects to be covered. I was invited to wander the property at will, seeking out and observing groups in all phases of training. The Restaurant. In The Restaurant, I found employees
listening white-jacketed trainer going over (surprise!) the
to
a

relaxed, yet refined ambience. &dquo;The Ritz-Carlton experience

enlivens the senses, instills wellbeing, and fulfils even the unexpressed wishes and needs of
our

Credo. He had them read it aloud and instructed them to keep their Credo cards with them at all times. Later that morning, Bob met with all the employees. He surprised his audience by waving a $50 bill around. He promised that he would pay that much to employees &dquo;for every new person that you bring to us who is selected as an employee and stays at least 60

guests.&dquo;

days.&dquo; Following Bobs meeting, the food and beverage staff convened again in The Restaurant. The trainer had spoken for about ten minutes when Horst dropped by
and asked if he could address the
group.

99

Urgently, even passionately,

Day Six: Mining Diamonds

The activities of day six, as well as all seven pre-opening days, were choreographed months in advance
I was handed the various schedules that contained the details involved in the hotels pre-opening agenda. Orientation matrices were written for training on the hotel computer,

by corporate personnel.

uniform

specific departmental training, distribution, fire drills,

he implored them to reach for excellence. Apparently Horst never speaks to a group of employees in a detached manner. Recalling his own days as a waiter, he told them with a wry grin that he was &dquo;a better waiter than you will ever be.&dquo; Using some self-deprecation, he added that the reason for his hustling was that he was a womanizer and had to support his passion. In contrast, Horst urged the staff to apply a passion of a different kind by seizing the moments they have with guests to &dquo;love your guests&dquo; and give them &dquo;genuine care and
19

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comfort.&dquo; He reminded them that a brain surgeon doesnt allow a bad mood to affect his work. &dquo;As a professional, you cannot allow this to happen either,&dquo; he said, adding, &dquo;Keep an arms length from your

phrases, emergency procedures, how to handle guests with insufficient credit limits, and the importance of fully informing the relieving shift of whats going on in
proper

guests. They are not your friends;

they are your guests.&dquo;

Bell staff. That afternoon, I sat in on a training session for the bell staff. Horst dropped by to tell a

story. When he was general

manager of the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead, he received a phone call from a man who identified himself as an inspector from the American Automobile Association. The man said he had stayed at the uptown Atlanta property and had completed his inspection, but wanted to
see the general manager for a moment. Horst realized how

the hotel. Horst dropped in for an informal chat (is he everywhere?, I wondered). Horst never let up on the intensity of his comments. He emphasized the importance of a warm greeting, eye contact, and making guests feel important. &dquo;Your main function is to welcome and be of service,&dquo; he said. &dquo;The mechanics of the check-in are incidental. You must set the mood for the guests entire stay.&dquo; After Horst left, the &dquo;grooming squad&dquo; came by to discuss company standards for hair, make-up, and

this evening? Instead, ask May I take your beverage order? If the guest responds negatively, then ask, May I offer you a newspaper or a magazine? &dquo; A trainee asks what to do if the guest requests a specific magazine not already in the lounge. The trainers answer: &dquo;You go to the gift shop and get whatever the guest wants. Use a paid-out slip. We are here to please
our

guests.&dquo; Shops. Bob Tutnauer, who explained that Ritz-

coordinates retail sales for the

company,

important the AAA five-diamond

rating (along with Mobils five-star rating) would be for his thenfledgling company and immediately began praying. As the two men walked through the hotel, the
AAA inspector commented that the bellman who carried his luggage and escorted him to his room &dquo;was the best bellman I have encountered in my 20 years of inspecting hotels. He was a perfect gentleman.&dquo; As they continued to walk, every employee they met greeted Horst and the inspector warmly and

jewelry. Suggestions were even made regarding diet and sleep, since they affect performance on the job.

Carltons philosophy is that it is in the service business rather than the retailing business, so retail spaces should be an &dquo;extension of the hotel.&dquo; My observations confirm this philosophy, as the retail spaces in the hotels tend to be quite small.

They are, however, high-quality

outlets that sell a number of RitzCarlton signature items: cobaltblue goblets, key chains, terry robes, and other sundries. Cruel and unusual. Throughout that day, employees attended what is called &dquo;the food show.&dquo; The purpose of the food show was to excite the employees not connected with food service about the hotels food and to encourage them to recommend the hotels restaurants to guests. The kitchen prepared every item on The Restaurants menu, as well as every item on The Grills menu. The food was on display in the ballroom. Each item was named and described aloud as a staff member passed the plate in front of employees seated in a semi-circle around the display. I attended the food show late in the morning, so the experience of watching and smelling but not eating all that food constituted cruel and unusual punishment. (On this day, the public dining
spaces
were

Day Five: The Food Show

Once again, I ventured to The Restaurant, where servers were being trained. They were
instructed to &dquo;detail&dquo; their assigned tables. &dquo;Make certain your table looks perfect,&dquo; intoned the whitejacketed trainer. Later they had a lineup, during which the trainer commented on hair styles, scuffed shoes, jewelry, and the like. The employees were handed their own Ritz-Carlton Credo card and were asked to recite the Credo aloud. &dquo;You will be tested on the Credo,&dquo; the trainer warned. The group was then briefed on proper phraseology, such as &dquo;May I offer you some freshsqueezed orange juice?&dquo; and &dquo;May I take your order now?&dquo; The details of mise en place, side duties, and service techniques occupied most of the remaining time. In the lounge, a trainer is explaining the special care that must be given to guests who are alone. &dquo;Make them feel comfortable. Do not ask, Are you alone
20

individually, even though they

couldnt have known who the man was. Horst finished the story by saying that the hotel received its fifth diamond that day, but it was the bellman who was as responsible as anyone. The impact point of that story was not lost on the apprentice bellmen in the room. Later that afternoon, I visited with a small group of front-desk employees in training. The trainer was cautioning them to be wary of personal relationships among the staff because &dquo;it can affect our guests.&dquo; The trainer went over

not

yet serving train-

ing meals, everyone ate in the employee cafeteria. Perhaps meals

so

would become more leisurely after

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21
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Profiles Horst Schulze and Robert Warman

I Horst Schulze is president, chief operating officer, and energizer of the Ritz-Carlton
Hotel

opening. They drank in the lounge,

ate in the

restaurants, asked

typical questions, and gave the staff a chance to practice and

become acclimated to the normal atmosphere of the hotel. All employees wore uniforms, the furniture and artwork were generally in place, and the hotel looked essentially ready for the real world. The real world includes

Company. Few people

have the

Horst Schulze greets doorman at the RitzCarlton Buckhead.

he possesses-the gift of charisma. People notice Horst when he enters a room, and they are not disappointed when he speaks. With a small group, he is warm and charming, entertaining listeners with stories ranging from his daughters antics to his encounters with executives from around the world. When he is addressing 400 new employees, he becomes an impassioned energizer, the personal embodiment of the spirit of the Ritz-Carlton Credo. Having spent nine years with Hyatt Hotels, Horst has an extensive background in food and beverage service. Prior to his stint with Hyatt, he worked in such worldclass hotels as the Belle~ue Palace and LaBeau Rivage in Switzerland, the Plaza Athen6e in Paris, and the Savoy in London. A native of Germany, he displays a passion for life, for his work, and, indeed, for any activity in which he is involved.

gift that

emergencies, and, consequently,

fire drills
every
were

scheduled almost

day. Reading the book. The hotels training manual for restaurant
reinforces the idea that the philosophy, spirit, and attitudes behind the service are as important as the service itself. On page one is the Credo, and page two contains a note to the employees challenging them to create the finest dining experience in northern Virginia. The Ritz-Carlton mission statement is on page three, while page four has the mission statement of The Restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City. On page five is the mission statement for the food and beverage department of the hotel. Then, on page six, the Ritz-Carlton &dquo;Three Steps of Service&dquo; appears, followed on page seven by a fourparagraph discussion of the philosophy behind &dquo;ladies and
servers

Robert Warman, general manager of the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City, is just 31 years old. Hotel-school graduates are frequently admonished that they expect to advance too quickly in an industry that places great

value on experience. Bob Warmans career will only fuel the flames of ambition among hotel-school grads everywhere. He was selected for his position by a corporate management team characterized by a strong European influence-a team that traditionally favors experience. As a freshman at DePaul University, Bobs

first job was at the front desk of the Hyatt in Chicago. By the time he earned his degree in economics, he was
front-office manager of the hotel. Then he moved to the Hyatt in Houston, where he was front-office manager Robert Warman and executive housekeeper. In 1983, he joined RitzCarlton as front-office of the Buckhead property, where he was later named assistant rooms executive. He opened the Ritz-Carlton Naples as rooms executive, and then did a stint as national sales manager in Chicago. He was transferred back to Buckhead as rooms executive, and then was named general manager at the Pentagon City property in October 1989. Department heads who know Bob express great respect for him, some calling him brilliant. Recalling my seven pre-opening days at his hotel, I

manager

would also call him

busy.-WE.K.
a

the hotel got into

a routine, but was eating and leaving as everyone fast as they could during the pre-

opening week.) During the food show, the entire

kitchen staff was introduced. The speaker explained that all the beef served in the hotel had been aged for 21 days, that all seafood was flown in daily, and that the hotel had only one freezer, which contained nothing but ice cream. The ubiquitous Horst left Washington during day five and would not return during the

remaining four days of pre-opening activities. It was up to Bob Warman and the small army of vice presidents, general managers, and department heads on loan to do the remaining opening work. A mock opening was planned for day four, so day fives training efforts attained a particular intensity for the guest-contact staff.

gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.&dquo; Finally, on page eight, the manual begins to discuss specific procedures for the hotel as
whole. Yet even this page carries reminders of the hotels philosophy. Point number one states: &dquo;The mission statement shall be made available and known to all employees.&dquo; To give an example of a practical application of that philosophy, item number 22 is: &dquo;Guests are escorted to areas in question. We do not point when giving directions.&dquo; Page nine of the manual is devoted to a 50-point &dquo;Food and Beverage Division Basics&dquo; that is largely task oriented
a

Day Four: Mock Opening

Throughout day four, &dquo;guests&dquo; checked in during the mock
22

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but also covers philosophical points. With this manual, employees are exposed to eight pages of philosophical underpinnings before they really sink their teeth into task-oriented training. Owen Dorsey explained: &dquo;If were concentrating on technical aspects, we cant focus on the guests needs, so the technical aspects are second nature to us. We are not the least bit hesitant to share our philosophy with new employees during orientation.&dquo; &dquo;Share&dquo; is hardly the word for it. Everywhere I went during the entire week, I heard trainers discussing the Credo, the mission statement, the three steps of service, and other philosophical points. Not once did I detect the slightest hint of sarcasm or any jaded looks or rolling of eyes over what was being said. The senior staff believes in the company philosophy. It is not something to be summoned only during employee orientation, and then put on the shelf until the next training session.

work

on perfection, quality, and special requests.&dquo; The pace and intensity picked up, however, as

current TV Guide next to the

remote-with a bookmark placed at the page listing the evenings

programs.

more

VIP guests

came

into the

restaurants and lounge and actual service began to take place.

The F&B department served a mock banquet to some of the housekeeping staff, a critical exercise since the hotel accepted its first &dquo;live&dquo; banquet on Day Two, before the hotel opened. The banquet would be a charity event, and the company believed the exposure of the hotel to the upscale participants was worth the extra effort.

Doing my part. I ate in The Restaurant, thus fulfilling my role as a VIP guest. The food, of course,
was superb. The chef and much of his staff were not in training. They already knew exactly what they were doing. Readers familiar with service in four- and five-star hotels know that the presentation of food assumes a level of priority equal to that of quality and taste. Each dish would be very much at home in a culinary arts display. The diningroom staff was instructed to be warm and friendly, but to maintain an arms length from the guests in the social sense. Because the servers were still new and in training, they were somewhat stilted in their service. I knew they would relax and be more comfortable as time passed. The restaurant itself was elegantly furnished, with discreet lighting and extremely comfortable chairs. A pianist played in the background. I began to feel good inside and recalled such phrases from the Credo as &dquo;enlivens the senses&dquo; and &dquo;instills well-being.&dquo; Later in the afternoon, I played the role of a difficult guest for the lounge servers. First, I couldnt make up my mind, and then I ordered something that wasnt available. Next, I complained that my wine wasnt properly chilled, and, to top it off, I informed my waiter that my wine was &dquo;bad.&dquo; Most of the time, the employees responded to my tantrums in a manner satisfactory to the trainer. But whenever an employees response was not appropriate, the trainer stopped the action and prompted the trainee. A &dquo;re~.l&dquo; banquet. After a day of continuous training exercises, the hotel hosted 400 guests in its first real function, the charity

Day Two: VIPs and Grouches

Again, VIP &dquo;guests&dquo; visited all food
outlets. New servers who had waited only on one another now had &dquo;real,&dquo; if non-paying, guests. Managers sleeping in the hotel conducted complete room inspections and room-service quality reports. My own guest room, if typical of the others in the hotel, spoke of the conservative nature of the company. Overall, the decor is subdued. The furniture was topquality, and the television was placed in an armoire with closed doors. The companys penchant for luxury and detail was shown, as one might expect, by the bathroom amenities package-not only in its selection but in the flair with which it was displayed. The profusion of thick towels in the bathroom, emblazoned with the Ritz-Carlton lions head logo, would tell any guest that there is no skimping here. That philosophy extends to the public rest rooms, which offer individual terry hand towelsnever a paper towel or hand dryer. As part of the turndown service, the housekeeper drapes the two Ritz-Carlton terry cloth robes across the bed, opens the armoire doors for the television, places the remote control on the bed pointing toward the screen, and sets the
23

Day Three: The Longest Day

One would think that arriving at 7:00 AM would be early enough to start a corporate executives day, but John Cottrill, corporate rooms director, was conducting his fourth meeting, this one with the bell staff, at 7:00. He started at 5:30 with a walk-through inspection of

night housekeeping areas, met

with trainers at 6:00, and met with the door, valet parking, and fitness staffs at 6:30. Given such a schedule, its no wonder that most of the corporate directors and vice presidents are in their 30s or early 40s. Anyone not in top condition couldnt keep up the pace! Day three continued much of the training routine of the previous day. The food and beverage training schedule, for instance, called for &dquo;repeat of Day-Four routine:

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banquet. The staff prepared a

welcome that the guests will not soon forget. As the banquet guests drove up to the hotel, two valets rushed to open both driver and passenger car doors and exclaimed, &dquo;Welcome to the Ritz-Carlton!&dquo; As the guests approached the hotel, the doormen already had the doors open. They again welcomed the guests. Once inside the hotel, the guests were greeted by a half-dozen employees in black tie. (On this evening, the employees were as likely to be vice presidents and general managers as any other position.) One of the employees stepped forward to ask, &dquo;May I escort you to the ballroom?&dquo; As the couples followed their escort, I could see them smiling and whispering to one another about their lavish reception. From all reports, the banquet service went well. At 9:00 PM, department heads and trainers met so that the corporate trainers could formally give the department heads ownership of their areas. A major topic of discussion was the pep rally for employees scheduled for the next day. Ritz-Carlton believes that emotion plays a significant role in changing behavior, and the pep rally is viewed as an important event.

emerged from the parking garage, playing a rousing march. After a few short speeches, the band marched into the lobby, followed by the employees. The parade went to
the ballroom, which was festooned with large banners bearing messages of congratulations from sister Ritz-Carlton hotels, and where there were balloons and food. Irving Berlins song &dquo;Putting on the Ritz&dquo; played over the ballrooms loudspeakers. Owen Dorsey exclaimed, &dquo;Ladies and Gentlemen, were not only putting on the Ritz, we are the Ritz!&dquo; The crowd cheered. On a large screen at one end of the room, slides taken throughout the week were shown. Most of the shots were candid. A picture of Horst Schulze evoked a loud cheer, although every slide seemed to produce some reaction. It was a party; it was a celebration ; it was a form of congratulations ; and it was a rite of passage for people who had chosen to work for the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City. Though I was only an observer, I shared in their pride. One lesson I learned came through loud and clear. People are capable of extraordinary things if they are involved in an endeavor they believe in. The future will reveal how successful RitzCarltons methods are, but the company is unafraid to reveal its heart and soul to newcomers and beckon them to share its beliefs. Peters and Watermans title for their book Passion for Excellence makes more sense to me after my week at the Ritz-Carlton. As Bernard do Fontenelle said: &dquo;It is the passions of men that both do and undo everything. They are the winds that are necessary to put everything in motion.&dquo;

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Day One: A Celebration

Although there were a few meetings scheduled, Day One belonged to the employees. They began to gather shortly after noon
at the entrance to the hotel. Various departments made signs and banners of every description, boasting humorously of their exploits and promising things to come. They wore funny hats and blew noisemakers. Groups of employees occasionally burst into noisy chants and cheers. The sun was shining, it was a beautiful day in May, and the employees were smiling and excited. Suddenly, a marching band

Day Zero: The Lion Roars

The hotel

opened to the public on

May 7, 1990. As the employee manual put it: &dquo;The lion roars!&dquo; i J

24

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