Though it may not appear to need it, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel will be getting a major renovation this summer, to be completed in time for season.
"The grande dame needs a face lift," said general manager Carter Donovan.
The hotel, now owned by Marriott Hotel Services, "will be a brand new hotel in November," she said, adding that "all fine ladies need a nip and tuck now and then."
Along with renovations to the current property the Ritz just got the go ahead to build a $75 million expansion at Bluebeard's Beach adding 128 new units. The expansion will also include a 8,700 square foot spa. Donovan expects to break ground on the new project sometime in April or May.
This comes as a result of last week's Senate approval of the sale to Ritz-Carlton of a short stretch of public road leading to the East End property.
The renovation to the existing property will cover everything from public and dining rooms to every hotel room, right down to the carpeting, desks, drapes, night stands, beds and toilets.
What this means to the local economy is threefold, Donovan said.
The renovation will mean increased room rates, which in turn will generate more room tax.
The hotel will be "cross training" its "ladies and gentlemen," the term the hotel uses for its employees. "We don't intend to lay anybody off," she said, referring to the slower summer season when the work will take place. For instance, a waiter who is not needed in the dining room, would be trained in another department, such as landscaping or housekeeping.
And third, the hotel may conduct the island's "largest garage sale ever " to say nothing of the most elegant ever. Donovan said plans are not yet definite, but "it would surely be a fun event to look forward to."
She said hotel's furnishings go back to the Grand Palazzo, the hotel that Ritz-Carlton purchased and gave its own name to. "The furniture is exquisite," she said, "a piece of island history." Donovan said that while most people wouldn't notice the wear, when you're charging the Ritz's prices, everything has to be perfect.
As for the used furnishings, after the liquidators purchase, the employees get "first dibs." The public may get a chance to bid on complete rooms. The hotel also will partner with charities such as the Family Resource Center or the Humane Society, to donate furnishings.
Donovan is very enthusiastic about the project. "I'm looking forward to the overhaul and to the 'cross-training' program,"she said. The hotel said it boasts the lowest employee turnover rate in the Ritz-Carlton system at 18 percent, compared to the standard rate of 60 percent.
