Good news for those who thought the Ritz Carlton was a little too stuffy. They're coming 'of age' and have decided to do away with their stringent employee service basics like addressing everyone as "Ladies and Gentleman" and not using words like "sure" and "hello." Now guest-facing employees are empowered to do what it takes to capture the heart of the guests, on their own.

Ritz is struggling with an idea that is confronting many high-end hoteliers: how to define luxury in a crowded and evolving market. No longer is the typical luxury-hotel guest a middle-age male business traveler, or a wealthy jet-setter of a certain age. These days, the 30-year-old in a T-shirt and jeans fiddling with his BlackBerry in the lobby could be worth millions. So while Ritz's motto has long been "Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen," it is coming to grips with the idea that some luxury travelers don't necessarily want to be addressed that way.

Read the complete article in The Wall Street Journal from June 23, 2006.