from Casino
Life Magazine
February
2015
Bill Healey speaks to Roger Marris about
how the Club’s prestige is enhanced through its strong and enduring relationship
with their sophisticated jet-set membership.
[Casino Life] The
Ritz Club is world renown as one of London’s most prestigious addresses, and
therefore a draw for business leaders and entertainers. Through the years, the Club has hosted a fair
number of influential and high profile people.
Can you share some of the more interesting stories?
[Ritz] Well, I must say that when the former
President of the United States, Bill
Clinton visits The Ritz Club he is
extremely charming and very popular with the staff. He has the ability to completely engage with
whomever he is introduced to. His
legendary charisma stems from the undivided attention he gives to every person
he meets. I have been told that on one
occasion when he was dining in the restaurant, he went over to each and every
one of the staff that had served him, looked into their eyes and personally
thanked them for looking after him so well.
He then asked them if they would like a photograph with him. He connects with ordinary people, looks them
in the eye and listens to what they say.
He’s genuinely interested in other people’s stories.
 |
| Casino Life Magazine February 2015 |
Al Pacino and Johnny Depp are two other
frequent visitors to the Club when they are in London. Johnny Deep and his long-time friend, Nick
Tosches are both members and enjoy coming to the Club. In an interview in Vanity Fair, in 2011, The
Ritz Club is mentioned several times with Johnny saying that he has his blue
Ritz Club membership card in his wallet and fond memories of his and Nick’s
last long night there on the Blackjack tables and at the Bar when their luck
was in and they won!
Britain’s most successful female artist
ever, Dame Shirley Bassey, chose The Ritz Club to host her first album launch
in over 20 years, it featured songs written specifically for her, by a stellar
cast of contemporary artists, including, Take That's Gary Barlow, the Kaiser
Chiefs, the Manic Street Preachers, Pet Shop Boys, KT Tunstall and Rufus
Wainwright, who all incidentally attended a glittering reception in the Club’s
Amber Room.
During a film shoot about the Bond movies
in the Amber Room with Sir Roger Moore, the director had to shout ‘cut’ 11
times due to the noise of the Underground which can be heard as the tube trains
rumble past. The scene was relocated to
the Bar of the Club due to the director’s frustration and everyone else’s
amusement including Sir Roger.
The Queen Mother always presented the
Waterford Crystal Trophy to the winners of The Ritz Club Trophy Stakes at
Ascot. One year she could not attend due
to a bad cold, her private equerry rang to ask if it would be ok for her
daughter to present instead!! (The
Queen)
 |
| Roger Marris, CEO |
[Ritz] As Chief Executive of The Ritz Club my role is
to guide and provide inspiration and innovation to the management team and
staff and to continue the ongoing vision of the Club and the company’s unique
principles and values which were originally established by our owners.
I am primarily responsible for the
strategic direction of the business and overseeing the day-to-day operations,
including all P&L’s for each department, as well as maintaining and
ensuring that The Ritz Club brand continues to be a strong, luxurious and
iconic brand, and that it works comfortably alongside our sister companies The
Ritz Hotel, and Ritz Fine Jewelry.
[Casino Life] Describe
the Club’s gaming areas, including the table games available. How has club’s mix in table games changed in
recent years?
[Ritz] The Ritz Club’s main gaming room was the
former ballroom of The Ritz Hotel. It is
exquisite and very beautiful with a magnificent hand-painted ceiling and
amazing crystal chandeliers created to order in Turkey. Luxury hand-woven carpets and exceptionally
fine antiques and paintings, which have been sensitively restored by some of
the most highly regarded workshops in Paris, make it a very special gaming
environment.
Members can play Baccarat, American
Roulette, Blackjack and Three Card Poker.
For those guests wishing to raise the stakes even further, the Club has
three salles privées, The Aida and The Carmen Room provide the ultimate private
retreat, accessed from a separate elevator, where a host of gaming facilities
await - Blackjack, Poker, Roulette, Baccarat... within an environment strictly
designed for one individual or group at a time – and with no possibility of
sharing.
In 2014 we elected to transform the Amber
Room into an additional salle privée and increased the number of Baccarat
tables in line with the Club’s strategy to welcome more Far East and Chinese
visitors and to enhance their experience at The Ritz Club. We had been continually monitoring the influx
of big players from this part of the world and this led us to review our
offerings and identify opportunities to attract this new wave of players. For many operators, including The Ritz Club
this meant a cultural and strategic change of direction for the business as we
had to make the transition
more solidly into Baccarat and other games favoured
by the Chinese and Far East player.
 |
| The Amber Room |
The Amber Room is the largest of our three
salles priveés and is an immaculate interpretation of Imperial Russian
opulence. The room was inspired by the famous 18th century Amber Room at the
Tsarkoye Selo outside St. Petersburg and features the work of over 100 artists
and craftsmen from a dozen countries who have replicated the mirrored splendour
of the court of Catherine the Great.
[Casino Life] Does
the Club hold Baccarat or Poker tournaments, or is there a plan to do so?
[Ritz] The Club has run a number of Poker
tournaments and many players regularly approach us to host tournaments. We choose to do this on a select basis. Due to the popularity of Baccarat in the
Club, we have yet to hold any tournaments but we are considering doing so in
the future.
[Casino Life] As
a club for jet-setters and experienced gamers, it would be expected table games
are the preferred gaming choice. How
significant is the presence of slot machines?
[Ritz] Slot machines continue to surprise me. Although they are a minor part of our gaming
offer, we nevertheless have seen a significant increase in revenue from the
small collection of machines that the Club offers members. So, although table games will always remain the
preferred choice, we will still continue to host a small number of machines for
those members who wish to play on them.
[Casino Life] What
are the preferred slots machines at the Club?
[Ritz] IG slots are the current preferred
choice. The Ritz Club has a continual
dedication and focus on all aspects of innovation and technology. We are increasingly focused on using new
innovative systems to drive our business forward, and we are working with
Intelligent Gaming to create a more dynamic gaming environment in order to
build excitement and deliver unique products to our customers. Intelligent Gaming have been incredibly
responsive partners, meeting our needs with an advanced yet simple to use
technology.
[Casino Life] As
a private membership club, are there marketing challenges The Ritz Club must
address differently from other casinos?
[Ritz] Rather than being a challenge, our marketing
tactics are geared towards a retaining a luxury membership base that is
tailored towards the individual.
Foremost,
we’re a people business. We have customers abroad that know us
personally, and we are happy to offer them help in other aspects of their life
– be it education in London for their children, for example. We have over the
years formed very deep relationships with our customers, and I think that
exemplifies that the casino and the hotel is more than just a destination for
them. We can’t assume that our members
will always be there just because we’re here.
There are never any assumptions and we maintain steady friendships such
as remembering birthdays and anniversaries, not just for the club member, but
also for the entire family.
We regularly make private overseas visits
to members in their own countries, arrange member events, such as our hugely
successful New Year’s Eve Gala Party, which this year took the theme of a
Venetian Masked Ball, private dinner parties; such as our forthcoming
celebration to welcome in Chinese New Year - ‘The Year of the Sheep’ and
various sporting and social events throughout the year. These members are more than customers. We’re
a private company that’s run like a large family business. We have adopted a very personal and
individual approach as is in keeping with our brand. Mass marketing tactics would only serve to be
detrimental to the brand as well as our reputation and upset our much valued
customers.
[Casino Life] With
the high-profile of many of the Club’s members, it would be expected data
security is a priority. Is the
membership system developed specifically for the Club, or is it commercially
available to other membership clubs?
[Ritz] Great emphasis is placed on ensuring
that the highest standards of operating procedures are consistently and
constantly upheld. This, alongside the Club’s esteemed name and reputation, are
key factors in maintaining its international and loyal following amongst its
rich and famous members. We have a very
bespoke, customised, secure membership system.
[Ritz] Social media is of course part of
the marketing mix and is viewed as a positive communications tool. As an outbound mechanism it is used to
promote features of the Club or special events that we are hosting. As an inbound mechanism we are grateful that
it allows our members to engage with us regards to questions they may have
about The Ritz Club. We are very
conscious about how prevalent and important social media and Apps are in the
Asian market with platforms such as WeChat.
We are currently investigating how we can enhance our current social
media offerings with our office in Macau.
[Casino Life] Is
access to The Ritz Club extended to guests of The Ritz London Hotel?
[Ritz] Yes, access to The Ritz Club is extended to
the guests of the hotel and they are very welcome. In fact, being part of the Ritz family is
what sets The Ritz Club apart from the other Mayfair casinos. For guests staying in the Hotel, exclusive
access to the casino is via ‘secret’ doors. This means there is no need for
guests to step outside the hotel to come and visit the casino. Furthermore, for our Chinese members,
Mandarin-speaking staff both in the hotel and club will make sure all our
guests feel at ease and are always looked after in true Ritz style!
[Casino Life] The
Club has an award-winning restaurant with a highly ranked international
chef. Along with the Bar, the club
offers guests several fashionable and intimate experiences away from the
games. Could you highlight the value
these non-gaming options add to the Club’s overall operations?
[Ritz] The importance of the non-gaming aspects of
the Club cannot be underestimated. The
exceptional service, friendly staff and beautiful surroundings
are the fabric
of our business. The Bar, Restaurant and
Cigar Shop add a significant value to the Club’s business and play a huge part
in the overall operation. Right from the
start we made a conscious decision to remain as a private members club rather
than brand ourselves a casino, because this is what our members want. Being a ‘club’ is the hallmark of our brand
and it is what The Ritz Club is renown for all over the world.
The award-winning, intimate Restaurant is
very popular with members and guests of the hotel and it is known for the
highest standards of service, luxury and cuisine. An international brigade of chefs, under the
ever-watchful eye of Head Chef, Kristian Kurn have created a menu that features
an authentic collection of dishes that include French, Lebanese, Thai, Indian
and Chinese. Our staff will accommodate
any request from members – be it roast suckling pig for Chinese New Year or a
banquet to take on board a private jet – or maybe some recommendations about
the finest wines from the Club’s extensive wine list.
[Casino Life] Some
say a director’s desk can convey a lot about their management style. For some, its organized chaos. What’s on your desk, and what will it say
about your management?
[Ritz] With my Celtic work ethic and military
background, I am fanatical about a clean inbox as well as a clean desk. I cannot bear working in a mess - I am a
methodical and very thorough individual.
That being said, I have a very beautiful and traditional Aspinal leather
desk set which helps me stay organised.
Although I embrace technology and function, I am very old fashioned at
heart and much prefer a beautiful hand written Thank You note than a quick
text.
