The Ritz-Carlton chain is known for offering many fine services to its guests, and now it may be time to add book censorship to the list.

They can be subtle, like the prethreaded needles in the sewing kits at most hotels in the Ritz-Carlton chain.

The Ritz-Carlton chain, which had estimated sales of about $600 million last year, is owned by William B. Johnson, an Atlanta real estate investor.

Over the past year and a half, for example, the Ritz-Carlton chain has been removing fax machines from rooms at all of its properties.

The Ritz-Carlton chain is scheduled to open a 298-room hotel overlooking Battery Park next month, joining 15 hotels with 4,117 rooms that PricewaterhouseCoopers says have already opened this year.

A big player in the crowded three-star niche is Courtyard by Marriott, from Marriott International, which also owns the five-star Ritz-Carlton chain.

In the industry, such hotels are rated four stars, but they generally do not charge as much as such more expensive hotels like those in the Ritz-Carlton chain.

Probable bidders include Ian Schrager and Northstar Capital and the Ritz-Carlton chain, which is desperate to re-establish a presence in Manhattan.

It joined the Four Seasons Hotels chain in 1977, as there was no Ritz-Carlton chain at the time.

Confusingly, it remains part of Four Seasons and has no association with the current Ritz-Carlton chain, though it uses the name and the iconic logo.