"The whole point of the production method is to create this diseased liver, which is unlike any other form of animal agriculture where you're not just growing animals to be eating, but you're also torturing the animal to grossly enlarge its organs for consumption, " Bryan Pease, an attorney and chairman of the board of the Animal Protection and Rescue League, said.

CNN: Foie gras causes uproar

Much of the work is to update old infrastructure (heat, air conditioning, electrical, room technology), but the Ritz is also reducing the number of rooms and combining some of the smaller ones to add and enlarge suites.

FORBES: Ritz, Paris