DANVERS — A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but it could be tough getting used to that new name.
Yet another North Shore establishment is changing its moniker, as the CoCo Key Hotel & Water Resort falls down the memory hole to be replaced by the Doubletree by Hilton.
Adjusting to new names is a process all too familiar in a modern world that has seen a dizzying array of new names slapped on everything from countries (Myanmar?) to sports facilities to schools to banks to restaurants.
As for the Doubletree, David Lichtenstein of the Lightstone Group said in a press release, "This hotel has long had strong ties to the local North Shore community."
Since construction in the mid-1970s, those ties were maintained at various times under the names Radisson Ferncroft, the Sheraton Tara Hotel, the Sheraton Ferncroft Resort and the Crowne Plaza Boston North Shore.
Of course, Hilton is a familiar name, and Lichtenstein stresses it will have the "characteristic qualities" found "in 280 locations in 23 countries around the world."
"That brand will bring in new business," said Michelle Russo, whose company HotelAVE will help run the place. "What this name means is that there will be a significant improvement in the quality of the hotel."
Name changes often signal new ownership. On the other hand, Salem's landmark restaurant The Lyceum is still in the Harrington family, although it's now called 43 Church.
The new name corresponds to a new style. It's now a steakhouse and wine bar, according to a spokesman. The interior, however, is largely untouched, and that's led to some initial confusion from customers who ask, "Why the change?"
Retired marketing professional John Fogle of Marblehead said there are a lot of reasons to change a name; it's a matter of branding.
"It depends on how much equity is in the name," he said. A name like Apple or Cadillac, for example, can inspire goodwill and is unlikely to change. "If a name has a great reputation ... that's a tremendous amount of equity."
Sometimes a name change is done "to shake off an old brand," Fogle said. Most often, it's a matter of vision. A new team or new owner will bring a new style to a place or product, and they want a name that reflects that — like 43 Church.
The Peabody Essex Museum is another example. "Peabody" refers to one of the museum's early benefactors, 19th-century millionaire George Peabody. But in recent years, the museum name has been streamlined — it's now known as PEM — as management has worked to attract an international reputation.
In the worst case, a new name is meant to overcome a bad reputation, Fogle said. While some perceptions of the homeless tend to be harsh, the Crombie Street Shelter in Salem morphed into the Salem Mission and more recently Lifebridge, with an emphasis on rehabilitation.
Some changes are controversial, as when Governor Dummer Academy in Byfield became The Governor's Academy, bowing to ridicule over a name that went back generations.
You can put a new name on anything, but that doesn't always change what people call it. Staff at the North Shore Medical Center are quick to add "Salem Hospital," just to make sure old-time residents know where they are.
"We don't complaint," says David King, director of communications at the hospital. "We have accepted the fact that the community refers to our facility as Salem Hospital."
Yet, the name wasn't changed merely to annoy the locals. Instead, King explains, it reflects an organization that now includes both Salem Hospital and Union Hospital in Lynn.
Similarly, the Veterans Memorial Bridge — a salute to the nation's warriors — is likely to inspire blank stares. Though it's rebuilt and looks nothing like its predecessor, residents still call it the Beverly-Salem Bridge.
Salem State University spokeswoman Karen Cady has had an easier time dealing with her school's former name — Salem State College.
"The name has been evolving," she said.
In the 19th century, it was Salem Normal School and later Salem Teachers College. The newest name change, mandated by the governor in 2010, was an easy transition because previously it had often been referred to simply as Salem State.
The old name can still be seen etched in stone on the soon-to-be-demolished library, and Cady is tactful about reminding people of the school's new title, one that invokes its expanding mission.
"I still have people speak of it as 'the college,'" she said. "It's a habit."
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