The Hotel Diaries: Part One

Growing up with a Dad who was in the hotel business was pretty awesome. My sister and I were the lucky recipients of certain perks that made our friends pretty envious. I thought I’d share a few hotel stories over the course of a few posts, if you don’t mind, starting with the earliest hotel.

Dad was on the management team (I can’t remember for sure but I think he was first the Front Desk Manager and then the Assistant Manager) of the Ascot Hotel on South Michigan Avenue in Chicago, right across the street from Grant Park. The Ascot doesn’t exist under that name anymore, but the building is still there: it’s a Best Western now. Because I was so young (between five and nine?) (I’m sure my mom will clarify in comments if she reads this) when he worked at the Ascot, I have memories that are bits and pieces:

1. I remember bringing a group of kids (either my class or my brownie troop) to the hotel for a behind-the-scenes tour.

2. My dad’s good friend was the Food and Beverage Manager at the Essex Inn, another hotel just down the street. We used to get together with them often, and in fact their family remains close with mine.

3. We used to drive to the hotel (from our house in the south suburbs) all the time during the summer, to use the rooftop pool with the awesome slide at the deep end. We have old movies of the day I went under water, choked, and thought I was going to drown.

4. It was during these years when I first discovered Marina City and fell in love. I’ve wanted to move in ever since.

Yeah, those memories were really boring. Sue me: I was super-young. The next hotel gets a little more interesting, but honestly, maybe not much.

Come back tomorrow. Please?

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©2010 Suburban Scrawl

10 Comments

  • Mom24

    That would be fun. I thought you were going to say you lived at the hotels, that would be really cool…well for a little while at least.

  • Colleen - Mommy Always Wins

    So you weren't Eloise?!? Bummer. At least you got to pretend to be her from time to time! 🙂

  • Anonymous

    Well, your Dad started as desk clerk and 6 months later he became Manager of the Ascot. You and your sister had several parties at that and all of the other hotels he was at.

    We did not live at that hotel but we did live at least three others and you were Eloise. When you grow up and your Dad works for a hotel or motel (at least in our family) you learned how to act around guests. Like no misbehaving in the resturant, or any where else there. You did get just about anything you wanted from the employees. You and your sis did like ordering room service. And every hotel had a pool which was always fun. We stayed at all most all of the Hotels when you and your sister and I first moved to where ever he was transfered till our houses where ready.

    The Ascot is where we got our ice cream tables and chairs.

    You loved having friends over so you could us the pool and call room service or even eat in the resturants for free.

  • As Cape Cod Turns

    After reading what you (and your mom wrote) I sorta wish you still lived in a hotel! What I wouldn't do for a roof top pool and room service!

  • xxAngie

    I'm not coming back unless you change the towels! 😉
    This makes me think back to tagging along with my dad when he worked the second job on the weekends at the movie theater.