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OPEN DOOR POLICY
HOTEL DOORMEN GREET GUESTS WITH SONGS,
STOCK TIPS AND SMILES
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By Laurie Burstein
He is the first and the last person you see at The Hyatt Regency
at Union Station. Nicknamed the “Mayor of Market Street,” Randy
Wills has been a doorman at the hotel for the past 18 years and
has no plans to retire anytime soon. While opening doors, loading
luggage and calling cabs, he serves up great advice on everything
from where to play golf in St. Louis and how to get Cardinals tickets,
to where to get good BBQ and the best way to find The Arch.
A typical day for Wills starts at 6:30 a.m. when he comes to work
dressed in full doorman attire. He grew up across the river in Illinois
and knows the St. Louis region well. Married with two kids ages
14 and 12, they think his job is “really cool.”
“My kids think it’s amazing how I get to meet so many people from
presidents, sports stars and celebrities to homeless people and
everyone in between,” Wills says. “That’s really the greatest part
of my job. It’s the ultimate people-person job. In fact, I have
been accused of being overly friendly,” he says with a laugh. Once
he got a $100 tip from a woman who won the lottery, but says it
is often the average guests who are the best tippers.
Wills is in good company with several other well-known doormen who
work at downtown hotels. Darnay Blue, who everyone knows as just
Blue, is the night doorman at The Westin Hotel, as well as the day
doorman at The Renaissance Grand Hotel. His day shift is from 6
a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and then he is at The Westin from 4 to 11 p.m.
He is a native of East St. Louis and 28 years old. In addition to
his regular duties, it’s not unusual for him to tell jokes, perform
magic tricks or offer stock tips.
His boss at The Westin, General Manager Michael Jorgensen, tells
how he saw Blue reading the paper one day and began to question
him about getting back to work. It turns out that one of Blue’s
specialties is reviewing The Wall Street Journal to follow
individual stocks for hotel guests. Many guests at The Westin are
repeat customers and Blue gets to know their likes and dislikes,
as well as which stocks they own. Jorgensen says he has gotten many
letters and compliments about Blue and his extraordinary services.
“Blue is invaluable,” Jorgensen says. “People know him and remember
him and he has brought business to our hotel. He is a fantastic
representative for the hotel and for the entire St. Louis region.”
| Gary
Cason, the day doorman at the Westin, has a song for
everyone. |
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Blue says the best part about being a doorman is developing a bond
with the customers. “We see guests come back over and over and get
to develop a relationship. A lot of our guests travel much of the
time, and I enjoy offering them information on weather, sports scores
and stocks. I have the opportunity to make the first impression
and enjoy taking care of the guests.”
Another popular doorman at The Westin is Gary Cason, the day doorman.
He never forgets a face or a name. His specialty is serenading guests
and has a song for everyone. Jorgensen says Cason escorts every
woman to the hotel’s restaurant and is a trivia master as well.
“Gary finds out where you are from and can easily go head-to-head
with anyone about a given city or state,” Jorgensen says.
As the first contact many out-of-towners have in St. Louis, these
doormen are invaluable assets to their hotels and act as important
ambassadors for the entire region.
Laurie Burstein is a St. Louis-based free-lance writer. |
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