If his name is Mr. Rogers, then the Ritz-Carlton Denver must be his neighborhood.
Meet Andrew Rogers, 38, the new general manager at the Ritz-Carlton, 1881 Curtis St., arguably the swankiest hotel in town.
Rogers landed in Denver after 10 years as the hotel manager for the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua (Maui), Hawaii. Prior to that, he had stints at the Ritz St. Thomas and the Ritz in Jupiter, Fla.
Most of his 20 years in the hospitality industry have been in resort locations, but Rogers, who has a wife, two young girls and one on the way, says he felt it was time to return to the mainland to raise his kids on firmer ground.
“I feel very fortunate to be at this property,” he said while sipping a Red Stripe beer (a Rogers addition to the menu) inside the bar at Elway’s downtown. “This is a great hotel, restaurant and spa. The spa is one of the best-kept secrets.”
The property includes a full-service spa, banquet service, free valet parking and the only Elway’s outside of Cherry Creek. The concierge floor is TDF (to die for), with meal service five times a day and an open bar.
When Rogers first moved here, he immersed himself in hotel business by living there until his family arrived recently. He started with the Ritz-Carlton company 20 years ago.
“I was cleaning (golf) clubs and washing carts,” he said. “The company made me feel so good that I stayed with them.”
Rogers, a PGA card-carrying pro and scratch golfer, came up through the ranks in the hotel’s golf division, including serving as director of golf operations for the Ritz in Rose Hall, Jamaica.
He’s been trying to get to as many courses in Colorado as he can, calling the business outings “course inspections.” What about a golf course to go with the $75 million property at 18th and Curtis?
“It’s on my to-do list to make sure our guests get the best golf experience we can provide,” he joked.
Big bites.
What do you do if you’re the LoDo District Inc. with a budget shortfall? Get creative to make up the dough.
LDDI interim executive director Christina Pfitzinger put her head together with LDDI president Guenther Vogt to come up with LoDo Bites, a sip, sample and stroll through 20 restaurants in Lower Downtown Denver.
Last Tuesday, green-wristbanded foodie folks were seen trotting from restaurant to restaurant in search of snacks and sips. The $30-per-person event attracted 900 people and raised $23,000 for LDDI. Will there be an encore next year?
“The feedback from some of the restaurants has been really positive,” Pfitzinger said. “We have a meeting next week to make sure they’re comfortable with (the event) before we go ahead and do it again.”
The seen.
New Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce CEO Kelly Brough and the mayor’s City Council liaison and legislative director, RD Sewald, taking in Los Lonely Boys and Los Lobos at the Denver Botanic Gardens on Sunday.
Eavesdropping.
A man to the foursome in front of him at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club:
“It’s been a pleasure hitting into you today.”
Penny Parker’s column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Listen to her on the Caplis and Silverman radio show between 4 and 5 p.m. Fridays on KHOW- 630 AM. Call her at 303-954- 5224 or e-mail pparker@ .
