Letter: Former bellhop has fond memories of Richmond's Skyline Hotel

Dear Editor,

Re: “Do you remember the Skyline Hotel?” News, March 17.

Who remembers the Skyline Hotel? Well, I certainly do because in 1958 and 1959 I worked weekends as the night-shift bellhop while I was still going to Richmond Senior Secondary school.

It was, as any night-shift bellhop at any hotel will confirm, an experience filled with a smorgasbord of encounters with people from all walks of life and from all corners of the globe.

Many of those encounters should not be shared in print, including an awkward face-to-face I had with one of my teachers who was spending the night at the hotel, but there were also a lot of nice experiences that provided me with quite a few pleasant memories.

The hotel didn’t have an elevator at the time so I got a lot of exercise carrying heavy bags up and down the stairs. Being so close to the airport, the hotel was also used for layovers for flight crews from several airlines and they always kept the hotel staff busy with food orders and room service — and they were good tippers as well!

I believe there were two or three owners at the time — all businessmen from Winnipeg — and I remember their frugality because, when one of them visited, they would get me to accompany them through the rooms as we changed all the lightbulbs to lower wattages.

The lounge, right next to the front desk, was a busy, sometimes raucous, place, and the beer parlour at the front of the building was a popular hangout for airport workers and taxi drivers.

One of the benefits of working the late shift was that you could go into the kitchen after the restaurant closed and make your own sandwiches and drink all the soda pop you wanted.

 Yes, I remember the Skyline Hotel. For this young high school kid it was a place where I learned a lot of things about human personalities and behaviour I could never have learned in school, and I have always been thankful for having that.

Ray Arnold

RICHMOND