This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
President Bush brought his own supply of "presidential" Peanut M&M's with him to Salt Lake City's Grand America Hotel, and apparently ate the contents of one of the boxes, which bear his signature and a yellow M&M waving an American flag.
But other than a last-minute request for four cigars, which were not smoked inside the hotel, Bush was quite "low maintenance" as famous guests go, Bruce Fery, the hotel's executive vice president, said Friday. The president was a quiet lodger. And, apart from riffling through five different newspapers, including The Salt Lake Tribune, he left his $4,500-a-night presidential suite "neat and tidy." He even scrawled a polite note in the room's guest book:
"Thank you for your warm & gracious hospitality. / Best wishes, / George W. Bush / Aug. 30, 2006."
There was nothing low-key about preparations for Bush's visit, however. During the two weeks before his arrival, 40 Secret Service agents stayed at Grand America to supervise background checks on all 1,400 of the hotel's employees; work out security issues; and set up a communications command post with 60 secured phone lines, wireless communications, a satellite dish and satellite phones.
The high-tech equipment was ensconced in silk damask and Richelieu furnishings in the concierge suite adjoining Bush's rooms, giving the president ready access to world leaders, Fery said. Whether Bush called the first lady to say good night remains a secret: His calls were routed around the hotel's phone system.
Bush stayed on the hotel's 23rd floor, the Grand America's second-highest. Access to the floors above and below was limited to his entourage. The windows of the president's luxurious suite were bullet-proofed as a requirement for his visit. They faced east toward the Wasatch Range, overlooking Washington Square, where Mayor Rocky Anderson led an anti-war rally just hours before Bush's arrival at the hotel via an underground parking lot.
It's not Grand America's first request for window re-treatments, Fery said. When the Rolling Stones stayed, they insisted their windows be "blacked out" so band members could sleep through the day - and also stipulated that rooms be stocked with organic food products ordered from overseas.
Bush's cuisine hankerings were much simpler. He breakfasted on fresh berries and muffins from the hotel bakery, and made no requests for stocking the wet bar in his 2,000-square-foot suite, which features silk damask draperies, English wool carpets, French inlaid furniture and Italian marble floors. The presidential suite, one of three at the hotel, also includes a living and dining area, a kitchen and two bathrooms - one with a spacious shower, the other with a jetted tub. The president chose the shower.
"He's a typical guy, I guess," Fery said, adding that the robe and slippers worn by Bush were returned to the anonymity of the hotel's laundry room. After all, the president was not Grand America's only celebrated occupant last week. In addition to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and political strategist Karl Rove, the Grand America also hosted the Dave Matthews Band and headliners for a motivational seminar at the Delta Center, including retired basketball star John Stockton and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
A golf tournament at Thanksgiving Point brought sports celebrities to the hotel last week, too, leading to an impromptu meeting between "Condi" and Johnny Miller, Jack Nicklaus and Annika Sorenstam on Monday.
Hotel staffers told Fery that Rice was pleasant and chatty while being served in her executive suite, which was outfitted with an elliptical trainer for her visit. Rice's only last-minute request was for Diet Pepsi with Lemon.
According to public relations manager Shannon Short, the biggest challenge of Bush's visit was ensuring that other guests, whether famous or not, received elite service despite sharing a hotel with the president of the United States.
"Not everyone knows what Five-Diamond service is," said Short, referring to a coveted designation from travel group AAA, "but they know if they don't get it."
Although guests could not use underground parking, and had to go through security checks in the lobby, Fery said no one became irate.
The presidential visit brought its share of difficulties, but Fery wouldn't trade the experience.
"It was a great piece of business," he said. "It was a lot of work, but I'm very proud of our staff. They were excited to serve their commander in chief, and they will remember this for the rest of their lives."