THIS GREAT HOTELIER WAS A HALOCAUST SURVIVOR

Henri Lewin arrived in America after the war with a suitcase and few dollars in his wallet. His brother, Werner was with him. They started as dishwashers in the Fairmont Hotel - San Francisco. In a few years, Henri was President of The Fairmont and Werner became head of food & beverage for the entire operation. In the early sixties Conrad Hilton recruited both to join the new expansion of their chain. In the late sixties, Barron Hilton bought a bankrupt hotel off the strip and sent both brothers to turn it around. Henri discovered that Elvis Presley’s manager and father had exorbitant gambling debts at The Sands. He met Parker and worked a deal to satisfy everyone for Elvis to play exclusively in Vegas at The Hilton International. It relit Presley’s career and put a hotel off the strip on the map. Henri later owned The Sands and Las Vegas Convention Center which was a massive hit. I was honored to know Henri & Werner. They are both gone now but still today are known as two of the greatest hoteliers that ever worked in this country.