A Hotel del Coronado employee surprised Scott Carlson, his wife and their three children upon stepping into the lobby elevator 17 years ago.
Andrew Graham Lounsbury pulled collapsible scissor gates enclosing guests in a 5-feet by 5-feet birdcage — one of three original elevators at the hotel — before moving to his corner of the elevator where, five days a week, he operated the box up and down.
The Carlsons were not celebrities, just annual visitors from Iowa. But Lounsbury would learn the name of each family member while transporting them to one of five floors in the Victorian building.
“Step into my office,” Lounsbury would say each time people entered the elevator, prepared to make the corners of their mouths curl with amusement.
“Even if we were to go down one floor, [my kids] would take the elevator just to see him and be able to interact with him,” said Carlson, who visited Lounsbury even after he retired from his position at the Del. “He was just a wonderful, wonderful guy.”
In mere seconds, Lounsbury could transform into “the king of rock and roll” and belt out vibrant performances of Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock” or other favorite artists of his, tying each song back to the guests’ hometowns or names.
Lounsbury entertained visitors of the Del while operating the “Otis 61” elevator from 1979-2020.
For 41 years, Lounsbury cultivated a reputation within the iconic resort as “Elevator Elvis” and made lasting impressions on visitors humble or famous, including the late American actor Tony Curtis.
On April 10, Lounsbury died at 73 years old.
Today, his retired uniform is on display at the Del’s Ice House Museum and a plaque proclaims the now modernized conveyance as “Andrew’s Elevator” to honor his legacy.
“Andrew is living proof that as we honor The Del and share Her 137 year story, we are reminded that Her legacy is lived by everyday people, who get up each morning with a mission to create lasting memories and traditions for our guests,” said Corey Menotti, the Hotel del Coronado guest experience and discovery ambassador who worked closely with Lounsbury from 2005 through his retirement, in an email.
“He wanted to give you something that you can’t buy,” added Carlson, who called Lounsbury the soul of the hotel. “How often do you go to a hotel where they know your name?”
In Lounsbury’s obituary, his family wrote that he is survived by siblings Sandra, Garda, Mary, Robert, Charles, Richard and a large extended family in both California and Ontario, Canada.
In lieu of flowers, his family requested donations to either Kaiser Hospice in San Diego or New Directions Travel for people with disabilities in Santa Barbara.
“A lot of people have already donated,” said Mary J McQuinn, Lounsbury’s sister, about a scholarship fund established in his name to support travel programs for adults with mild to moderate developmental disabilities. “That’s really another way that he’s touched the lives of people.”
A legacy beyond the Del
Lounsbury not only impressed families but he influenced businesses.
“We’re in the hospitality business as well, which I think partly is why we gravitated to him so much because when we see good hospitality, we can relish it,” said Carlson who is in the restaurant business.
Lounsbury is also the inspiration for the “Andrew Award” at a global management company.
“Andrew always shared positivity and made every guest feel special,” reads the page about the award established by Joe Cardini, president of Bristol Global Mobility. “Our annual award recognizes Bristol associates who bring the same warmth and connection to those we serve, reminding us of our mission to better people and our planet through hospitality.”
Lounsbury lived with cerebral palsy, and he overcame the challenges of his condition with the support of his entire family.
“There’s nothing, nothing that he gave up on,” said McQuinn, 81, inside her San Diego home surrounded by archives of Lounsbury’s keepsakes.
Lounsbury — who his family referred to as Graham — was born in Canada, moved to Ventura as a young boy and followed his mom to San Diego.
He struggled as a janitor in the early years, but his mother convinced him to make a change.
“She said, ‘You’ve got to get out of that line of work. You can’t do that with your physical condition and getting wet, janitorial work is not for you,” McQuinn said, remembering her mother’s words to her younger brother.
Lounsbury applied for a job at the Del after his mother saw a newspaper advertisement about the elevator operator opening.
“They drove over the bridge, paid the toll,” said McQuinn, whose mother waited hours for Lounsbury. “And finally she looked in the rearview mirror and she saw him running across the parking lot with the uniform slung over his shoulder, and he was just grinning from ear to ear.”
Since then, Lounsbury captured the hearts of many, fostering several friendships, including Jack Soden, the CEO of Graceland.
“The Del was his life. Basically, he came home to sleep,” McQuinn added, chuckling. “It just is amazing the backbone that he had.”
‘Elevator Elvis’
Lounsbury was a diehard fan of the man who became known as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Three different times Lounsbury visited his idol’s mansion, Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee.
“He always was crazy about Elvis and he would imitate him and he went out and bought the whole [Elvis] outfit,” McQuinn said.
“He used to love to sing and he can’t sing worth a darn. He can’t carry a tune in a bucket, but here he is,” said McQuinn pointing to a photo of her brother attending a karaoke party in one of many poster boards she created for Lounsbury’s retirement party.
In one letter, Lounsbury recalls encounters with Hollywood film star Tony Curtis, including rushing to meet him on one of his days off.
“‘The bellman called me [Andrew] at home and said, Tony Curtis is here and he’s looking for you,’” Mary said, reading off Lounsbury’s letter.
In another instance, Curtis dedicated and signed two sketches to Lounsbury and his mother, which McQuinn said were evaluated at $1,000 each by Antiques Roadshow.
According to Menotti, the duo would entertain the crowd with a soft shoe and a song every time the “Some Like It Hot” star visited the Del.
“‘The Godfather of Soul,’ James Brown, saw him dancing to ‘Feel Good’ and whipped out a $100 bill saying quite profoundly, ‘Any man dances like THAT has GOT to get paid!'” Menotti shared.
Lounsbury extended that charisma to anyone he met.
“It’s that guest interaction and that personalization,” said Gina Petrone, heritage manager at the Hotel del Coronado. “Even when he had retired, even when he was just visiting the Del. … He just really loved the hotel.”
Remembering Andrew
The Del hosted a retirement party for Lounsbury in October 2021.
“People from all over the country made the pilgrimage to the Coronet Room to … sing his praises,” Menotti said.
It was around this time, Menotti added, that the resort’s executive team and ownership decided to honor the up and down life of Lounsbury with a commemorative sign recognizing the impact he had on his fellow staffers and Coronado.
“He made such wonderful memories with our guests,” said Petrone, a docent at the museum. “(He) created these relationships so that people came back year after year with their family.”
The “Andrew’s Elevator” plaque highlights Lounsbury’s contributions, and guests who knew him will remember the enthusiastic person beyond the operator.
Lounsbury loved the Del so much he referred to the hotel as if it was a lady.
“Andrew used to say,” Menotti added, “‘The people that came before me took their time and taught me that I am not alone in this… I am only one but together we are her history!’”
