Under new ownership, the Hotel Jerome reopened Friday without longtime general manager Tony DiLucia at the helm.

Otherwise, the 92-room historic hotel appeared to be operating under a business-as-usual approach, underscored by a line of thirsty patrons occupying the stools at the J-Bar.

An employee at the Pitkin County Clerk & Recorder’s Office said the sale, which included the hotel and all of its assets including off-site affordable housing and other holdings, was recorded for a little more than $52 million. Chicago-based Elysian Worldwide LLC and Lodging Partners LLC purchased the hotel from Oklahoma Publishing Co., which had bought the Main Street landmark for $33.7 million in February 2005.

William A. Hall, a vice president of lodging for Vail Resorts who was brought in to the Hotel Jerome to help with the operational transition, said he believes the hotel should stay as a hotel and not be converted to condominiums as has been speculated.

“It’s a trend in our industry right now,” Hall said of hotels that include private residences and fractional ownership of lodging properties. “In some areas of the country it is very strong. In other areas, it’s dying out. I see this beautiful hotel staying a hotel. I believe it will stay a hotel. With a little more investment, it’ll only become better.”

David Pisor, the CEO of Elysian, said he intends to look at “all of our different options” as it pertains to the future of the Hotel Jerome but that his central focus is to “return the Jerome to its grandeur.”

Hall said that his 42 years of lodging experience has demonstrated that the Hotel Jerome should remain 100 percent a hotel.

“The hotel was in good shape,” said Hall, who is here for several weeks alongside interim General Manager Tim Estes helping with the ownership and transition. “The hotel feels good. It’s one of the special hotels of in the world. Everything is in order.”

DiLucia, the longtime general manger of the Hotel Jerome, will be missed. Hall who works for the Vail Resorts subsidiary Broomfield-based RockResorts International, said on Thursday he and DiLucia said their good-byes in the hotel’s parking garage, and while the farewell was significant, he felt as though there were no hard feelings.

“Tony told me he wanted to make a change,” said Hall. “Tony’s very upbeat. The front door is always open for him. He did a lot for this community. He did a lot for this hotel. He’s very much a pro and a nice person.”

DiLucia is taking a weeklong vacation and is “on call” to help the new management and new ownership with any questions or problems that might arise.

Hall said the hotel held a staff meeting Friday morning and that the hotel’s employees are capable, professional and extremely “upbeat” despite the circumstances.

“Everyone was gung ho and read to go,” Hall said. “We’re very happy and pleased with the management and the employees here. They care and that’s what makes this hotel.”

The barstools were full in the hotel’s famous bar that has hosted everyone from John Wayne to Jack Nicholson, but the business itself had 30 percent occupancy on Friday night and 40 percent tonight. The first weekend of June is already booked. The Aspen Food & Wine Festival has the hotel completely sold out.

“The traveling public looks for old charm,” said Hall. “Believe me, this is the Rocky Mountains. The Hotel Jerome is Colorado.”

Information from: www.aspendailynews.com

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