History of the Rusty Parrot & Jackson Hole, WY

RUSTY PARROT LODGE AND SPA
BACKGROUNDERS

Entrepreneur Ron Harrison founded the Rusty Parrot in 1990 after extensive travel and personal observation of high-end lodging properties all over the world. Intentionally tailored to its Jackson setting and located within walking distance of the Town Square’s many shops and restaurants, the intimate 31-room lodge-Ron determined that 100-room hotels hadn’t a chance of remembering guests by name-was designed with a comfortable, timeless Western ambiance. Well-appointed rooms include in-room fireplaces and Jacuzzis, one-of-a-kind handcrafted furniture, and down comforters.

The Rusty Parrot’s name was born of equal parts research and serendipity. Ron and his staff compiled a list of names that might reflect the lodge’s unique nature while being easy to remember. Driving through the redwood forests of California with the list of potential names on one last trip in search of ideas to borrow from successful U.S. innkeepers, Ron happened across a strange little antique shop with a very weathered 3-foot-high metal bird with a crooked tail standing on a sequoia stump-the incarnation of the second name on their list, The Rusty Parrot. Taking it as an omen, they settled on the name-and purchased the bird as a mascot.

In 1995 Heidi Harrison opened the Body Sage on-site spa-then the first spa in Jackson-to provide guests with additional pampering and various spa therapy options to complement the area’s outdoor lifestyle, including many organic and indigenous herbs and treatments. Ten years later, despite an influx of Jackson Hole spas, the Body Sage, with its low-key atmosphere and in-town location, retains its “local’s favorite” moniker.

From its beginning, the Rusty Parrot was known for its complimentary chef-prepared breakfasts, including such items as country sausage gravy with jalapeño biscuits or Crème Brulee French toast, as well as more traditional offerings like hot seven-grain cereal and Swedish pancakes. The gourmet breakfasts developed a buzz that eventually prompted Ron to expand the lodge’s food offerings in 2001 with the opening of the Wild Sage restaurant. Serving dinner seven days a week, the Wild Sage, with its creative, fresh regional menu, was the only Jackson restaurant to receive AAA’s 2004 Four-Diamond rating. The restaurant and Executive Chef Kyle Walker have been widely featured in media including The Food Network, The New York Times, Elle Décor, and the Chicago Sun Times.

In 2004 the Rusty Parrot Lodge and Spa became a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. The lodge has been featured on the weekend edition of the Today Show and in USA Today, was named one of the World’s Best Hotels in the January 2005 issues of Conde Nast Traveler and Travel & Leisure magazines, and “best romantic getaway” by Mountain Living Magazine. The Lodge has been rated Four-Diamond by AAA for 13 consecutive years.

RUSTY PARROT LODGE AND SPA:
SERVICE PHILOSOPHY BACKGROUNDER

Before opening the Rusty Parrot Lodge and Spa, owner Ron Harrison carefully researched exactly what made the best hotels in the world successful. As a result, customer service at the Rusty Parrot is paramount-and proactive: This philosophy requires going beyond merely responding to guests’ needs; staff members are consistently encouraged to anticipate needs and exceed expectations.

“The success of the Parrot is 95% attributed to the staff,” says Ron, who stresses the importance of having each staff member focusing their performance and attitude on the creation of a unique and fulfilling guest experience when they step through the door. And whatever the challenge, the staff’s style is consciously professional, genuine, and friendly without being pretentious or intrusive. The emphasis is on making sure guests feel at home-welcome, comfortable and tended to without feeling imposed upon.

A large part of the Rusty Parrot staff’s ability to be attentive without seeming intrusive is their philosophy of treating each guest as an individual. “If they come here for silence, rest and rejuvenation, we will ensure a relaxing experience. If they come here to see every art gallery, go on every outdoor adventure, hike every mountain and talk to every employee in the lodge, then it is our goal to make sure this occurs,” says General Manager Jim Promo.

As with perfection in anything, details matter, and sometimes the littlest things mean the most: acknowledging guests with a smile, initiating eye contact, offering a polite greeting and remembering names; recommending restaurants, warning of hazardous road conditions, preparing a late night meal, and offering an umbrella when it’s raining; staying current with activities throughout the Jackson Hole area-and providing the kind of “secret” or “insider’s” information that can make a trip unforgettable. The cumulative effect of this attention to detail is to create guests who go home and share their positive experience with others.

Excellence in customer service is the hallmark of every top-notch hotel. Despite their informal Western location, the Rusty Parrot’s experienced and carefully trained staff’s ability to “go beyond” in accommodating guests-and to do it day and night 365 days a year-raises this 31-room lodge into the “best of the best” rankings for small luxury hotels worldwide.