He Gives Pool Its Sparkle

Svend Petersen has his fingers crossed. On a cool March morning, less than two weeks before the Academy Awards, this veteran pool manager at the Beverly Hills Hotel has a lot to worry about.

“Excitement is in the air,” says Petersen, who has worked at the hotel for 40 years and who is preparing the pool area for the Miramax post-Oscar bash. “The hotel is getting all spruced up. Now, if only the weather stays nice. I’m really hoping for that. I want everyone to feel like a winner, and on a sunny day by the swimming pool, it’s hard not to feel good about yourself.”

Surveying a partly cloudy sky, the well-tanned 69-year-old asks: “What’s a day without sunshine? Maybe we can put a clear dome over the pool area. Then guests will come rain or shine and I will be happy.”

Making people happy is what Petersen lives for, which is why he has remained poolside at the hotel since he arrived in the U.S. from Denmark during the summer of 1959. Having seen legends like the Beatles, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor swing through the pool area gates, he is unfazed by today’s celebrities. And after experiencing the limelight himself and landing bit parts opposite Paul Newman and Elke Sommer in “The Prize” and later in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Torn Curtain,” he is unmoved by fame.

“I just love seeing people happy. I realized a long time ago that that’s really what I’m all about. If someone comes down [to the pool] with a frown on his face, it is my challenge to make him smile.”

It is a challenge he takes to heart for each guest, not just the famous with bodyguards or gold statues.

“I love everyone. It doesn’t matter who you are. I will take excellent care of you,” he insists, his Danish accent adding an element of sincerity and a smile forewarning the impending wisecrack.

“Besides, everybody looks the same in a bathing suit. If you’re by my pool, you’re a VIP.”

Those fortunate enough to find themselves Petersen’s guest will be greeted by name, flirted or joked with accordingly. And if you ask, he may even page you over the infamous intercom system.

“This was a big fad before everyone got cell phones, but people still love to hear their names called on the loudspeaker. This is the land of dreams and fantasy. Calling someone’s name is an easy way for me to make a dream come true.”

It is unlikely that the crowd Petersen is currently prepping for will find a poolside page much of a thrill. Then again, you never know.

“After the hotel was closed for repairs for 2 1/2 years, things were pretty slow. Now, everyone is coming back. The glamour and history of the hotel are winning people over. Things go in and out of style. But we are really hot again. Can I tell you, that makes me feel like a winner.”