Apr. 25--"Footloose" isn't the word that comes to mind when you first meet Armel Santens, the new managing director of the Brown Palace Hotel. 

With his neatly parted dark hair and pressed blue suit he looks every inch the staid professional -- a guy with his feet nailed to the ground and a history in one place. 

But Santens' French accent belies the image of the stay-at-home banker. He has moved a dozen times over the past 25 years as he pursued a career in the hotel business. 

Along the way, he has learned to appraise hotels. 

"Every hotel is very different. My personal choice are the older hotels, they have more character," he said Tuesday. 

He has found the right job. The 108-year-old Brown Palace in downtown Denver is a remnant of the gilded age. It won't be Santens' first foray into the world of landmark hotels. Before moving to Denver recently, he was general manager of the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, a member of the National Trust Historic Hotels of America. 

Good hotels are like small cities; there is really no need to leave them for anything, he said. Especially when you work in one and have an apartment on the premises. 

Santens and his wife, Elizabeth, occupy a one-bedroom suite on the ninth floor of the Brown Palace. 

The Biltmore also provided lodging. 

"I caught myself not going out for a week. In L.A., I said I need to go ride a bike on the beach because I need to breathe some fresh air." 

As a resident, Santens will know when the hot water goes out or the air-conditioning system doesn't work. Not that he would avoid handling those problems if he lived off premises, he said. 

"People would call you anyway if there is an emergency," he said. 

Santens will oversee a hotel that has $30 million in annual revenues and 425 employees. 

A native of Normandy, France, the 52-year-old Santens graduated from the Hotel School of Paris and began his North American career with Hilton International at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. 

He is replacing Peter Aeby, who retired after 13 years at the Brown Palace. 

Santens worked for New York City-based Quorum Hotels & Resorts, which manages the Brown Palace, for 14 years before going to work at the Biltmore 2 1/2 years ago. 

"We are very fortunate to have someone as experienced as Armel Santens within our organization who also has such a strong background in luxury hotels," said Ted Mosley, president of Quorum. 

"His European style will benefit the traditions of the Brown Palace Hotel." 

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