Jul. 19, 2003 - While most of John Parker's co-workers at the new downtown Courtyard by Marriott would find it interesting, few of them know about his past. 

He has not even mentioned it to some of his close Marriott colleagues, that his family built and ran the legendary Concord resort hotel in the Catskills. 

Parker is more than likely the only hotelier in Houston who can say that Buddy Hackett held him as a baby. Or that the most famous performers in the world performed onstage at his family's resort: Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, Milton Berle, Sammy Davis Jr., Jerry Seinfeld, Judy Garland, Diana Ross and Julio Iglesias. 

As a boy, he got to play hockey with hotel guest Wayne Gretzky. 

Parker, 35, has every reason to have turned out spoiled rotten, but nothing could seem further from the truth. 

He is a well-mannered, unassuming man who happens to love the hotel business and is thrilled to be running the brand-new, moderately priced Courtyard by Marriott. 

He has rich memories of growing up at the Concord but makes a point of not flaunting it. 

Years before his family sold the resort, in 1996, he left the nest to work at other hotels. He never dreamed of doing anything other than hotel work. 

"He wanted to go out on his own and build his own reputation," his mother, Sharon Parker, said from Boca Raton, Fla. 

She said being from a family with a well-known hotel adds pressure. "It's like being the child of a famous star -- it makes it much harder," she said. 

She knows something about show business. At 10, she signed a recording contract with Jubilee Records and later sang at the Concord. 

She met her husband, George Parker, when she was a teenager tagging along at the Concord with her father, Michael Strauss, a New York Times reporter for 53 years. 

The Concord was something to write about. From tip to tip, you could walk inside the complex for a half mile, Parker said. The dining room could seat 5,000. The swimming pool, an acre large, was surrounded by 3,000 chaise lounge chairs. The Night Owl Lounge had a 200-foot-long bar. 

The Concord was founded in 1936 by John Parker's great-grandfather Arthur Winarick, a barber who invented Jeris, a hair tonic that made him rich. 

With the Jeris fortune, Winarick built the Concord in Kiamesha Lake, N.Y., at a time when there were only bungalows in the area. The resort was an instant success, and others followed. 

The Parkers lived an hour from the Concord in Tuxedo Park, N.Y., in a house where Emily Post had lived. Neighbors included the Goulds, Rockefellers and other New York aristocracy. 

Parker said the reason he did not get spoiled is his parents kept him working, starting at 12. 

He worked as a bellboy, busboy, desk clerk, line cook, accountant, carpenter, executive housekeeper and more. He recalled being a dishwasher by day, then joining his family to dine with titans of industry. 

Going from the Concord to the Courtyard by Marriott seems like a dramatic difference, but Parker seemed sincere when observing that he feels like he's gone from one family business to another. 

He said he admires the Marriott culture and described it as one of the most innovative chains in the world, and one that thoroughly trains its employees. 

To successfully run a hotel, a person must have teaching skills, understanding, drive, integrity and thick skin, Parker said. 

He came to Houston 3 years ago to work at the Houston Northwest Courtyard. 

The Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn by Marriott are in the historic Humble Oil Building. The Residence Inn's general manager is Paula Blackwell. 

At the same site are the Humble Tower Apartments, managed by Westdale Asset Management. The project, which includes retail, is owned by Kimberly-Clark and Leddy Ventures. 

The downtown Marriott is unique for the chain. Most Courtyards serve breakfast only, but the downtown Houston operation has extras, including a full-service restaurant, run by Four Seasons-trained chef Raul Diego, room service, and full catering for its six meeting rooms. 

Inside Parker's modest office, there are no references to the Concord. On the wall is a framed photo his previous Courtyard, surrounded by good-luck wishes written by former colleagues. 

But when pressed, he will reflect on his rich past. 

Among the nicest entertainers to perform there, he said, were Willie Nelson, Alan King, Joan Rivers and Gloria Estefan. 

Dean Martin performed at the Concord but not Jerry Lewis, whose uncle was maitre d' at a resort down the road. 

Parker would not identify any show-biz jerks by name but noted that one difficult star demanded in her contract a bathtub filled with milk after her performances. 

The late Buddy Hackett, a close family friend, baby-sat for Parker's father. 

Entertainers such as Hackett and Berle got very nervous before going onstage, Parker said, because the Concord was known to be a tough room. 

"If they didn't like you, they'd get up and leave," he said. 

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