Meet Lake Union Manager, Tyler Grimes
As a young boy, Tyler Grimes watched Kenmore Air seaplanes take off and land from Lake Union Park. He never imagined that 20-plus years later, he’d be watching those same planes as Kenmore Air’s Lake Union Manager.
“It’s just wild to have come full circle and realize this is where I actually watched them take off as a boy,” Tyler said.
Born and raised in Spokane, Tyler always wanted to move to Seattle but the path to the Emerald City wasn’t a straight shot. Tyler worked a diverse array of jobs, including backup mascot for the Spokane Chiefs (he was Boomer the Breakdancing Bear) and lead singer for The Gutters, an aspiring punk rock band.
After earning his Bachelor in Music Journalism from Eastern Washington University, he dabbled with freelance writing. Alas, his collection of framed rejection letters from Rolling Stone lead him to pursue a different career path in the hospitality industry.
For 15-plus years, Tyler worked his way from entry level jobs in the hospitality industry, starting as a front desk clerk and eventually becoming the Hotel Manager at Silver Cloud. As the Lake Union Manager, Tyler pulls from his background in the hospitality industry to prioritize a positive customer experience.
“You’ll always find me walking around the building straightening up and checking in with staff to make sure everyone has what they need. I have spent a lot of my career working with housekeeping every day, so visual appearance and customer experience is always a top priority,” Tyler said.
Ironically, some of Tyler’s work you’ll likely never see as a customer.
“We have our lovely geese friends who like to visit the dock overnight during the off season. In addition to the new wolf statues, we put a motion sensor noise and light flasher down on the pylon that barks like a dog when they land on the dock,” Tyler explained. “We love the geese, but we also want our customers to have a clean dock. This is a win-win.”
Outside of work, Tyler is passionate about spending time with his chosen family, including a weekly bonfire and barbecue on Friday nights. And while he hasn’t pitched Rolling Stone in quite some time, he has continued to write, recording stories from his hotel days that may one day turn into a memoir — Stories of a Hotelier.
QUICK FACTS ABOUT TYLER
- Originally From: Spokane
- Birthplace: West Seattle
- Age: 37
- Education: Bachelors in Music Journalism from Eastern Washington University
- First Job at Kenmore Air: Lake Union Manager
Favorite Kenmore Air Destination: Rosario. I love that little inlet and how gorgeous that resort is. It’s one of my favorites to fly into.
