Neal Cooper

Holiday at HanserHaus Neal Cooper

His eyes followed up the avenue of lighted trees lining the esplanade, and it somehow reminded him of postcard scenes he remembered having seen through the years-of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris, France, after dark. An occasional park bench was intermingled at measured intervals along the boulevard below the ornamental pedestrian lighting and tucked in neatly aside the trimmed hedge work and decorative floral plantings. His eyes continued to follow the beauty of the scenic moment until they came to rest on his purpose for the evening's crosstown travel. A hotel. It wasn't just any hotel. At the end of the avenue sat HanserHaus, a wonderful piece of vintage nostalgia that had remained vacant for several years. Now, through a variety of handshakes, partnerships, and with a certain amount of entrepreneurial risk, Jim's investment firm had just bought it, and he had big plans for it.

For years, the holidays were more of a game between him and his wife trying to outdo one another with surprises under the Christmas tree. Jim knew he would win this year! He had just purchased the hotel with plans to gift it to his wife for Christmas.

Little did Jim realize the gift he was about to discover hidden within its walls from another holiday many years before...from a holiday at HanserHaus.