Phillip Johnson
Doorman Extraordinaire
When Queen Elizabeth II stayed at The Adolphus in 1991, doorman Phillip Johnson was one of the first to say, “Welcome to The Adolphus, your Majesty.” As the general manager escorted the Queen and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, into the elegance of the lobby living room, Mr. Johnson exhibited the easy grace that comes from greeting more than a decade of guests at Dallas’s historic hotel.
“Every institution has a handful of employees who represent it in the customer’s mind,” Managing Director Tom E. Garcia said. “They give it a face and a personality all its own. When many of our guests think of The Adolphus, they think of Phillip Johnson and his absolute professionalism. He’s a legend not only within our hotel family, but throughout the city. In fact, Phillip just received the Hotel Association of Greater Dallas’ Hospy Award as Bell Staff Employee of the Year!”
His name is routinely among the “star employees” of the month, a designation reserved for the crème de la crème of Adolphus staff. And he has taken top honors—“Employee of the Year”—twice. “Phillip is truly one of the superstars of the hospitality industry, Mr. Garcia explained. “He is the ideal against which all of our employees our measured. His consistency is remarkable for its longevity as much as for its serenity. If The Adolphus were a nation state, Phillip would be our choice as Ambassador to the world. He is that outstanding.”
Phillip Johnson has also contributed his time to the Neiman Marcus/Adolphus/Children’s Parade, serving as “chauffeur to the stars,” including Miss America and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Throughout the year, Mr. Johnson receives so much praise on comment cards and in letters that the management has only to glance at the mail to know when he is on vacation.
“We have a corporate philosophy of ‘pleasing every guest, every time,’” Mr. Garcia said. “Phillip Johnson is a living testament that it can be done ten out of ten times with warmth and style.”
During the filming of Bonnie and Clyde, Phillip’s grandmother took him to the Dallas set to watch the production. His budding charms caught the eye of Warren Beatty and his co-star Faye Dunaway, and they played with Phillip and his sister during the breaks. Recently, when Miss Dunaway stayed at The Adolphus, Phillip had the opportunity to reintroduce himself to the star. “All those years ago, she had a clear memory of my sister and me,” he said. “We laughed about how far we both had come since those innocent days. I was taller, but she had just grown more beautiful.”
Prince Philip, who has an experienced eye for extraordinary service, took time to read Phillip’s brass nametag and note good-naturedly that they shared the same name. “I was bursting with pride when he paused to run his finger across my nametag,” Phillip said. “It is a moment that I will be able to share with my grandchildren someday. I met the Queen of England, and the Duke of Edinburgh touched my badge right here!”
Phillip, who joined The Adolphus in September 1983, has a degree in marketing and psychology from East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas, and is hours away from completing his M.B.A at Amber University in Garland. He has been featured on News 8 and has served as a guest lecturer on customer service at TXU.