Robinson, Grace Perley

Grace Robinson (pictured here at left with her daughter Dorothy) served as the first general manager of the San Marcos Hotel.  She held that job from the time the hotel opened in 1913 into the late 1920s, when she was forced to retire to care for her ailing husband, Will Robinson.  Grace began her career in hotels working in her uncle W.J. Murhpy's resort, the Ingleside Inn.  She also received training at the Mission Inn in Riverside, California.  While at the Mission Inn, she observed many Koreans employed at the hotel.  When she became manager of the San Marcos, she hired many Koreans to work there.

Mrs. Robinson is listed in the 1916,  1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1923, 1925 and 1926 Chandler City Directories  as manager of Hotel San Marcos. She and her husband lived on north Washington St. and that Dorothy B. Robinson lived with them (1920, 1921, 1923)

She was its first manager, after previously working at the Ingleside Inn, another resort in the Salt River Valley. She had studied hotel management at the Mission Inn in Riverside, Calif.  Having seen many Korean immigrants at the Mission Inn, she hired many to work at the San Marcos.

She was married to William H. Robinson, a prolific author of books and essays and builder of the  Suhwaro Hotel across the street.

For a photo of Grace and her daughter Dorothy, see Grace Robinson.

(Images of Chandler, Jody A. Crago, Mari Dresner and Nate Meyers, 2012)

In the 1919 directory her name is given as Grace P.

The 1923, 1925 and 1926 directories gave their address as 220 N. Washington. She was listed as the resident manager of the San Marcos Hotel in the 1925 directory.

The 1926, 1929 and 1930 directories  said she was manager of the San Marcos Hotel. The 1929 and 1930 directories said she and William H. lived there.